How we rank SIE and Series 7 prep
Last checked October 16, 2026 · Sources: FINRA qualification exams and SIE content outline; Achievable and Kaplan pricing pages
This page explains how we rank SIE and Series 7 prep. We compare what each provider publishes about itself (price, practice volume, instruction, access and guarantees) against FINRA’s official exam outlines, and rate each course out of 5 using one rubric across the site. Ratings are editorial, not hands-on test results; every price links to where you can buy.
Why free FINRA material comes first
FINRA offers a free SIE practice test and publishes content outlines for every exam, showing exactly which sections are tested and how many questions each carries. That’s the most accurate guide to the real exam, and it costs nothing. Many employers also pay for prep once they sponsor you. So we rank free and official material first and judge paid courses on what they add beyond it.
What we look at
| Factor | Why it matters for securities exams |
|---|---|
| Alignment with FINRA’s outline | The SIE weights products and risks at 44%; the Series 7 weights recommendations at 73%. Good prep spends its time to match. |
| Practice volume and full-length exams | We count the quizzes and full-length practice exams a provider says it includes. |
| Instruction | Some candidates need a teacher; we note live or on-demand classes. |
| Access period | Kaplan, for example, gives five months; we note how long you get and what an extension costs. |
| Price and value | We compare list prices against what’s free, note expired promotions, and link every price to the provider’s own page. |
| Honest claims | We check pass-rate and award claims against their footnotes. Kaplan’s 87% SIE figure, for instance, is footnoted to an insurance survey, so we don’t repeat it as an SIE pass rate. |
Our criteria. Each review links to the provider pages we used.
How we rate SIE and Series 7 prep
We use the same rubric across every exam on this site. Each course is scored out of 5 in six categories, based on what the provider publishes and the consensus of third-party reviews, and the weighted total is its rating. Ratings are our editorial assessment, not measured results, and each review shows the category breakdown.
| Category | Weight |
|---|---|
| Question bank | 25% |
| Practice exams | 20% |
| Lectures and materials | 15% |
| Platform and mobile | 15% |
| Support | 10% |
| Value for money | 15% |
Our rubric. ‘Practice exams’ means full-length, exam-like practice.
| Provider | Rating |
|---|---|
| Achievable | 4.2 / 5 |
| Kaplan | 3.9 / 5 |
| WebCE | 3.8 / 5 |
| ExamFX | 3.6 / 5 |
Current ratings, October 2026. See each review for the breakdown.
What we don’t do
- We don’t claim hands-on testing we haven’t done.
- We don’t accept payment to change a pick. We do not currently earn commissions from any securities prep provider; if that changes, our affiliate disclosure will say so at the top of the page.
- We don’t copy other sites’ ratings or text. All our writing is our own.
- We don’t list prices we can’t see on the provider’s own site; where we can’t confirm a price, the button says “See prices” instead.
How often we check
Every page shows the date we last checked it under the title, with its sources. We aim to recheck prices every three months and exam rules every six, and sooner when FINRA or NASAA announces changes, such as the shorter retake waiting periods arriving in January 2027. We also correct stale exam fees: FINRA lists the SIE at $100 and the Series 7 at $395 in 2026, while older pages still show an $80 SIE fee or $300 or $245 for the Series 7.
Common questions about how we rank SIE and Series 7 prep
Do providers pay for their ranking?
No. We don’t currently earn commissions from securities prep providers. If that changes, a disclosure will appear at the top of the affected pages.
Do you test the courses yourselves?
No. Our ratings are editorial: we score what providers publish, plus the consensus of third-party reviews, against the rubric above, and we say so on every review.
How are your ratings calculated?
Each review scores six categories out of 5: question bank (25%), practice exams (20%), lectures and materials (15%), platform and mobile (15%), support (10%) and value (15%). The weighted total, to one decimal place, is the rating; each review shows its breakdown.
Why don't you use Kaplan's 87% SIE pass rate?
Because its footnote says the survey covered students who bought an insurance course and reported an insurance exam result.
Where can I see when a page was last checked?
Under the title of each page, with links to the sources we used.
See our best SIE and Series 7 prep, Achievable vs Kaplan and editorial policy. MockTestPrep is independent and is not affiliated with FINRA, NASAA or any prep provider.