Compliance Officer Exam (Series 14)
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The Series 14, formally the Compliance Officer Exam, is a FINRA qualification exam for professionals who take on compliance leadership responsibilities at a broker-dealer. Candidates must be associated with and sponsored by a FINRA member firm (or another applicable self-regulatory organization member firm) to sit for it, and passing it is one of two recognized paths into a registered compliance officer role.
Overview
The exam is built from 110 questions spread across nine content sections, each weighted differently based on how central the topic is to a compliance officer's day-to-day responsibilities:
- Markets and Operations — 20 questions
- General Supervision — 20 questions
- Sales Practice – Customer/Employee Accounts — 16 questions
- Investment Banking — 15 questions
- Broker-Dealer Operations — 10 questions
- Sales Practice – Solicitations — 10 questions
- Registration — 9 questions
- Credit Regulation/Capital Requirements — 7 questions
- Regulatory Agencies — 3 questions
Cost and registration
The Series 14 costs $450 in 2026. FINRA's rule filing SR-FINRA-2024-019 set qualification exam fees for 2024 through 2029 and moved the Series 14 from $350 to $450 in 2026 — the same filing that took the Series 7 to $395 and the SIE to $100. FINRA's qualification-exams table shows $450; the Series 14 exam page itself still lists the 2025 price of $350.
Exam format
The Series 14 is a 110-question, multiple-choice exam with a 3-hour time limit, and FINRA sets the passing score at 70%. There is no corequisite exam required alongside it. Candidates who fail must wait 30 calendar days before retaking the exam; after three failed attempts, that wait grows to 180 calendar days from the last attempt. FINRA has amended Rule 1210 to cut these waits to 15 and 60 days, effective January 19, 2027 (Regulatory Notice 26-18); a retake window requested before that date moves to the shorter wait on January 19 unless an appointment is already scheduled. Registration earned by passing the Series 14 stays valid for two years after a candidate's registration with a member firm terminates.
Questions by topic in the Series 14 practice bank
Counts describe our practice categories, which may subdivide official domains. They are not the exam’s official topic weights.
Verified facts about the Series 14 exam
8 statements, each bound to the official document it was taken from. The available source links open those documents.
Requirements and rules
Dates
Podcast episodes
Free episodes from the Every Exam Prep podcasts that cover the Series 14 exam. Each one opens on Apple Podcasts.
Securities Exam Prep · Oct 1, 2026 · 5 min
Back Office and Compliance: Series 27, 28, 99, 57 and 14
Covers the Series 14 exam alongside related exams.
Listen on Apple Podcasts
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Series 14 exam cost?
$450 in 2026. FINRA's rule filing SR-FINRA-2024-019 raised the Series 14 fee from $350 to $450 starting in 2026, and FINRA's qualification-exams table shows $450; the Series 14 exam page on finra.org still lists the older $350.
Who is eligible to take the Series 14 exam?
You must be associated with and sponsored by a FINRA member firm, or another applicable self-regulatory organization member firm, to sit for the Series 14.
Does the Series 14 have a corequisite exam?
No. FINRA does not require a corequisite exam alongside the Series 14.
What happens if I fail the Series 14 exam?
After a first failed attempt, FINRA requires you to wait 30 calendar days before retaking it; after three failed attempts, the wait grows to 180 calendar days from your last try. FINRA has amended its rule to cut these to 15 and 60 days, effective January 19, 2027.
How long does my Series 14 registration stay valid if I leave the industry?
FINRA treats the Series 14 as valid for two years after your registration terminates, so passing early and then leaving the industry for longer than that would require retaking it.
What does the Series 14 exam cover?
It's built from 110 questions spread across content sections including Markets and Operations (20), General Supervision (20), Sales Practice (16), Investment Banking (15), Broker-Dealer Operations (10), Sales Practice Solicitations (10), Registration (9), Credit Regulation/Capital Requirements (7), and Regulatory Agencies (3).
Sources
- 1.Series 14 – Compliance Officer Exam | FINRA.org — FINRA (accessed Aug 9, 2026)
- 2.1210. Registration Requirements | FINRA.org — FINRA (accessed Aug 9, 2026)
- 3.Qualification Exams | FINRA.org — FINRA (accessed Aug 9, 2026)
- 4.Co-requisites for Qualification Exams | FINRA.org — FINRA (accessed Aug 9, 2026)
- 5.Qualification Exam Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) | FINRA.org — FINRA (accessed Aug 9, 2026)
- 6.Regulatory Notice 26-18: FINRA Adopts Amendments that Shorten the Qualification Examination Retake Waiting Periods — FINRA (accessed Nov 2, 2026)
Official sources
The official documents our facts about this exam are taken from.
- Series 14 – Compliance Officer Exam | FINRA.orgFINRAfinra.org
- Qualification Exam Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) | FINRA.orgFINRAfinra.org
- Regulatory Notice 26-18: FINRA Adopts Amendments that Shorten the Qualification Examination Retake Waiting PeriodsFINRAfinra.org
- FINRA Reduces Waiting Periods for Retaking Qualification ExamsFINRAfinra.org
- Implementation and Amendment Dates of Qualification Exams | FINRA.orgFINRAfinra.org
- Co-requisites for Qualification Exams | FINRA.orgFINRAfinra.org
- Qualification Exams | FINRA.orgFINRAfinra.org
Last verified against FINRA's official sources:
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