Test online or in person?

Which is the best way to take the Series 7 exam? Online or in person at a testing facility?

How are you managing the no scratch paper with online testing?

Thanks in advance!
Jay

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@Destin_J, I think it mostly comes down to personal preference and your comfort with technology.

Taking it at a testing center is tried-and-true, but you should still expect longer scheduling times, particularly if you’re in a less urban area. If you’re accustomed to doing video calls already, taking it remotely likely won’t be much of a big deal for you as long as you have a stable internet connection and a suitable place to take it where you won’t be disturbed.

You’ll get an on-screen calculator and a virtual notepad. You can use the virtual notepad the same way as the paper dump sheet, i.e. writing down as much as possible as you start the exam… though it may be difficult to type everything quickly, and you won’t be able to draw out things like the bond seesaw or any charts as easily.

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I saw someone online say they heard that online testing was easier. No idea if there’s any truth to that

Thanks for the feed back. I did the SIE online and I didn’t need scratch paper and the calculator only once. Also you may only use one screen(no duel monitors) The process of checking in was new and made me a bit nervous.

Ill have to start using notepad on the computer to get the hang of it. The nearest testing center is 100 miles away.
Thanks again.

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What procedure and/or equipment for the online exam and check in? I thought you need to have some sort of 360 degrees camera in order to do the online test. Do they need a proctor around?

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FINRA’s website includes all the details you’ll need for an online exam. Here’s what they say about cameras:

A 360-degree view of your workstation and surrounding environment will be required. You can use either an external, movable USB cable camera or an embedded computer camera. If you use an embedded computer camera, you will also be required to have a large, free-standing mirror able to reflect the unseen areas, e.g. , the laptop face, the keyboard, underneath the base of the laptop, etc. Similar to the checks performed in a physical testing site, you will also be asked to participate in a visual person check, including but not limited to a sleeve, pocket and glasses check.

A virtual proctor will watch you as you take the exam. The link above goes through all the details. Good luck with your exam!

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We get a lot of questions on this so just wanted to mention that we’ve made a detailed blog post!

(It’s the same process for all FINRA exams, though the walkthrough shows the SIE)
Edit: In most cases, only the SIE can be taken online now; you need to do the others at a test center.

I believe the remote testing option is no longer allowed effective March 2022

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Hi @Cin1, thanks for the heads up!

I’ve just double-checked, and it looks like FINRA is still allowing the SIE, 6, and 7 to be taken online, but the NASAA exams (63, 65, 66) must be taken at a center.

From EXAMS - NASAA :

The North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) announced that beginning April 1, 2022, it will no longer offer the Series 63, Series 65 and Series 66 qualification exams through online testing. These exams will only be available online for candidates who provide medical proof that they cannot take exams in testing centers.

Feels like a big step backwards to me but I’m sure they have their reasons :man_shrugging:

Hi, does somebody knows if S7 online testing is not available anymore?

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@Valentin, the Series 7 should still be available for online testing. Here’s the blurb from FINRA’s site.

In order to enroll for FINRA qualifying exams, a candidate must be sponsored by a state regulator or regulatory authority approved to sponsor candidates for FINRA qualifying exams. Upon receipt of candidate eligibility information from a sponsoring organization, FINRA will email enrollment instructions to the candidate.

The SIE, S6 and S7 can be taken at a test center or online. Any candidate interested in taking other FINRA exams online must complete and submit the FINRA Online Exam Administration Request Form before scheduling an exam appointment.

Hi, I was told by finra, that the S7TO is not available for Remote Proctoring.

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Interesting, they must have just changed their policy since they haven’t updated that on the website yet.

Thanks for letting us know!