Best Futures Managed Funds Exam (Series 31) Alternatives
The Futures Managed Funds Exam (Series 31) qualifies you to solicit and supervise managed futures and commodity pool accounts. It's a compact, focused exam, and the good news is you don't necessarily need to spend a lot to pass it. This page compares the free study options against paid courses and books, so you can decide where to invest your money — and where you can save it.
Because the exam is short and rules-focused, many candidates pass using free and low-cost materials alone. But paid prep still earns its keep in specific situations, which we break down below.
What the exam looks like
Before choosing a study path, it helps to size the target. The Series 31 has 45 scored questions, gives you 60 minutes to complete it, and requires a score of 70% to pass. The exam fee is $90. Because it's a relatively small question bank with a one-hour time limit, most of your prep should focus on recognition speed and rule familiarity rather than deep memorization.
Free study options vs. paid prep
| Dimension | Free resources | Paid courses / books |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | $0 (plus the $90 exam fee everyone pays) | Typically tens to a few hundred dollars on top of the exam fee |
| What you get | Official FINRA content outline, regulator publications (NFA/CFTC rules), free study guides like this one, community forums | Curated study manuals, large practice-question banks, timed mock exams, progress tracking, sometimes video lectures |
| Practice questions | Limited and scattered; you assemble them yourself | Hundreds of exam-style questions with rationales and analytics |
| Structure | Self-directed — you build your own study plan | Sequenced curriculum that tells you what to study and when |
| Best for | Disciplined self-starters, candidates with futures/derivatives background, budget-conscious learners | First-time regulatory-exam takers, people who learn best with practice-question drills, those on a tight timeline |
When free makes sense
- You already work with futures, commodity pools, or managed accounts and mostly need to confirm rule details.
- You're a self-directed learner who can build and stick to a study schedule.
- You want to keep total cost as close as possible to the mandatory $90 exam fee.
When paid prep is worth it
- This is your first securities/derivatives qualification exam and you want structure.
- You benefit from large, realistic practice-question banks and timed mock exams — the single most predictive prep activity for a short, rules-heavy test.
- Your employer reimburses exam prep, or your timeline is short and you can't afford a retake.
A practical middle path
Many candidates start free — official outline plus a guide like this one — then add a paid question bank only if practice scores lag. Because the exam is just 45 questions with a 70% cut score, missing about 14 questions is the difference between passing and failing, so drilling realistic questions until you're comfortably above 70% is often the highest-value spend.