Series 22 · Guide
How long to study for the Series 22?
There's no published average to hand you here, so instead of guessing a number, size your prep against the exam's own structure — its length, its passing score, and where the weight actually sits.
Build your timeline from the exam, not a guess
The Series 22 is 50 scored questions over 1 hour 30 minutes, and you need 70% to pass. It takes the SIE as a corequisite, so it assumes you already have — or are building — general securities-industry knowledge alongside it. What the Series 22 adds on top is narrow and specific: direct participation programs. One function, providing customers with investment information and recommendations on those programs, is 54% of the exam by itself. That single number should drive most of your planning.
A schedule built around the weighting, not the clock
- First: Build a foundation across all four program types — real estate, oil and gas, equipment leasing, and limited partnership structures — plus how each entity (limited partnership, LLC, S corporation) allocates liability and passes through income.
- Then: Shift the bulk of your practice to Function 3 material — tax treatment, sharing arrangements, and recordkeeping — since it's more than half the scored items. Layer in Function 1 (seeking business, communications rules, due diligence) alongside it.
- Finally: Run full-length, timed mock exams. Once you consistently clear 70%, you're ready — that threshold matters more than any hour count you hit along the way.
Practice more than you re-read, and let adaptive practice keep resurfacing what you miss — that's exactly how Finance Exam Pro is designed to work.
Is this the right exam?
Not sure the Series 22 is the license you need? Check our license guide or see what makes it tough in Is the Series 22 hard?
Study smarter, not just longer.
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Disclosures
Finance Exam Pro is not affiliated with FINRA. Study times vary by individual; no result is guaranteed. Exam specs can change — confirm current details with FINRA.