Kaplan vs Knopman Marks
Side-by-side comparison for securities licensing candidates: features, pricing, and CHART scores from the published rubric.
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Key takeaways
- In our CHART rubric, Kaplan scores 3.0 / 4 and Knopman Marks scores 2.9 / 4.
- Both prepare you for all five exams: the SIE and Series 7, 63, 65, and 66.
- We evaluated Kaplan hands-on inside the platform and Knopman Marks hands-on inside the platform.
At a glance
| Feature | Kaplan | Knopman Marks |
|---|---|---|
| CHART score | 3.0/ 4 | 2.9/ 4 |
| Price range | $59 to $319 per exam (Basic through Premium Live Online) | $200 to $1,110 per exam (Gold through Diamond) |
| Exams covered | SIE, Series 7, Series 63, Series 65, Series 66 | SIE, Series 7, Series 63, Series 65, Series 66 |
| Practice questions | SecuritiesPro QBank (official per-exam counts not published; Series 65 users report 4,000+ questions) | Not published per exam (the free SIE demo exposes a 288-question sample) |
| Pass guarantee | None for securities: PassProtection gives Live Online enrollees a class retake; Kaplan's money-back program covers insurance licensing only | None at any tier |
| Mobile app | No native securities app; responsive web | Native iOS companion app for enrolled students (offline lectures and flashcards); Android unclear |
| Free trial | SIE free trial (Unit 1 content and a 137-question QBank sample) | Free SIE demo course on their training platform: sample units, the full quiz builder, and flashcards; textbook locked |
| Full review | Kaplan review → | Knopman Marks review → |
Exam-by-exam breakdown
How Kaplan and Knopman Marks stack up for each exam, from our research dossiers and the published CHART scores.
Is Kaplan or Knopman Marks better for the SIE?
All SIE prep courses →Both are firm-training staples. Kaplan's SIE entry price is a fraction of Knopman's, which self-funded candidates should notice first. Knopman offers the free SIE demo and faculty access at every tier; Kaplan reserves its live layer for the upper tiers.
Is Kaplan or Knopman Marks better for the Series 7?
All Series 7 prep courses →The premium fight. 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. Kaplan counters with the reference question bank and a far lower entry point. Firm-sponsored candidates choose by their firm's culture; self-funded ones usually can't justify Knopman's ceiling.
Is Kaplan or Knopman Marks better for the Series 63?
All Series 63 prep courses →Kaplan's entry tier is the cheapest 63 prep we track; Knopman's cheapest is several times that. Unless you're bundled into Knopman through your firm, Kaplan wins this one on arithmetic.
Is Kaplan or Knopman Marks better for the Series 65?
All Series 65 prep courses →Kaplan is far cheaper at entry, but this is the series where its practice realism gets second-guessed while Knopman's draws praise. Budget-bound advisors still lean Kaplan; candidates who want practice that feels like the real 65 plus a faculty line lean Knopman.
Is Kaplan or Knopman Marks better for the Series 66?
All Series 66 prep courses →Same tension as the 65: Kaplan on price and bank depth, Knopman on realism reputation and support. The corequisite with the 7 favors whichever one already has your Series 7 business.
About the author
Brennan KolarSenior Financial Analyst · Founder & Lead Researcher
Brennan Kolar is a Senior Financial Analyst and the founder of the Atlas Index family of research sites, including Atlas CPA Index and Atlas Securities Index. He built the CHART methodology to make exam-prep comparisons transparent: every score traces to a published rubric, and every factual claim carries a source.
Full bio & editorial standards →