Series 24 – What Happens If You Run Out of Time?

🧾 Series 24 – What Happens If You Run Out of Time?
📘 Time Management and Consequences for the FINRA General Securities Principal Exam

The Series 24 exam is a high-level FINRA qualification for professionals seeking to supervise or manage branch activities, including compliance, trading, and sales practices. It’s comprehensive, detailed—and timed. Here’s what you need to know if you’re worried about the clock running out.

⏳ 1. Exam Format Recap

• Number of Questions: 150 multiple choice
• Time Allotted: 3 hours and 45 minutes (225 minutes total)
• Passing Score: 70% (105 correct out of 150)

This gives you 90 seconds per question, on average.

⚠️ 2. What Happens If You Don’t Finish?

If you run out of time, any unanswered questions are automatically marked incorrect. There’s no penalty for guessing, so it’s always better to answer everything, even if you’re unsure.

✅ Tip: Always leave at least 5 minutes at the end to rapidly guess any remaining questions.

🧠 3. Time Management Strategy

To avoid running out of time:

• Pace checkpoints:
  • 50 questions in ~75 minutes
  • 100 questions by ~150 minutes
  • 50 remaining for the final 75 minutes
• Mark and move: Flag tricky questions, skip, and return if time allows.
• Don’t overanalyze low-weight items like recordkeeping timeframes or filing deadlines—these can eat up precious minutes.

🚨 4. What If You Miss the Passing Score by a Few Points?

• You’ll receive a score breakdown by topic, which helps target your weak areas.
• There’s a mandatory 30-day waiting period before your next attempt.
• Many successful retake candidates say that time pressure—not content—was their biggest obstacle.

📈 5. Prep Tip: Simulate Real Timing

• Take full-length practice exams under timed conditions.
• Don’t pause for breaks—simulate the real test flow.
• Train your brain to process and move quickly, especially on familiar question types.

🎓 Final Thoughts

Running out of time on the Series 24 doesn’t just hurt your score—it undermines all the effort you put into prep. Time management is a critical skill for passing. Train like it’s game day, pace yourself like a pro, and remember: guessing is better than leaving blank.

📘 Want full-length timed simulations and exam-day tips?
Get Series 24 mastery tools, pacing plans, and topic drills at:
👉 https://finra-exam-mastery.com

Pass with strategy. Manage the clock. Earn your principal license.