One-22 Exam Cost, Format, and Retake Rules for 2026

One-22 Exam Cost, Format, and Retake Rules for 2026

The phrase “One-22 exam” pulls up very different tests depending on the industry you work in. A financial pro hears Series 22 and thinks direct participation programs. An IT admin hears Workspace ONE 22 and thinks VMware endpoint management. Both exams carry a “22” in their name, both cost money to sit, and both have retake rules that can quietly add hundreds to your budget if you fail.

This guide breaks down the most common “One-22” exams you might be researching right now. For each one we cover the registration fee, the clock, the question count, the retake policy, and what makes the credential worth the price. We also walk through the hidden line items—training courses, vendor maintenance fees, and the cost of a second shot—so you can plan a real budget instead of guessing from a headline number.

What exams are we comparing—and why these three

We focused on exams where the official name or exam code contains “22” and where candidates routinely search for cost, format, or retake information. That gave us three exam families that match the way people type “one-22 exam cost” into a search bar:

• FINRA Series 22 (Direct Participation Programs Limited Representative) — a securities licensing exam supervised by FINRA.
• VMware Workspace ONE 22.x Professional (exam 2V0-62.23) — the core VCP-level certification for managing Workspace ONE.
• Two Advanced Workspace ONE 22 specialist exams — the 5V0-61-22 (Advanced Integration Specialist) and 5V0-62-22 (UEM Troubleshooting Specialist). These extend the same platform skills and often share study materials with the Professional exam, so we group them for budget planning.

Every fee and rule described below reflects the published 2026 policies as of our most recent check. Certification bodies adjust prices periodically, so confirm the exact figure on the vendor’s registration portal before you pay.

Cost at a glance: exam fees, retake charges, and hidden line items

Once you know which exam you are taking, the next question is what the whole project costs. The table below shows the base exam fee for each credential, the retake policy, and typical prep-course or study-material expense.

The base fee is rarely the final bill. For the Series 22, you also need a sponsoring FINRA-member firm to file a Form U4, and the firm may pass through registration and fingerprinting costs. For the VMware certs, the exam fee doesn’t include the required training course for first-time VCP candidates—a separate expense that can run several hundred dollars unless your employer covers it.

FINRA Series 22: cost, format, and retake rules

Who this exam is for

The Series 22 qualifies a representative to sell direct participation programs (DPPs) — limited partnerships, real estate syndications, oil and gas offerings, and similar private-placement structures. It is a niche FINRA representative-level exam, often taken alongside the SIE and a more general exam like the Series 7 or Series 6.

Exam fee and registration

FINRA publishes the Series 22 registration fee as $100 on its Qualification Exams page. That fee is per attempt. The candidate’s broker-dealer sponsors the exam and pays FINRA through the CRD system. The candidate never pays FINRA directly, but many firms require you to reimburse the fee if you leave soon after licensing.

Exam format and timing

You get 1 hour and 30 minutes to answer 50 scored multiple-choice questions, plus up to 5 unscored pretest items mixed in. The passing threshold is 70%. The appointment includes an extra 30 minutes for the tutorial and post-exam survey.

The content breaks into four job functions, with Real Estate Programs carrying the heaviest weight at 25%. The remaining functions cover oil and gas programs, equipment leasing programs, and other DPP categories, suitability considerations, and regulatory requirements. The 90-minute window gives you about 108 seconds per scored question — pacing is a real concern, especially on the longer suitability scenarios.

Retake policy

FINRA imposes a structured waiting period. If you fail, you must wait 30 days before your second attempt. The same 30-day wait applies if you fail the second time. After a third failure, the wait stretches to 180 days. Each attempt costs the same $100 registration fee. The firm may also limit how many times it will sponsor you.

Where the hidden costs add up

Beyond the $100 fee, most candidates spend money on study materials. Comprehensive Series 22 prep courses run between $200 and $700, often bundled with the SIE materials. Some candidates also pay for a live virtual class or one-on-one tutoring. Finally, if you need to sit the SIE first—and most candidates do—you add another $100 SIE fee plus its own study expense. A realistic total for first-attempt licensing lands closer to $600–$1,200 when you tally every line item.

