Though sometimes mistaken for one another, the SIE and Series 7 are in fact separate and distinct FINRA examinations. Prior to the release of the SIE exam in 2018, the Series 7 (General Securities Representative) exam contained 250 multiple-choice questions with a time limit of 6 hours. In an effort to reduce redundancies across the qualification exams, FINRA structured the SIE exam to cover basic securities industry information and, as a result, the qualification exams were shortened and later nicknamed “top-off” exams. The Series 7, for example, now only contains 125 multiple-choice questions which are more tailored to the day-to-day responsibilities of a general securities representative. It would be considered more difficult than the SIE exam.