What is officially published
NASAA does not publish pass rates for the Series 65, and neither does FINRA, which administers it. We found no official figure on NASAA’s exam pages or FAQ. Pass-rate numbers for the Series 65 that circulate online come from prep vendors (often their own customers) and are not comparable to an all-candidate rate. What NASAA does publish is the pass mark: 92 of 130 scored questions.
How the passing score works
The Series 65 is scored as a raw count: 92 of 130 scored questions. Unscored pretest questions (10) are mixed in and do not count toward the result.
What makes it hard
Laws and ethics (30%) and recommendations and strategies (30%) dominate. Unlike the 63, the 65 also tests economics, valuation math and portfolio theory.
Once our practice-test data is large enough, we will publish anonymized section-level miss rates here, labeled as our own data.
NASAA rule (Series 63/65/66): wait 30 days before a second attempt, 30 days before a third, and 180 days before later attempts within a two-year period. From January 4, 2027 the wait after a third failure drops to 60 days (announced by NASAA on August 10, 2026). The first two 30-day waits are unchanged.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the Series 65 pass rate?
There is no current official figure. NASAA does not publish pass rates.
What is the Series 65 passing score?
92 of 130 scored questions correct.
How hard is the Series 65?
Laws and ethics (30%) and recommendations and strategies (30%) dominate. Unlike the 63, the 65 also tests economics, valuation math and portfolio theory.
How soon can I retake the Series 65?
30 days after a first or second failure; 180 days after a third consecutive failure under current rules. From January 4, 2027, NASAA cuts the third-failure wait to 60 days.
Sources
- FINRA - Series 65 Uniform Investment Adviser Law Exam (accessed 2026-09-23)
- NASAA - Series 65 Test Specifications (effective June 12, 2023) (accessed 2026-09-23)
- NASAA - Exam FAQs (accessed 2026-09-23)
- NASAA - Updated waiting period for Series 63, 65 and 66 retests (Aug 10, 2026) (accessed 2026-09-23)