E8-88. Self-Regulatory Organizations; Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change Relating to Revisions to the Series 23 Examination Program

December 31, 2007.

Pursuant to section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Act”) ^[1] and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,^[2] notice is hereby given that on December 12, 2007, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) (f/k/a National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (“NASD”)) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC” or “Commission”) the proposed rule change as described in Items I, II, and III below, which Items have been prepared substantially by FINRA. FINRA has designated this proposal as constituting a stated policy, practice, or interpretation with respect to the meaning, administration, or enforcement of an existing rule of the self-regulatory organization pursuant to section 19(b)(3)(A)(i) of the Act ^[3] and Rule 19b-4(f)(1) thereunder,^[4] which renders the proposal effective upon filing with the Commission. The Commission is publishing this notice to solicit comments on the proposed rule change from interested persons.

I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of Substance of the Proposed Rule Change

FINRA is filing revisions to the study outline and selection specifications for the General Securities Principal Sales Supervisor Module (Series 23) examination program.^[5] The proposed revisions update the material to reflect changes to the laws, rules and regulations covered by the examination and to better reflect the duties and responsibilities of individuals taking the examination. FINRA is not proposing any textual changes to the By-Laws, Schedules to the By-Laws, or Rules of FINRA.

The text of the proposed rule change is available at http://www.finra.org, the principal offices of FINRA, and the Commission's Public Reference Room. The Series 23 selection specifications have been submitted to the Commission under separate cover with a request for confidential treatment pursuant to Rule 24b-2 under the Act.^[6]

II. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change

In its filing with the Commission, FINRA included statements concerning the purpose of and basis for the proposed rule change and discussed any comments it received on the proposed rule change. The text of these statements may be examined at the places specified in Item IV below. FINRA has prepared summaries, set forth in sections A, B, and C below, of the most significant aspects of such statements.

A. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change

1. Purpose

Section 15A(g)(3) of the Act ^[7] requires FINRA to prescribe standards of training, experience, and competence for persons associated with FINRA members. In accordance with that provision, FINRA has developed examinations, and administers examinations developed by other self-regulatory organizations, that are designed to establish that persons associated with FINRA members have attained specified levels of competence and knowledge. FINRA periodically reviews the content of the examinations to determine whether revisions are necessary or appropriate in view of changes pertaining to the subject matter covered by the examinations.

The Series 23 examination is a limited qualification examination that tests a candidate's knowledge of securities industry rules and regulations pertaining to the supervision of investment banking, securities markets and trading as well as financial responsibility requirements. The Series 23 examination, in combination with the General Securities Sales Supervisor (Series 9/10) examination, is an acceptable qualification alternative to the General Securities Principal (Series 24) examination for associated persons who are required to register and qualify as a General Securities Principal with FINRA. The Series 23 examination covers material from the Series 24 examination not otherwise covered under the Series 9/10 examination.

A committee of industry representatives, together with FINRA staff, recently undertook a review of the Series 23 examination program. As a result of this review, FINRA is proposing to make revisions to the study outline to reflect changes to the laws, rules and regulations covered by the examination and to better reflect the duties and responsibilities of individuals taking the examination.

Among other revisions, FINRA is proposing to revise the references to the FINRA and The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC (“NASDAQ”) rules in the study outline to reflect NASDAQ's separation from FINRA (then known as NASD). In addition, FINRA is proposing to add sections on SEC Regulation M-A (Mergers and Acquisitions), SEC Regulation S-K, SEC Regulation S-X, SEC Regulation NMS, SEC Regulation SHO, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, SEC Rule 3a4-1 (Associated Persons of an Issuer Deemed Not to Be Brokers), SEC Rule 405 (Definitions of Terms), the NASDAQ Initial Public Offering Process (NASDAQ Head Trader Alert 2005-096) and NYSE Rule 392 (Notification Requirements for Offerings of Listed Securities). FINRA also is proposing to add sections on NASD IM-2110-7 (Interfering With the Transfer of Customer Accounts in the Context of Employment Disputes) and IM-2210-6 (Requirements for the Use of Investment Analysis Tools), as well as on NASD Rules 2111 (Trading Ahead of Customer Market Orders), 2290 (Fairness Opinions), 2370 (Borrowing From or Lending to Customers), 2441 (Net Transactions with Customers) and 5110 (Transactions Related to Initial Public Offerings).

