General Securities Sales Supervisor Exam (Series 9/10): Full Comparison
The General Securities Sales Supervisor Exam (Series 9/10) qualifies people who supervise general securities sales activity at a broker-dealer — not the reps who conduct that business day to day. Because its purpose is different, it sits in a different tier from the exams below. The comparison here helps you see where each exam fits: which ones are prerequisites, which are entry-level, and which grant the actual authority to sell versus supervise.
The Series 9/10 is administered in two parts, and the passing score is 70 percent on each part. All numbers below that describe the Series 9/10 itself are drawn from official FINRA sources; where an exam is described relative to another, that is our reasoning rather than a cited figure.
What each exam is for (scope)
- Series 9/10 (Sales Supervisor): A supervisory qualification. It authorizes an individual to supervise sales-related activities of a general securities branch — options and general securities supervision — rather than to transact business personally.
- Series 7 (General Securities Representative): A representative-level license to solicit, purchase, and sell a broad range of securities products for customers.
- SIE (Securities Industry Essentials): A foundational, product-agnostic exam covering basic industry knowledge, regulatory structure, products, and prohibited practices.
- Series 63 (Uniform Securities Agent State Law): A state-law exam covering the Uniform Securities Act — registration, ethics, and anti-fraud rules at the state level.
- Series 6 (Investment Company and Variable Contracts Products Representative): A narrower representative license limited to packaged products such as mutual funds and variable annuities.
Who each is for
- Series 9/10: Branch managers, sales supervisors, and principals who oversee producing representatives.
- Series 7: Full-service registered representatives who need broad product authority.
- SIE: Newcomers to the industry, including candidates not yet associated with a firm.
- Series 63: Representatives who must be registered as agents in the states where they do business.
- Series 6: Reps focused on mutual funds and variable insurance products rather than individual securities.
Prerequisites and difficulty
- The Series 9/10 is a supervisory exam and is generally taken after a representative-level qualification such as the Series 7; it is widely regarded as demanding because it tests applied supervisory judgment across options and general securities.
- The SIE is a co-requisite foundation for the representative exams (Series 7 and Series 6), which pair with it rather than replace it.
- The Series 63 is a comparatively short state-law exam and is often taken alongside a representative qualification.
- Relative to the entry-level SIE and Series 63, the Series 9/10 and Series 7 are broader and more rigorous, reflecting their wider scope.
Series 9/10 at a glance
The Series 9/10 comprises 200 questions in total across its parts, and each part must be passed at 70 percent. Treat it as a capstone supervisory credential rather than a starting point.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need the Series 7 before taking the Series 9/10?
The Series 9/10 is a supervisory qualification designed to sit on top of representative-level registration such as the Series 7, so in practice candidates hold a general securities representative license first. The Series 9/10 tests supervision of activity you would already understand as a rep, which is why it is treated as a later, capstone exam.
How is the Series 9/10 scored, and how many questions is it?
The Series 9/10 contains 200 multiple-choice questions in total, split across its two parts, and the passing score is 70 percent for each part. You must clear the threshold on both parts to earn the qualification.
Is the SIE a substitute for any of these exams?
No. The SIE is a foundational, entry-level exam covering broad industry basics and is a co-requisite that pairs with a representative exam like the Series 7 or Series 6 rather than replacing it. The Series 9/10, Series 7, Series 63, and Series 6 each grant specific selling or supervisory authority that the SIE alone does not.