How Many Times Can You Take the SIE or Series 7? (2026)

There is no fixed number. FINRA's rules for the SIE and Series 7 set waiting periods, not a maximum, and NASAA's FAQ says there is no limit on the Series 63, 65 or 66. What both regulators limit is how soon you can sit again. FINRA's SIE FAQ puts a 30-day wait after the first and second failed attempts and a 180-day wait after the third, and says every attempt after the third also waits 180 days; it adds that the SIE's waits are the same as FINRA's other exams, the Series 7 included. NASAA's exam FAQ sets the same 30- and 180-day waits for the Series 63, 65 and 66: "there is no limit for NASAA exams as long as the applicable waiting period requirements are met."

Two of those numbers are about to move, on different terms. NASAA's wait after a third failure drops from 180 days to 60 on January 4, 2027, but only for exam windows opened on or after that date. FINRA has amended its rule to cut its waits to 15 and 60 days, and says the shorter waits are not yet in effect for candidates. The sections below give each exam's waits and fee, the January 4 date arithmetic, and what to do with the score report FINRA sends after a fail.

Retake waits and fees for each exam

The waits are FINRA's (its July 1, 2026 notice and SIE FAQ) and NASAA's (its exam FAQ); the fees are the 2026 figures on each exam's FINRA page. Each attempt needs its own enrollment window and fee: NASAA's FAQ puts it as "one exam attempt per exam fee/window."

Both regulators count failures inside a two-year period. NASAA's FAQ spells out what that means for an old attempt: "If an attempt was greater than 2 years ago, it will not factor into that calculation." A wait also belongs to one exam only. Asked whether a failed Series 66 blocks the Series 63 or 65, NASAA answers: "No; the waiting period applies only to the specific exam you did not pass."

Third fail on the Series 63, 65 or 66: when to open the next window

NASAA's change turns on the date a window is opened, not the date of the failure. Its FAQ: "Exam windows opened before January 4, 2027 are subject to the rules under which they were opened." It also answers the question a 2026 third-time candidate asks: "If a candidate would like to utilize the reduced waiting period after the third exam attempt, candidates should wait until January 4, 2027 to open a new enrollment window."

What that is worth depends on when the third failure happened. The table counts NASAA's 180 or 60 days from the failed attempt; the dates are our arithmetic on its rule, and a Prometric seat on that date is a separate question.

For both dates in the table, waiting until January 4 to enroll moves the earliest retest three to four months earlier. Opening the next window before January 4 locks in the 180-day wait, and NASAA's FAQ says it "will not implement reduced waiting periods on existing windows."

FINRA's 15- and 60-day waits are in the rulebook, not yet in force

On July 1, 2026, FINRA announced it was amending Rule 1210 "to shorten the waiting periods for retaking failed qualification examinations from 30 days to 15 days after the first and second failed attempts, and from 180 days to 60 days after the third and subsequent failed attempts that occur within a two-year period." The change covers every FINRA exam, the SIE and Series 7 included. The same notice adds that "the reduced waiting periods are not yet in effect for candidates," and that "FINRA will announce the implementation date for the changes in a future regulatory notice. Until then, the current waiting periods remain unchanged."

The Rule 1210 text on finra.org already prints the new numbers, "15 calendar days" and 60, so a reader of the rulebook sees 15. FINRA's SIE FAQ still says 30 and 180, and those are the waits FINRA applies until its notice names a start date. When we checked FINRA's regulatory notices on October 4, 2026, none had. Plan your retake on 30 and 180.

What your fail report shows, and where to spend the wait

A pass tells you very little: FINRA's test-day page says that with a pass result "no additional scoring details will be provided." A fail tells you more. In FINRA's words, "if you receive a fail result, additional details regarding your exam performance will be provided in the results report, including your overall exam score and your performance on each of the topic sections on the exam."

On the SIE, the topic sections are the four in FINRA's content outline, and they are far from equal. A weak section that carries 33 of the 75 scored questions costs more than the same result on one that carries 7, so the report tells you where your 30 days should go. Each link below opens our free SIE practice test filtered to that section alone.

The SIE practice exam page also runs a short diagnostic that ends by pointing you to the section to review, which is a quick check before you book the retake. The Series 7, Series 63, Series 65 and Series 66 practice tests also filter questions by topic, so the areas a fail report flags can be drilled on their own.

Not ready for the retake? Move it while it is free

FINRA's cancellation policy draws the line at 10 business days: "Appointments rescheduled or cancelled within 10 business days will incur the existing fee at the time the appointment is changed." Its page lists the exact cut-off day for each weekday an appointment can fall on. The fees inside the line:

On a self-enrolled SIE, a late change costs the whole enrollment: the prepaid fee is forfeited as the late fee, and in FINRA's words "you must pay the exam fee to open a new enrollment window before scheduling a new appointment." The enrollment itself runs out too: FINRA posts a 120-day window after enrollment, and if you miss it "the cost of the exam will not be refunded or applied to another examination."

Clocks that keep running while you retake

A passed SIE stays valid for four years, according to FINRA's SIE page, so failing the Series 7 a few times does not put an SIE pass at risk. The NASAA exams run on a shorter clock. NASAA's FAQ describes the two-year rule that most states follow: "When an individual first passes an exam, that person has two years to become licensed (registered) with a state or the exam expires." It matters most for the Series 66, because NASAA also lists "a valid FINRA Securities Industry Essentials Exam and Series 7 Exam" as co-requisites for registering with it. A candidate who passes the 66 and is still retaking the Series 7 is spending the 66's two years on the Series 7's waits. For the full licensing sequence each job needs, see our financial advisor license requirements report.