VMware Workspace ONE 22.x Professional (2V0-62.23)

Who this exam is for

The VMware Certified Professional — Workspace ONE 22.x certification is for IT administrators and consultants who deploy, configure, and manage the Omnissa Workspace ONE platform. This includes integrating mobile device management, mobile application management, and identity services for end-user computing environments. It’s part of the broader VCP track, so earning it often unlocks advanced specialist exams.

Exam fee and registration

VMware lists the standard VCP exam fee at $250 (USD) when you register through Pearson VUE. That price applies across most VCP-level exams, including 2V0-62.23. The fee is non-refundable if you cancel less than 24 hours before your appointment. Registration is handled directly on the VMware Certification portal.

Exam format

The exam contains 60 to 70 questions, mostly multiple-choice, with some matching or drag-and-drop items. The time limit is typically 135 minutes, though VMware can adjust the duration slightly for specific exam versions. The passing score uses a scaled system, usually around 300 out of 500. The content aligns with the official exam blueprint, which covers Workspace ONE architecture, enrollment, security policies, email and content management, and troubleshooting.

Retake policy

VMware allows a first retake after a 7-day cooling-off period. After that, additional retakes also require a 7-day wait, and the full $250 fee applies each time. There is no limit to the number of attempts, but the costs add up fast.

A common pitfall: candidates who fail the Professional exam often try again immediately without revisiting the blueprint. Running a timed practice test for the Workspace ONE 22 exam in the same exam simulator environment can help you gauge whether you’re ready before spending another $250.

Study costs that catch people off guard

First-time VCP candidates must also complete an authorized training course. The course fee varies—usually $1,500 to $4,000 if you pay out of pocket—but many employers cover it. Without that training prerequisite, you cannot sit the exam. VMware also requires recertification every two years, which can be met with a shorter, lower-cost delta exam or by earning an advanced certification. Over a five-year window, maintaining the VCP-WS1 22 credential can cost more than the initial test fee suggests.

Advanced Workspace ONE 22 specialist exams: what they add to the budget

Once you hold the Professional certification, two advanced specialist exams sit on the same platform path. Both carry the same $250 fee and the same 7-day retake window, but they validate narrower skill sets. Including one or both in your plan changes your total budget by roughly $250 plus study time per exam.

5V0-61-22 (Workspace ONE 21.x Advanced Integration Specialist) tests your ability to integrate Workspace ONE with directory services, certificate authorities, email infrastructure, and third-party identity providers. It shares foundational content with the Professional exam, so the incremental prep cost is usually just a specialized practice set and a few weeks of lab work. Many candidates use the same Workspace ONE professional practice resources as a base before layering integration-specific scenarios.

5V0-62-22 (Workspace ONE 21.x UEM Troubleshooting Specialist) shifts the focus to diagnosing enrollment failures, policy conflicts, app deployment errors, and performance issues. It’s a common next step for admins who spend their days in the UEM console. Because the exam scenarios mirror real support tickets, hands-on time in a lab counts for more than a study guide here.

Employers frequently bundle these advanced exams with the Professional certification under a training budget, so the marginal cost to you might be zero. When you’re footing the bill, though, it’s worth mapping whether the specialist badge will open a role or raise a consulting rate before committing to two extra $250 sits.

How exam fees are set — and why some drop while others climb

Not all exam fee changes come with a press release. Some are driven by direct cost recovery; others are set by statute or regulation. The federal government, for example, publishes its exam fees in the 22 CFR 22.1 schedule for consular and related services, adjusting them when the cost of administering the exam changes. State licensing boards often have similar statutory caps — North Carolina, for instance, limits exam fees to $150 under G.S. 87, and the current fee stands at $100.

Private certification bodies follow a similar cost-recovery logic, though with more room to price for revenue. When Pearson VUE raises its testing center fee, vendors like VMware pass some of that increase along. When a vendor overhauls an exam — adding performance-based labs, rewriting the entire item bank — the development cost rises and the exam fee often follows.

The trend for 2026? Mixed. The IRS recently cut the Enrolled Agent exam user fee from $99 to $66 per part, while Cisco publicly announced AI-led updates across its certification portfolio but held exam prices steady. Meanwhile, the EC-Council raised the CEH voucher price. The Series 22 exam price has remained $100 for several years, but FINRA’s broader fee schedule shows that fees do get adjusted periodically. No one can promise a price will stay flat.

