The packaged-products license: narrower than the Series 7, and the right rung for insurance-side careers.
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The Series 6 is FINRA's Investment Company and Variable Contracts Products Representative exam: 50 scored questions across four job functions. Like the Series 7 it requires firm sponsorship and has the SIE as corequisite. It licenses sales of mutual funds and variable annuities — and not individual stocks, bonds or options, which need the Series 7.
| Job function | Items |
|---|---|
| F1 — Seeks business for the broker-dealer | 12 |
| F2 — Opens accounts; evaluates financial profile and objectives | 8 |
| F3 — Provides information, makes recommendations, maintains records | 25 |
| F4 — Obtains and verifies instructions; processes transactions | 5 |
| Total scored items | 50 |
Sponsorship and the SIE corequisite work exactly as they do for the Series 7: a member firm must sponsor you, and registration needs both exams passed. The side-by-side comparison covers choosing between them.
Whichever top-off you end up needing, the SIE comes first — and it is the one exam you can prepare for before any firm hires you.
50 scored questions across four job functions — 12, 8, 25 and 5 items. FINRA's page does not publish a duration or passing score.
Investment company products (like mutual funds) and variable contracts (like variable annuities). Individual stocks, bonds and options require the Series 7.
Yes — it is a corequisite. The Investment Company and Variable Contracts registration requires passing both the SIE and the Series 6.