Series 30 Cheat Sheet.

The numbers to remember

• 50 scored questions (true/false and multiple choice)
• 60 minutes (1 hour) time limit
• 70% passing score
• $90 exam fee
• $45 cancellation/reschedule fee
• Passing score valid for 2 years to support an approval application
• No corequisite exam required
• Retake wait: 30 days after a 1st or 2nd fail, 180 days after a 3rd fail

Content domains and weights

No official weighting by domain is published for the Series 30 — every listed area is fair game on any given form, so don't skip any of them betting on light coverage. The named domains from the official study outline are:

• General; General Account Handling and Exchange Regulations
• IB General; CPO/CTA General
• Customer Information and Risk Disclosure (Know Your Customer)
• Communications with the Public and Promotional Material
• Discretionary Account Regulation
• Anti-Money Laundering Requirements
• Disclosure by FCMs/IBs and by CPOs/CTAs for costs associated with futures transactions
• CPO/CTA Disclosure Documents

High-yield review areas

• Know Your Customer requirements — these get tested from multiple angles across true/false and multiple choice items, so make sure you can state the rule, not just recognize it.
• The difference between IB supervisory duties and CPO/CTA supervisory duties — a classic source of confusion since both categories sound similar on the page.
• Which disclosure obligation belongs to which registrant type (FCM/IB vs. CPO/CTA) — build a quick mental table pairing registrant to disclosure duty.
• Discretionary account oversight rules, since discretion introduces extra supervisory duties a branch manager must actively monitor.
• AML requirements — compact, self-contained, and easy to lock in during a final review pass the night before.
• Promotional material and public communications rules — know what triggers extra review or approval before something goes out.

Top traps

• Assuming a passing score is usable indefinitely — remember it only supports an approval application filed within 2 years of your pass date.
• Confusing FCM/IB cost-disclosure rules with CPO/CTA cost-disclosure rules — they're separate topics with separate obligations.
• Overlooking that a broker-dealer sponsor with proof of FINRA branch manager qualification may exempt you from testing entirely — verify this with your firm before assuming you must sit for the exam.
• Underestimating retake wait times — a third fail means a 180-day wait, not 30, before your next attempt.
• Reading true/false items too quickly and missing a single qualifying word that flips the correct answer.
• Treating the exam as untimed pressure-free trivia — with 50 questions in 60 minutes, unresolved hesitation on early items eats into time you need later.