The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) is a non-profit organization authorized by Congress to protect America’s investors by making sure the broker-dealer industry operates fairly and honestly. It does this by writing and enforcing rules governing the activities of 3,700 broker-dealers with 630,000 brokers, examining firms for compliance with those rules, fostering market transparency, and educating investors.
FINRA certification exams are typically taken at a Prometric testing center. Prometric operates a network of thousands of test centers in 160 countries making it easy for candidates to test virtually anywhere in the world.
You need to be sponsored by a FINRA member firm or other applicable self-regulatory organization (SRO) member firm to be eligible to take FINRA exams. Once your sponsoring firm opens an exam window, you can then apply for the exam. This can be done through FINRA's Test Enrollment Services System (TESS).
Once your application is approved, you will receive an email notification with a 120-day window to schedule your exam. You can schedule your exam online or by phone through Prometric. It’s recommended to schedule your exam as far in advance as possible to get your preferred date and time.
On the day of the exam, arrive at the testing center at least 30 minutes early to check-in. You will need to present a valid, government-issued ID. The exam will be administered via computer at the testing center.
To find a Prometric testing center near you, you can use the 'Locate a Test Center' tool on the Prometric website. For more information on FINRA exams, you can visit the FINRA website.
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