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SIE Exam Hardest Questions (2026): 10 Question Types That Trip People Up

Audio from the Open Exam Hub video of the same name; the video shows the numbers and practice questions on screen.

The 10 question types on FINRA's Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) exam that trip people up most, and how to beat each one, plus 8 original practice questions with explained answers. The ranking is our own judgment: FINRA does not publish which questions are hardest. The ten traps: options math (buyer or writer, breakevens, times 100), bond yields (nominal, current, yield to maturity, yield to call; price and yield move opposite), margin math (Regulation T 50 percent, 25 percent maintenance, equity is market value minus the debit), order types (stop versus limit, direction), tax rules (holding period, wash sales, inherited stock, the $3,000 capital loss deduction), fund pricing and share classes (forward pricing, NAV divided by one minus the sales charge, Class A and Class C), offering exemptions (Regulation D, Rules 144 and 144A, intrastate), look-alike violations (churning, front-running, selling away, spoofing, matched orders, freeriding), numbers and deadlines (T+1, CTR over $10,000, SAR in 30 days, Form U4 in 30 days, the $300 gift limit) and the NOT / EXCEPT wording trap. As of October 2026, per FINRA: 75 scored questions in 1 hour 45 minutes, a scaled passing score of 70, a $100 fee, age 18 or older with no sponsoring firm required, and a pass is valid for four years. FINRA's 2025 content outline says each exam also includes 5 unscored pretest items. Sections: Capital Markets 16% (12 questions), Products and Their Risks 44% (33), Trading, Customer Accounts and Prohibited Activities 31% (23), Regulatory Framework 9% (7). Retake waits are 30 days after a first or second failed attempt and 180 days after a third, dropping to 15 and 60 days from January 19, 2027. The study tips and the 10 minutes a day suggestion are our own estimates, not FINRA's. Practice questions are original, not real exam questions. Independent guide, not affiliated with FINRA.

Full guide
Video: SIE Practice Test 1, 75 questions
Video: SIE Exam in 12 Minutes (2026): everything you need
Video: SIE exam explained: format, passing score, fee
Video: SIE formulas and numbers cram
Free SIE practice questions
Timed SIE practice test
SIE cheat sheet
SIE study plan
Open Exam Hub: free exam prep
Free practice questions, study guides and cheat sheets, no signup

Chapters
0:00 The Short Answer
0:52 SIE Facts in One Minute
1:58 Types 1 and 2: Options Math and Bond Yields
2:52 Types 3 and 4: Margin Math and Order Types
3:38 Types 5 and 6: Tax Rules and Fund Pricing
4:30 Types 7 and 8: Offering Exemptions and Look-Alike Violations
5:22 Types 9 and 10: Deadlines and the Not-Except Trap
6:12 Beat the Hard Questions
6:58 Eight Hard Questions, Part One
8:53 Eight Hard Questions, Part Two
10:20 Recap

Exam facts are from the official FINRA pages as of 2026-10-25. Fees and rules can change, so confirm on the official site before you enroll. Open Exam Hub is an independent study resource, not affiliated with FINRA. Practice questions are not from a real exam. Narration is an AI-generated voice.

Music
"Fresh Air" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
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"Reminiscing" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
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"Friday Morning" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
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"Carefree" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
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Sound effects: Kenney (kenney.nl), CC0.

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