What you can control is timing. If a vendor announces a price increase for January 1, registering in December locks in the lower rate. If a state board is reviewing its fee cap, the change often takes effect at the start of the next fiscal year. Set a calendar reminder to check rates a month before you plan to test.

Budgeting for the whole certification, not just the sit-down fee

A realistic certification budget needs to account for at least four buckets:

1. The exam appointment fee — the sticker price, covered above.
2. Prep materials — study guides, video courses, practice test subscriptions. For a mid-range IT exam, expect $100–$400; for a Series 22 prep package, $200–$700 is typical.
3. Retake risk — if the first-attempt pass rate hovers around 65–70%, as is commonly estimated for Series 22, you could easily need a second attempt. Set aside the fee as a buffer.
4. Maintenance and renewal — annual or biennial fees, CE requirements, and periodic recertification exams. For VMware, this could be a delta exam every two years at around $125 or a full professional exam again.

If you map out those four buckets for the Workspace ONE 22 Professional certification and assume you’ll need one retake plus the required training course at $2,000, the two-year total lands between $2,500 and $4,500. That’s an order of magnitude larger than the $250 you see on the registration screen. Budgeting honestly from the start prevents a nasty surprise when the credit card bill arrives.

How to fund the cost — and when employers will pay

Many IT and securities firms cover exam fees and training for employees. The arrangement usually works one of two ways: the company pays directly via a purchase order or voucher, or you pay upfront and submit an expense report after you pass.

Before you open your own wallet, check whether your employer has a tuition-reimbursement policy that covers certification exams. Even if the written policy doesn’t mention certifications explicitly, managers often have a training budget they can apply. Frame the request around a specific project or client requirement tied to the cert.

If you’re paying on your own, look into whether the credential qualifies for a Section 529 plan reimbursement or a tax deduction under current IRS rules — though those rules change, so verify with a tax professional.

Finally, if you manage a team, consider sponsoring a group registration. VMware’s certification portal supports bulk vouchers, and FINRA-member firms can register multiple candidates through CRD. Negotiating with a training provider for a group rate on a prep course can cut the per-person cost by 30% or more.

Common questions about One-22 exam costs

Can I pay the exam fee in installments?
Neither FINRA nor VMware offers an installment plan for exam fees. You pay the full fee at the time of registration. Some third-party prep providers offer payment plans for their courses, which can ease the overall cash outflow.

Does the Series 22 fee include study materials?
No. The $100 fee covers the exam appointment only. Study materials are separate and vary widely in price.

What happens if I cancel my VMware exam appointment?
Pearson VUE’s standard policy applies. Cancel more than 24 hours before your appointment, and you can reschedule at no charge. Cancel within 24 hours, and you forfeit the fee.

Is there a discount for VMware partners?
VMware occasionally offers exam vouchers through its partner programs, but there’s no standing discount. Check the VMware Partner Connect portal for current promotions.

Are the workspace ONE 22 exams going to be replaced by a newer version soon?
Omnissa (the new home of the formerly VMware Workspace ONE business) will continue to support the 22.x exams for the foreseeable future. Keep an eye on the certification roadmap for a 23.x or 24.x version so you don’t buy study materials that become outdated mid-preparation.

Which One-22 exam gives you the most for the money?

If your career is in financial services and you need to sell DPPs, the $100 Series 22 is a mandatory license — the math is simple. Your employer will likely cover the fee, and the credential opens a specific revenue-producing activity. The real cost is the study time, not the cash.

If you work in IT operations or consulting, the $250 VMware Workspace ONE 22 Professional exam is the stronger value play. It unlocks a vendor-recognized certification that can anchor a whole desktop and mobile management career, and it’s the prerequisite for the advanced specialist exams that command higher consulting rates.

Pair either path with a study approach that includes realistic timed practice sessions. When the practice environment mirrors the pressure of exam day, you walk in knowing which sections need speed and which need careful reading. That knowledge alone can save the cost of a retake.

Keep your prep and budget on track

• Employer-funded certifications
• CEH exam voucher price hike
• Adaptive testing trends

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