Pass the Series 24 the first time
Adaptive prep for the FINRA Series 24. Topic-weighted practice questions and spaced-repetition flashcards covering supervision of broker-dealer activities, trading, and investment banking.
The Series 24 is FINRA's General Securities Principal exam. 150 scored questions, 225 minutes, 70% to pass, and a $235 fee. It requires the SIE plus a qualifying representative-level registration (most commonly the Series 7), and firm sponsorship (Form U4). For the full picture, read what a Series 24 license actually is.
Where the Series 7 tests whether you can do the work of a registered representative, the Series 24 tests whether you can supervise it. It qualifies you to oversee broker-dealer activities across five areas: registration and personnel management, general brokerage operations, retail and institutional customer activity, trading and market making, and investment banking and research. It is the standard credential for branch managers, supervisory principals, and compliance officers with sign-off authority over registered reps. It's sometimes confused with the narrower Series 9/10, which covers sales-activity supervision only.
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Take a full practice exam first.
Before you watch a single video, sit a full-length, timed practice exam in the Prometric view. No music, no phone, no interruptions. The end-of-exam report ranks every unit by your score and its weight on the real exam: that report is your study plan.
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Work units by the report, not the book.
Go down the report list in order. The lowest-scoring unit isn't always the most valuable to fix. CertFuel sorts by weakest area combined with how many points the unit is worth on the real exam, so your time goes where it actually moves your score.
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Run the unit loop, then move on.
For each unit: watch the videos, listen to the podcast, do one Study Quiz and one Flashcard session, read the section, then do one more Quiz and Flashcard set. Don't camp on a single unit. Fly through the content and trust the loop to tighten it up.
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Take a full practice exam every week.
Once a week, sit another timed practice exam. New weak units will surface as old ones improve. Re-rank your queue and run the loop again on whatever's at the top.
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Book the real exam after three 75%+ practice exams in a row.
Real-exam scores tend to land within a few points of your last full practice exam. Three consecutive practice exams at 75% or above is the readiness signal. 80%+ if you want margin for a bad day.
Registration & Personnel Management
Broker-dealer and associated-person registration requirements, Form BD/U4/U5 filings, and FINRA membership rules.
startGeneral Broker-Dealer Supervision
Supervisory systems and written procedures, books and records, financial responsibility rules, and anti-money-laundering compliance.
startCustomer-Related Activities
Suitability oversight, account approval, sales-practice supervision, and customer complaint handling.
startTrading & Market Making
Supervision of trading desks, market-making activity, and compliance with trading and reporting rules.
startInvestment Banking & Research
Supervision of underwriting, corporate finance, and research-analyst conduct rules.
startSeries 24 Practice Exam
A free 20-question practice exam weighted to the FINRA function distribution, with explanations after every question and a per-topic score breakdown.
20 questionsBest Series 24 Prep
Verified 2026 pricing and feature comparison against Kaplan, STC, and Pass Perfect, plus who each provider actually fits.
4 providers comparedSeries 24 Requirements
The full prerequisite chain: which rep-level exams qualify, how sponsorship works, and why you cannot take the Series 24 on your own.
do I qualify?Series 24 Jobs & Salary
What the license qualifies you for, sourced compensation data by role, and the two common paths into a principal seat.
branch manager · OSJ · complianceAiden AI Tutor
Your built-in AI study tutor for the Series 24. Ask about any lesson and get answers, examples, and memory aids on the spot.
ask anythingGlossary
Key securities exam terms and definitions, useful across the SIE and Series exams.
219+ termsWhat is the Series 24?
The Series 24 is FINRA's General Securities Principal exam. Where the Series 7 tests whether you can do the work of a registered representative, the Series 24 tests whether you can supervise it. Passing it qualifies you to supervise broker-dealer activities: registration and personnel management, general brokerage operations, customer-related activities, trading and market making, and investment banking and research.
What do I need before I can take the Series 24?
The SIE plus a qualifying representative-level registration, most commonly the Series 7. The Series 79, 57, 82, and 86/87 also qualify, since each already establishes the underlying registration a principal is meant to supervise. One exception: the Series 16 (Supervisory Analyst) exam qualifies on its own, without the SIE, but only for the research-principal track. Either way, you need firm sponsorship: you cannot enroll in the Series 24 on your own.
Do I need a sponsor?
Yes. The Series 24 requires sponsorship by a FINRA member firm through Form U4 before you can enroll, same as the representative-level exam you took to qualify for it.
What's the passing score and format?
You need 70% to pass (105 of 150 scored questions). The exam has 150 scored questions plus 10 unscored pretest questions, for 160 total, and you have 225 minutes (3 hours 45 minutes) to finish.
How long does it take to prepare?
Most candidates prepare for the Series 24 in 4 to 8 weeks of consistent study. The exam's supervisory scope spans nearly every function of a broker-dealer, so candidates without hands-on principal or compliance experience typically need more time than someone who has already been supervising informally.
What happens if I fail?
You can retake the Series 24 after a 30-day waiting period for the first and second failed attempts, and 180 days after a third. The exam fee applies to each attempt.
Series 24 vs Series 7: what is the difference?
The Series 7 qualifies you to sell and trade securities and work directly with clients as a registered representative. The Series 24 is a supervisory credential layered on top: it tests whether you can oversee the people doing that work, not whether you can do it yourself. Nearly every Series 24 holder passed the Series 7 (or another qualifying representative exam) first.
What jobs require the Series 24?
Branch managers, supervisory principals, and compliance officers who oversee registered representatives typically need the Series 24. It is the standard principal license at broker-dealers for anyone with sign-off authority over trading, sales practice, or investment banking activity.
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