Best SIE Exam Prep Courses: An Honest Comparison
Prices, formats and guarantee terms for Kaplan, STC, Knopman Marks, Achievable and ExamFX SIE prep, checked against each provider's own page.
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Nearly every SIE course sells the same three parts: a study manual, a question bank, and practice exams. What changes between providers is the price, how long you keep access, and whether a human helps you. Those differences run from $99 to $895.
Every price and term below came from the provider's own page on 6 August 2026. Prices change often, so check the link before you buy.
The exam itself costs $100, paid to FINRA. Prep is a separate purchase, and nobody requires you to make it. Start with a free SIE practice test and the free 30-lesson course. Then decide if a paid course adds anything.
What actually separates SIE courses
Four things matter when you compare SIE exam prep. We used these for every provider below.
- Question bank quality. Size gets advertised. What you want is a written explanation on every question and the ability to build a drill on one weak topic.
- Price and access window. A $129 course you lose after 90 days can cost more than a $199 course. Check the window, not only the price.
- Format. Reading, video, live class, or phone. Pick the one you will actually open on a Tuesday night.
- Guarantee terms. Read the conditions. Most guarantees pay back the course price only, never your $100 exam fee.
SIE prep compared, August 2026
| Provider | Price | Access | Format | Pass guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Achievable | $99 one-time | 12 months | Online textbook, adaptive quizzes, 35+ practice exams | Yes, conditional |
| STC | $129 to $293 | 6 months | Manuals, on-demand lectures, readiness exams | Yes, on Premier tiers |
| ExamFX | $129 to $249 | 90 or 180 days | Video course, printed textbook, live webinars | Not stated for SIE |
| Kaplan | $199 to $229 for instruction tiers | 5 months | QBank, exam manual, on-demand or live class | Not stated |
| Knopman Marks | $265 to $895 | 12 months | Video lectures, textbook, 1:1 faculty calls | No |
| SIE Exam Ready | Free on the web; $9.99 weekly or $79.99 lifetime in the apps | Lifetime option | 750 questions, 30 lessons, full mock exams | No |
Achievable, $99
Achievable is the best value on this list if you learn by reading. One payment of $99 buys 12 months of access. You get an online textbook, 2,000+ chapter quiz questions, 35+ practice exams, narrated audio, and 32+ bonus videos. The review engine tracks what you get wrong and brings those topics back.
Its guarantee is real and it has rules. You qualify if you pass a full-length practice exam in the allotted time and then fail the real exam. You send your score report and a valid ID, and Achievable refunds you. There is a free sample with no credit card, so you can read a chapter first.
Source: achievable.me
STC, $129 to $293
STC (Securities Training Corporation) writes the clearest guarantee in this group, and that is its strongest feature. The Digital E-Course is $129, Premier is $141, and Premier Plus is $293. All three run for a six-month enrollment. Premier Plus adds instructor-led virtual classes and Q&A sessions.
The guarantee covers Premier and Premier Plus. You complete the Progress Exams and average 75% or better across the finals. You also score 75% or better on one of the two Green Light Exams.
If you then fail the real exam and send the score report, STC refunds the course price less any discount. Shipping and tax stay non-refundable.
Sources: stcusa.com packages, STC Pass Guarantee terms
ExamFX, $129 to $249
ExamFX suits people who want video plus paper. Every tier ships a hard-copy textbook.
The Textbook package is $129 for 90 days. The Online Course is $149 for 180 days. Live Online is $249 for 180 days. Live Online adds three-hour interactive webinars with an instructor.
The 90-day window on the cheapest tier is the shortest here, and it is tight if work gets busy. ExamFX advertises a 93% pass rate as a company-wide figure, and its SIE package page does not spell out guarantee terms. Ask support for those terms in writing before you pay.
Source: examfx.com
Kaplan, $199 to $229 for the instruction tiers
Kaplan's SecuritiesPro QBank is the reason to pick Kaplan. You build your own exams by topic and length. Attempts are randomly generated and unlimited. Every question carries a written rationale, and the tool times you per question.
The Premium Instruction package is $199 on demand and $229 with live online classes. Access runs 5 months, and another 5 months costs $49. Kaplan also sells cheaper Basic and Essential self-study tiers. Their prices were not shown on the page we checked, and no pass guarantee appears there either.
Source: kaplanfinancial.com
Knopman Marks, $265 to $895
Knopman Marks sells coaching, and it is the only provider here that puts a named person on your prep. Gold is $265, Platinum is $495, and Diamond is $895, each with a year of access. Gold includes one 1:1 faculty call, Platinum three plus unlimited live classes. Diamond assigns a faculty advisor for a three-month term with weekly calls.
Be clear-eyed about the trade. Knopman advertises a 98% first-time pass rate, which is the company's own figure. Its terms state that completing the course does not guarantee passage.
Refunds are limited to requests within 30 days of delivery, and strategy advising is non-refundable. You are buying accountability here, so price it that way.
Sources: knopman.com SIE, Knopman terms
SIE Exam Ready, free on the web
We built this one, so read this section with that in mind. SIE Exam Ready has no pass rate to report and no pass guarantee, because a new product has no outcome data behind either. We would rather say that than print a number we cannot back.
Free on the web: full-length practice tests, a 30-lesson course, and a study guide. The first practice tests open with no signup. The question bank holds 750 questions, each with a written explanation, plus mock exams at real exam length and timing. The iOS, Android and web apps cost $9.99 weekly or $79.99 lifetime.
Read the guarantee before it sells you
A pass guarantee sounds like insurance. Each one here is a conditional refund of the course price, and you earn it by proving you did the work. Achievable wants a passed practice exam; STC wants 75% on the finals and a Green Light Exam. Neither refunds your $100 FINRA fee, and neither pays for a retake.
Timing matters too. As of 2026, you wait 30 days to retake after a first or second failed attempt. A third failure inside two years means 180 days. FINRA has approved shorter waits and will announce the start date.
A guarantee cannot give you those weeks back. Get your practice testing done early instead of buying reassurance.
Which one fits you
- Tight budget, you read well: Achievable at $99, or start free with our practice tests.
- You want a written refund path: STC Premier at $141.
- You want to drill questions hard: Kaplan for the QBank.
- You need video and a printed book: ExamFX Online Course at $149.
- Your employer pays and you want a coach: Knopman Marks Platinum or Diamond.
- You study in 15-minute gaps on a phone: an app, ours or another. We compare the options in best SIE exam prep app.
Whichever you pick, your study method matters more than the brand. Our guide on how to study for the SIE exam sets out a plan you can copy.
Check these before you pay
- Total cost. Add the $100 exam fee to the course price. See SIE exam cost for the full picture.
- The access window. Match it to the weeks you actually have.
- Pass rate claims. FINRA does not publish an official SIE pass rate, so every percentage you see is the provider's own number. We explain what that means in SIE exam pass rate.
- The passing score. It is 70, reported as an equated score. FINRA does not publish a percent-correct equivalent, so treat any "70%" claim as shorthand. Confirm the current rules on the FINRA SIE exam page.
- Your next exam. The SIE alone does not register you. You still need a firm sponsor and a top-off exam, so check whether a bundle saves money. Start with SIE vs Series 7.