Series 7 Exam: How Many Questions Can You Miss?
Why "about": FINRA uses scaled scoring, and 5 of the 130 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 7 exam at a glance
| Questions | 130 total — 125 scored, 5 unscored pretest |
|---|---|
| Passing score | 72% (≈90 correct) |
| You can miss | ≈35 scored questions |
| Time | 225 minutes |
| Fee | $395 |
| Run by | FINRA |
| Prerequisite | Firm sponsorship (Form U4) + the SIE co-requisite |
Heaviest-weighted unit is U14 Regulations, Ethics & Recordkeeping at 13 questions — "The most questions of any topic and highly learnable — don't leave points here" (unit map, line 35). Runner-up cluster: U2, U3, U4 and U7 at 12 questions each.
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).
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