Kaplan vs Securities Institute of America
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 Securities Institute of America scores 2.7 / 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 Securities Institute of America from documentation and candidate reports, since no trial was available.
At a glance
| Feature | Kaplan | Securities Institute of America |
|---|---|---|
| CHART score | 3.0/ 4 | 2.7/ 4 |
| Price range | $59 to $319 per exam (Basic through Premium Live Online) | $109 to $289 per exam (a-la-carte formats through complete courses) |
| 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) | Published per exam (unique among the six): 5,200 for the Series 7; 4,000+ Series 65; 3,000+ Series 66; 1,200 Series 63; 1,100 SIE |
| Pass guarantee | None for securities: PassProtection gives Live Online enrollees a class retake; Kaplan's money-back program covers insurance licensing only | GreenLight guarantee on qualifying packages: pass their GreenLight exam within 5 days of your actual exam, and a fail earns a refund (100 percent on software-only, less $25 shipping with textbooks) |
| Mobile app | No native securities app; responsive web | No app; mobile eBooks offered, and the site works well in mobile browsers (checked July 16, 2026) |
| Free trial | SIE free trial (Unit 1 content and a 137-question QBank sample) | No platform demo. The site advertises free sample questions, but the free practice exams failed to load when we tested them (July 16, 2026) |
| Full review | Kaplan review → | Securities Institute of America review → |
Exam-by-exam breakdown
How Kaplan and Securities Institute of America stack up for each exam, from our research dossiers and the published CHART scores.
Is Kaplan or SIA better for the SIE?
All SIE prep courses →Kaplan's SIE entry price beats SIA's single complete course and brings the stronger platform. SIA's counterpunch is the published question count and the simpler guarantee; Kaplan offers no securities refund at all.
Is Kaplan or SIA better for the Series 7?
All Series 7 prep courses →Kaplan's Basic is the cheaper entry even against SIA's video-and-exams format, and the QBank is the better drilling experience by our evaluation. SIA appeals to textbook studiers who want a stated 5,200-question bank and a money-back guarantee, two things Kaplan won't give you.
Is Kaplan or SIA better for the Series 63?
All Series 63 prep courses →Kaplan's entry price on the 63 is the market floor. SIA's advantages here are the guarantee and the textbook, but on price and platform Kaplan is the straightforward call.
Is Kaplan or SIA better for the Series 65?
All Series 65 prep courses →SIA undercuts everyone on the 65, Kaplan included, publishes a 4,000-plus-question bank, and backs it with the GreenLight guarantee. Kaplan justifies the difference with live-class options and better tech. Pure self-studiers on a budget lean SIA.
Is Kaplan or SIA better for the Series 66?
All Series 66 prep courses →SIA is again the cheapest way in, with 3,000-plus published questions. Kaplan offers the stronger combined path if you're also buying its Series 7 prep. Guarantee-seekers should note that only one of these two refunds anything.
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 →