What type of products does the SIE exam cover?

The SIE exam is designed to assess a candidate's foundational knowledge of the securities industry, encompassing a broad range of investment products. The scope of the exam includes stocks, which are shares representing ownership in companies; bonds, which are debt instruments; mutual funds, which pool money from multiple investors to purchase a diversified portfolio of stocks and/or bonds; and options, which are derivatives that provide the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell an asset at a predetermined price.

This comprehensive inclusion reflects the various types of investment vehicles that industry professionals may encounter. By covering this range of products, the SIE exam ensures that candidates are well-versed in essential concepts, terminology, and the functioning of different market segments. The other options provided focus on more limited categories or specific industries that do not encompass the entirety of products relevant in the exam's purview. Therefore, choosing the option that includes stocks, bonds, mutual funds, options, and other financial instruments accurately represents the broad array of topics that are tested in the SIE exam.