Series 6 Exam vs. Series 7 Exam: What’s the Difference?

Series 6 Exam vs. Series 7 Exam: An Overview

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) offers a variety of licenses that must be obtained by passing examinations before registered representatives or investment advisors can conduct business. Two of the most popular licenses are the Series 6 and Series 7 exams. The Series 6 license allows a registered representative to sell only specific types of investment products, whereas the Series 7 license allows the rep to sell a wider variety of securities.

Key Takeaways

• The Series 6 and the Series 7 are required by FINRA to become licensed to buy and sell certain types of investments.
• A self-regulatory organization or a FINRA-member firm must sponsor a candidate who wants to take these exams.
• The Series 6 exam allows you to sell certain packaged products like mutual funds and variable annuities.
• The Series 7 allows you to sell almost everything covered under the Series 6, plus stocks, bonds, ETFs, and options.
• The Series 7 exam is longer than the Series 6 exam and requires a higher passing grade.

Series 6 Exam

The Series 6 exam is officially called the Investment Company and Variable Contracts Products Representative Qualification Examination. It’s a multiple-choice test with 50 questions, and a score of 70 or better is required to pass. Candidates have 90 minutes to complete the exam, and five additional unscored questions are asked during the exam.

Upon successful completion of the exam, representatives are qualified to solicit, purchase, and sell certain packaged products like mutual funds and variable annuities—products commonly sold by financial planners.

Candidates must be affiliated with and have sponsorship from a FINRA member firm before registering for the exam.

Important

To schedule an exam, the sponsoring firm files the Uniform Application for Securities Industry Registration or Form U4 with FINRA, acting as Appropriate Signatory. Exam applications without sponsorship are rejected.

Series 6 questions are broken down into four sections related to job functions as outlined in the table below:

To conduct business in annuity or insurance products, a representative must also pass a state life insurance examination. Common jobs utilizing the Series 6 license include financial advisors, retirement plan specialists, investment advisors, and private bankers.

Candidates must register with the FINRA through their sponsoring firm to transact with certain securities, and licensees must fulfill continuing education requirements to maintain their Series 6 license.

Series 6 Allowable Products

After successful completion of the exam, a Series 6 licensed representative can recommend and sell to clients:

• Mutual funds (closed-end funds on the initial offering only)
• Variable annuities
• Variable life insurance
• Unit investment trusts (UITs)
• Municipal fund securities, such as 529 plans and local government investment pools

However, holders of the Series 6 license are not permitted to sell corporate or municipal securities, direct participation programs, stocks, or options. 

Important

Before taking either the Series 6 or Series 7, candidates must pass the Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) exam. This introductory-level exam assesses a candidate’s knowledge of basic securities industry information. Some candidates take the SIE and one of the other two tests on the same day.

Series 7 Exam

The Series 7 is officially called the General Securities Representative Qualification Examination. It is a multiple-choice exam with 125 items lasting three hours and 45 minutes. The passing grade for the Series 7 exam is 72 or higher.

As with the Series 6, candidates must be affiliated with and have sponsorship from a FINRA member firm before registering for the Series 7 exam. The Series 7 exam includes four functions:

The only major types of securities or investments that Series 7 licensees are not authorized to sell are commodities futures, real estate, and life insurance.

Other Exams

Not sure if the Series 6 or Series 7 are right for you? The FINRA offers eight different representative-level exams and many other principal-level exams.

Candidates must be sponsored by a FINRA member firm or other applicable self-regulatory organization member firm prior to partaking in the exam. The sponsoring firm must file a Form U4 prior to the candidate sitting for the exam as part of the application process. Though the FINRA does not issue physical certificates as proof of completion for the exam, sponsoring members can view completion information through FINRA’s Central Registration Depository.

Series 7 Allowable Products

The Series 7 license allows financial advisors to engage in buying and selling virtually all securities-related investment products. In addition to everything covered under the Series 6 exam, products include common and preferred stock, bonds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), real estate investment trusts (REITs), and options. It is the examination required for stockbrokers and is a prerequisite for many other securities licenses.

Key Differences

The Series 6 license and Series 7 license are two of the most popular of what FINRA calls its qualification exams. Passing them is required to obtain a license to buy and sell certain types of investments for clients, as brokers, financial planners, investment managers, and other financial professionals commonly do.

The Series 7 is the tougher but more comprehensive exam of the two. It allows you to deal with almost any type of security, from stocks to bonds to investment trusts and funds, that a professional or retail investor would want. Just about all stockbrokers and money managers have the Series 7 license, as well as the Series 6.

In contrast, Series 6 is more limited. It mainly offers a license to deal in retail-investor-oriented products, like mutual funds and insurance annuities. It notably excludes individual equities, bonds, and ETFs—all of which are securities actively traded on financial exchanges. Financial planners who sell products from investment management companies and insurance companies to individuals could probably get by with just passing the Series 6.

Why Take the Series 7 Exam Over the Series 6 and 63?

A Series 7 license allows agents of financial representatives the ability to sell a greater range of securities. Though the Series 6 or Series 63 exams are easier, they are smaller in scope and do not allow license holders to transact using as many securities.

If I Have a Series 7 Exam, Do I Need a Series 6 Exam?

If you already have a Series 7 license, you might not need a Series 6 license depending on the products you want to sell. You likely do not need a Series 6 license if you have a Series 7 license and do not plan on selling life insurance.

What Is the Most Difficult FINRA Exam?

The Series 7 exam is the longest and most difficult securities exam.

What Jobs Can You Get With a Series 7?

Licensees that have successfully passed the Series 7 exam have career opportunities including certified financial planners, registered client associates, or internal sales associates at financial firms.

The Bottom Line

You must be licensed before you can sell securities in the United States. Depending on the type of securities you plan to sell, you must pass one or more exams to get your license. Two of the most popular exams are the Series 6 and Series 7, which are offered by FINRA. While the Series 6 exam focuses on the sale of packaged securities like mutual funds, the Series 7 exam is more comprehensive and includes additional securities like stocks and bonds. Both are multiple choice and must be completed in a specific time, and you must be sponsored by a firm to sit for the exams.

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