SIE · Series 7 · Series 63 · Series 65 · Series 66
Your licensing path, mapped. Your prep options, scored.
6 providers scored on the same 20 published data points, exam fees and prices verified at the source, and a planner that maps which exams your career goal actually requires.
- Providers scored
- 6
- Rubric data points
- 120
- Verified price points
- 30
- Exams covered
- 5
As featured in
Expert commentary by our founder, Brennan Kolar. These outlets quoted him as a source; they have not reviewed this site.
The rankings, live
Every provider scored on the same 20 published data points. These are the current standings, straight from the data the whole site runs on.
Kaplan
The establishment pick, with the question bank other providers' students end up buying anyway
Knopman Marks
White-glove exam prep from the firm that trains Wall Street's new hires
Achievable
Budget-priced, reading-first exam prep on a genuinely modern platform
The CHART framework
Five dimensions, twenty data points, one 1 to 4 scale. Explore what each dimension actually measures; the panel below renders from the same scoring module the rankings use.
Content Format
How well the provider serves each way of learning the material.
Two routes to a securities career
Which exams you need depends on who employs you, not on preference. Fees below come from our verified FINRA and NASAA exam records.
Broker-dealer route
Firm-sponsored: stockbrokers and wirehouse advisors
SIE
$100 exam fee
No sponsor needed; open to anyone 18 or older
Series 7
$395 exam fee
Requires firm sponsorship via Form U4
Series 63 or 66
$147 exam fee / $177 exam fee
State agent registration; the 66 adds IAR status
RIA route
Self-sponsored: fee-only investment adviser representatives
Series 65
$187 exam fee
Self-enroll, no prerequisite; registers you as an IAR
Highlighted matchups
All 15 head-to-heads →The premium fight
Kaplan
3.0 / 4
Knopman Marks
2.9 / 4
Knopman's 7 program is the market's most support-heavy: reachable faculty, unlimited live classes on upper tiers, weekly one-on-ones at the top.
Full comparison →The budget battle
Achievable
2.9 / 4
SIA
2.7 / 4
SIA's entry price on the 65 is the lowest we track, with a 4,000-plus-question published bank behind it.
Full comparison →Value vs the incumbent
Pass Perfect
2.8 / 4
STC
2.9 / 4
Pass Perfect's base tier is cheaper than STC's and already includes live review; STC answers with its all-tier hotline and finals reputation.
Full comparison →Research you can audit
6
Providers researched, dossier by dossier
120
Rubric scores published and calibrated
30
Price points verified against provider sites
3
Sourced guides, dated and cited
0
Ranking positions any provider paid for
Start with the guides
All guides →Guide
How to Get Sponsored for the Series 7
What Series 7 sponsorship actually means, which hiring paths come with it attached, and how to position yourself for a sponsorship offer.
Read the guide →Guide
SIE Exam Study Guide: Where to Start
A first-timer's roadmap to the Securities Industry Essentials exam: what it covers, how long to study, and how to choose prep materials.
Read the guide →Guide
Series 65 vs Series 66: Which One Do You Need?
The two adviser-law exams serve different career paths. This guide maps which one fits yours, and when the Series 63 enters the picture.
Read the guide →Rankings follow the rubric, never ad spend
Every score on this site derives from 20 published rubric data points per provider, and the methodology page renders from the same code the rankings use. Where we couldn't get inside a platform, we say so, and hands-on-dependent scores are capped rather than guessed.
3
Evaluated hands-on
Achievable, Kaplan, Knopman Marks: scored from inside the platform via trials, demos, or previews.
3
Desk-verified
Pass Perfect, SIA, STC: no trial exists, so scores come from documentation and candidate reports, with in-platform scores capped at 3.
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