Series 65 Exam: How Many Questions Can You Miss?
Why "about": FINRA (exam delivery/enrollment; NASAA is the exam owner — file never uses the word "administrator") uses scaled scoring, and 10 of the 140 questions are unscored pretest items you can't identify. The numbers here are the published specs — treat the margin as a close approximation, not a guarantee.
Pass-margin calculator
Tip: aim for a consistent 80%+ on practice material before booking — test-day nerves eat margin.
Series 65 exam at a glance
| Questions | 140 total — 130 scored, 10 unscored pretest |
|---|---|
| Passing score | 71% (≈92 correct) |
| You can miss | ≈38 scored questions |
| Time | 180 minutes |
| Fee | $187 |
| Run by | FINRA (exam delivery/enrollment; NASAA is the exam owner — file never uses the word "administrator") |
| Prerequisite | None — self-enroll (Form U10) |
U14 Ethical Practices and Obligations is the heaviest-weighted unit at 11 of 130 scored questions — the blueprint calls it "the most heavily tested topic on the exam" (U13 Communications is second at 10).
Fees and passing scores verified July 2026 against official FINRA/NASAA specifications — including FINRA's January 2026 fee adjustment (many prep sites still show the old fees).
Free Series 65 study tools
Try the free Series 65 practice quiz → Free Series 65 glossary (50 terms) →When you're ready to really prepare
We make plain-English Series 65 prep — every practice question explained (right and wrong answers), current to 2026 rules:
Practice questions → Adaptive quiz app → Complete system (all 6 products) →