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Series 14 – Compliance Officer Exam

Beginning June 9, 2023, candidates will need an approved accommodation to schedule an online appointment for an NFA or FINRA exam (other than the SIE). Online appointments scheduled to be taken after Sept. 9, 2023, will be canceled if the candidate does not have an approved accommodation. 

Learn more in the How to Schedule an Appointment to Take Exams Online (Remotely) section of the Schedule an Exam page.

 

The Series 14 exam — the Compliance Officer Qualification Exam (CR) — assesses the competency of an entry-level principal to perform their job as a compliance officer.

The exam measures the degree to which each candidate possesses the knowledge needed to perform the critical functions of a compliance officer, including expertise in compliance processes and reporting requirements.

For more information about the Series 14 exam, refer to FINRA Rule 1210 and FINRA Rule 1220(a)(3).


Content Outline

The Series 14 Content Outline provides a comprehensive guide to the range of compliance, regulatory and supervision topics covered on the exam, as well as the depth of knowledge required. The outline is comprised of the nine major job functions and knowledge areas of a compliance officer the table below lists the allocation of exam items for each major job function:

Major Job Functions Number of Exam Items
(F1) Regulatory Agencies 3
(F2) Markets and Operations 20
(F3) Broker-Dealer Operations 10
(F4) Credit Regulation/Capital Requirements 7
(F5) General Supervision 20
(F6) Investment Banking 15
(F7) Registration 9
(F8) Sales Practice – Customer/Employee Accounts 16
(F9) Sales Practice – Solicitations 10
TOTAL 110

Eligibility

Candidates must be associated with and sponsored by a FINRA member firm or other applicable self-regulatory organization (SRO) member firm to be eligible to take FINRA principal-level qualification exams. For more information on registration requirements, refer to FINRA Rule 1210.

The Series 14 does not have a corequisite exam.

For more information on the registration process, see Register a New Candidate.


Permitted Activities

Covered supervisory activities include regulatory compliance over day-to-day activities of the firm.