Series 54 Examination

Series 54 Examination

About the Series 54 Examination

As of November 30, 2021, all municipal advisor professionals acting in the capacity of a municipal advisor principal must take and pass the MSRB's Municipal Advisor Principal Qualification Examination (Series 54) to be appropriately qualified to engage in the management, direction, or supervision of the municipal advisory activities of the municipal advisor firm and that of its associated persons. The passing score for the Series 54 exam is 70 percent. Instructions on how an individual enrolls to take the Series 54 exam are available here  (see Question 12).

 

Background

As part of its expanded mandate under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the MSRB implemented the first qualifying examination for municipal advisors. As of April 27, 2015, MSRB Rule G-3, created two classifications of municipal advisor professionals, representative and principal, with firms required to designate at least one principal to oversee the municipal advisory activities of the firm. At that time, all municipal advisor principals were required to take and pass the Series 50 exam to be sufficiently qualified to perform oversight of municipal advisory activities, pending development by the MSRB of a qualification examination for municipal advisor principals. The requirement that municipal advisor principals also have passed the Series 54 exam, in addition to the Series 50 exam, became effective as of November 30, 2021.

Frequently Asked Questions
 This resource helps answer frequently asked questions about the Municipal Advisor Principal Qualification Examination (Series 54). 

Read the FAQs.

 

Understanding the Series 54
This guide is intended to assist individuals preparing to take the Municipal Advisor Principal Qualification Examination (Series 54) by highlighting the structure of the examination and providing links to the rules and regulations covered in the content outline via a knowledge resource directory. 

Read the guide.

 

Series 54 Content Outline
 

A content outline is available for the Series 54 examination that details key concepts and rules to be tested on the examination and the percentage of the examination devoted to each topic area. Additionally, to familiarize individuals with the format of the Series 54 examination, the content outline includes sample questions similar to the type of questions that may be found on the examination.

Read the content outline.

 

Tips for Exam Day
 To assist individuals preparing for the Series 54 examination, the MSRB released Tips for Exam Day, outlining important items to remember and addressing some frequently asked questions.

Read Tips for Exam Day.

 

Examination Fees

The total cost to take the Series 54 examination is $265, which includes the MSRB’s $150 examination fee and a $115 administrative fee assessed by FINRA for administering the delivery of the examination.

Read more about the examination fees.

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