Securities Institute of America vs Securities Training Corporation (STC)
Side-by-side comparison for securities licensing candidates: features, pricing, and CHART scores from the published rubric.
At a glance
| Feature | Securities Institute of America | Securities Training Corporation (STC) |
|---|---|---|
| CHART score | 2.7/ 4 | 2.9/ 4 |
| Price range | $109 to $289 per exam (a-la-carte formats through complete courses) | $103 to $576 per exam (Standard through Premier Plus; combo packages to $966) |
| Exams covered | SIE, Series 7, Series 63, Series 65, Series 66 | SIE, Series 7, Series 63, Series 65, Series 66 |
| Practice 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 | Not published per exam (the iOS app advertises 1,000+ practice questions) |
| Pass guarantee | 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) | Refund on Premier and Premier Plus only: requires a 75 percent Green Light exam score, completed progress exams, and a 75 percent finals average (score report required) |
| Mobile app | No app; mobile eBooks offered, and the site works well in mobile browsers (checked July 16, 2026) | Native iOS app (Exam Prep by STC), rated 3.62/5; no SIE or Series 65 support; Android unclear |
| Free trial | No platform demo. The site advertises free sample questions, but the free practice exams failed to load when we tested them (July 16, 2026) | None (discontinued as of July 2026); sample questions on exam info pages only |
| Full review | Securities Institute of America review → | Securities Training Corporation (STC) review → |
Exam-by-exam breakdown
How Securities Institute of America and Securities Training Corporation (STC) stack up for each exam, from our research dossiers and the published CHART scores.
Don't let the names blur: SIA (Securities Institute of America) is the budget textbook house; STC (Securities Training Corporation) is the 50-year incumbent. STC brings live classes, a hotline, and benchmark finals at higher prices; SIA brings the cheaper complete course, a published question count, and the simplest guarantee conditions in the market.
Series 7
All Series 7 prep courses →STC's 7 program is the traditional firm pick with benchmark finals; SIA's is the value pick with a stated 5,200-question bank at a fraction of the price. Support depth is the real divider: STC has humans on tap at every tier, SIA has an AI tutor and an ask-an-instructor form.
Series 63
All Series 63 prep courses →SIA and STC sit close at 63 entry. STC includes the hotline; SIA includes the textbook and the easier guarantee. It's a short exam; either drills it fine.
Series 65
All Series 65 prep courses →SIA is the cheapest 65 we track; STC is among the most trusted for realism on this series. That's the whole trade: price versus confidence in the final mile.
Series 66
All Series 66 prep courses →The same trade as the 65 with tighter pricing. STC's mid tier bundles the refund guarantee; SIA's entire complete course costs less than that tier.
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 →