Prepare your appointment details and identification before exam morning, then leave your study materials outside the test center. This checklist is for a Series 82 appointment at a Prometric test center. If your approved appointment uses another arrangement, follow its specific instructions.
What should you check before leaving home?
Use the checklist below after reading your appointment confirmation. FINRA’s test-center preparation page is the source for arrival, identification, and check-in requirements. Guidance checked September 8, 2026; recheck it before your appointment.
Resolve an identification or booking mismatch before traveling. If your firm arranged the appointment, ask its registration team to confirm the booking information rather than assuming it matches the account you use for studying.
What can you bring into the testing room?
Most personal belongings must be stored as instructed by test-center staff. Phones, watches, personal notes, and study materials are prohibited for the session. FINRA’s personal-item rules list specific permitted items and explain when to seek guidance or pre-authorization.
The current beverage policy permits still water in a clear or transparent container with a lid or cap. Other beverages require a testing accommodation. Check the official list for medical or support items instead of assuming every personal item is either automatically allowed or automatically prohibited.
The center provides a four-function calculator and erasable note materials. You do not need to bring a personal calculator. Use the cheat sheet for review before you travel, not as something to carry into the appointment.
How should you pace the 90-minute exam?
The Series 82 content outline specifies 55 questions: 50 scored and five unidentified pretest items, with 90 minutes to finish. That gives you about 98 seconds per question on average. Some questions will take less time, leaving room for others.
A possible first-pass target is question 20 by about 30 minutes and question 40 by about 60 minutes. That leaves 30 minutes for the remaining 15 questions and any review. This is a study suggestion, not an official FINRA pacing requirement or a reason to rush a question you can solve.
Read for the customer, the activity, and the applicable rule. If two answers sound similar, identify the fact that separates them. You cannot identify the unscored items, and there is no penalty for guessing, so answer every question.
Can you check notes during a break?
No. FINRA’s Rules of Conduct restrict unscheduled breaks to restroom use. You cannot use a break to access your locker, leave the building, or consult personal study materials. You do not receive extra testing time.
Treat breaks as part of the appointment rules, not as a chance for one last review session. If an issue arises during testing, follow staff instructions and the applicable process for reporting it rather than improvising a solution that conflicts with the rules.
What should you study the evening before?
Review a short list of rules you have already learned. Avoid starting a large new topic solely because it appears in another candidate’s last-minute advice. A calm check of your own mistake log is more useful than trying to absorb an entire unfamiliar chapter.
Use the free flashcards for recall or one of the focused practice sets for a distinction you keep missing. Return to the study guide if those questions reveal a broader gap, and coordinate any scheduling changes with your firm.