FINRA is proposing to change the title of section 1 of the study outline from “Supervision of Investment Banking Activities” to “Supervision of Investment Banking, Underwriting Activities and Research” and the title of section 4 from “Sales Supervision; General Supervision of Employees; Regulatory Framework of NASD” to “Sales Supervision and General Supervision of Employees.” Further, as a result of the revisions discussed above, the number of questions on each section of the study outline were modified as follows: Supervision of Investment Banking, Underwriting Activities and Research, increased from 25 to 30 questions; Supervision of Trading and Market Making Activities, decreased from 29 to 24 questions; Supervision of Brokerage Office Operations, decreased from 16 to 12 questions; Sales Supervision and General Supervision of Employees, increased from 19 to 23 questions; and Compliance with Financial Responsibility Rules, no changes to the number of questions (remains at 11 questions).

FINRA is proposing similar changes to the Series 23 selection specifications and question bank. The number of questions on the Series 23 examination will remain at 100, and candidates will continue to have 21/2 hours to complete the exam. Also, each question will continue to count one point, and each candidate must correctly answer 70 percent of the questions to receive a passing grade.

2. Statutory Basis

FINRA believes that the proposed revisions to the Series 23 examination program are consistent with the provisions of sections 15A(b)(6) ^[8] and 15A(g)(3) of the Act,^[9] which authorize FINRA to prescribe standards of training, experience, and competence for persons associated with FINRA members.

B. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition

FINRA does not believe that the proposed rule change will result in any burden on competition that is not necessary or appropriate in furtherance of the purposes of the Act.

C. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Comments on the Proposed Rule Change Received From Members, Participants or Others

Written comments were neither solicited nor received.

III. Date of Effectiveness of the Proposed Rule Change and Timing for Commission Action

The proposed rule change has become effective pursuant to section 19(b)(3)(A)(i) of the Act ^[10] and Rule 19b-4(f)(1) thereunder,^[11] in that the proposed rule change constitutes a stated policy, practice, or interpretation with respect to the meaning, administration, or enforcement of an existing rule of the self-regulatory organization. FINRA proposes to implement the revised Series 23 examination program on February 12, 2008. FINRA will announce the implementation date in a Regulatory Notice to be published on December 12, 2007, the date FINRA filed SR-FINRA-2007-27 with the Commission.

At any time within 60 days of the filing of the proposed rule change, the Commission may summarily abrogate such rule change if it appears to the Commission that such action is necessary or appropriate in the public interest, for the protection of investors, or otherwise in furtherance of the purposes of the Act.

IV. Solicitation of Comments

Interested persons are invited to submit written data, views, and arguments concerning the foregoing, including whether the proposed rule change is consistent with the Act. Comments may be submitted by any of the following methods:

Electronic Comments

• Use the Commission's Internet comment form (http://www.sec.gov/​rules/​sro.shtml); or
• Send an e-mail to [e-mail]. Please include File Number SR-FINRA-2007-027 on the subject line.

Paper Comments:

• Send paper comments in triplicate to Nancy M. Morris, Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, Station Place, 100 F Street, NE., Washington, DC 20549-1090.

All submissions should refer to File Number SR-FINRA-2007-027. This file number should be included on the subject line if e-mail is used. To help the Commission process and review your comments more efficiently, please use only one method. The Commission will post all comments on the Commission's Internet Web site (http://www.sec.gov/​rules/​sro.shtml). Copies of the submission, all subsequent amendments, all written statements with respect to the proposed rule change that are filed with the Commission, and all written communications relating to the proposed rule change between the Commission and any person, other than those that may be withheld from the public in accordance with the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 552, will be available for inspection and copying in the Commission's Public Reference Room, 100 F Street, NE., Washington, DC 20549, on official business days between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Copies of such filing also will be available for inspection and copying at the principal office of FINRA. All comments received will be posted without change; the Commission does not edit personal identifying information from submissions. You should submit only information that you wish to make publicly available. All submissions should refer to File Number SR-FINRA-2007-027 and should be submitted on or before January 29, 2008.

For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated authority.^[12]

Florence E. Harmon,

Deputy Secretary.

Footnotes

1.  15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).

2.  17 CFR 240.19b-4.

3.  15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A)(i).

4.  17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(1).

5.  FINRA also is proposing corresponding revisions to the Series 23 question bank, but based upon instruction from the Commission staff, FINRA is submitting SR-FINRA-2007-027 for immediate effectiveness pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A) of the Act and Rule 19b-4(f)(1) thereunder, and is not filing the question bank for Commission review. See Letter to Alden S. Adkins, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, NASD Regulation, from Belinda Blaine, Associate Director, Division of Market Regulation, SEC, dated July 24, 2000, attached as Exhibit 3c to the proposed rule change. The question bank is available for Commission review.

6.  17 CFR 240.24b-2.

7.  15 U.S.C. 78o-3(g)(3).

8.  15 U.S.C. 78o-3(b)(6).

9.  15 U.S.C. 78o-3(g)(3).

10.  15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A)(i).

11.  17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(1).

12.  17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).