Series 24 · Guide
What is the Series 24 exam?
The General Securities Principal exam — the license to supervise a broker-dealer's securities business rather than simply transact it.
| Scored questions | 150 (plus 10 unscored pretest) |
| Time limit | 3 hours 45 minutes |
| Passing score | 70 |
| Administered by | FINRA |
| Level | Principal — supervisory, not representative |
What it covers
The Series 24 spans the whole firm. It covers supervision of general broker-dealer activities — registration, communications, WSPs and books and records — plus retail and institutional customer activities, trading and market making, and investment banking and research. At 150 scored items it is the longest exam on this platform, and the breadth is the difficulty as much as the depth.
Why a principal exam reads differently
A representative exam asks what the rule is. A principal exam asks what you do about it. The same fact pattern — a representative posts firm-branded content to social media — becomes a different question: does it need approval before use, who gives that approval, and how is it evidenced afterwards?
The recurring theme is that a procedure which cannot be tested is not a procedure. Naming a supervisor is the easy half; stating what is reviewed, how often, and how completion is documented is the half that gets cited. If you can answer “how would an examiner confirm this happened?” you are reading these questions correctly.
Eligibility — check it yourself
Sources disagree about exactly which representative registration must precede the Series 24, and the requirements have changed over time. Don't rely on any single source — including this one — confirm directly with FINRA before you plan around a specific prerequisite.
Where it fits
The Series 24 is the principal exam most representatives eventually need, and it supervises material you already know from the Series 7. For difficulty and timeline, see is the Series 24 hard and how long to study, or take a free Series 24 practice test.
Prep for the Series 24.
Lessons and questions built around what a supervisor must verify, approve or refuse — every answer explained with the rule behind it. Start free.
Disclosures
Finance Exam Pro is not affiliated with FINRA. Practice questions are original and are not actual exam questions. Exam specs and eligibility requirements can change — confirm current details with FINRA.