Series 24 vs Series 26: Which One Should You Take?
- April 1, 2025
- Posted by: 'FINRA Exam Mastery'
- Category: Finance
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🆚 Series 24 vs Series 26: Which One Should You Take?
If you’re planning to take on a supervisory role in the financial industry, choosing between the Series 24 and Series 26 exams is a key career decision. While both are supervisory-level licenses, they serve very different functions and are designed for different professional tracks.
This guide breaks down the Series 24 vs Series 26 exams — their scope, career outcomes, requirements, and which one is the right fit for your goals.
📘 What Is the Series 24?
Series 24 – General Securities Principal Exam
- Administered by FINRA
- Authorizes you to supervise all areas of a broker-dealer, including trading, underwriting, compliance, and retail sales
🎯 Roles You Can Supervise:
- General securities representatives (Series 7)
- Investment banking and trading activities
- Market making and corporate finance
- New account openings and branch operations
✅ Key Points:
- Requires Series 7 as a prerequisite
- Best for those aiming to oversee full-service broker-dealer operations
📗 What Is the Series 26?
Series 26 – Investment Company and Variable Contracts Products Principal Exam
- Also administered by FINRA
- Authorizes you to supervise sales activities of mutual funds, variable annuities, and 529 plans
🎯 Roles You Can Supervise:
- Registered reps holding a Series 6 license
- Sales of packaged investment products only (not individual stocks or bonds)
- Insurance-affiliated firms or limited broker-dealers
✅ Key Points:
- Requires Series 6 or Series 7 as a prerequisite
- Best for managers in insurance firms or limited-scope firms focused on packaged products
📊 Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Series 24 | Series 26 |
|---|---|---|
| 📄 License Name | General Securities Principal | Investment Company/Variable Contracts Principal |
| 🏢 Scope of Supervision | Full-service broker-dealers | Limited to mutual funds and variable products |
| 📋 Prerequisite | Series 7 | Series 6 or Series 7 |
| ⏱️ Exam Length | 150 minutes (150 questions) | 165 minutes (110 questions) |
| 🎯 Ideal Candidate | Broker-dealer managers | Insurance firm managers |
| ✅ Allows Supervision Of | Series 7 reps | Series 6 reps |
| ❌ Does Not Cover | N/A | General securities or trading operations |
🧠 Which One Should You Choose?
- Choose Series 24 if you want to:
- Supervise a wide range of securities activities
- Advance in broker-dealer operations
- Work in corporate finance, trading, or compliance
- Choose Series 26 if you want to:
- Manage a team of Series 6 reps
- Focus on mutual funds, annuities, and 529 plans
- Stay within the insurance-affiliated financial sector
🎓 Need help preparing for Series 24 or Series 26?
Get full exam prep, flashcards, practice tests, and expert-guided breakdowns at finra-exam-mastery.com — Pick your path, and we’ll help you pass.