The Securities Institute of America

What The Securities Institute of America does

The Securities Institute of America, founded in 1996 and headquartered in New York, is a private financial education company that produces exam preparation materials for U.S. securities licensing candidates. The company serves individuals pursuing FINRA, NASAA, and NFA licenses (SIE and Series 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 22, 23, 24, 26, 39, 57, 63, 65, 66, 79, 82, 99) as well as broker-dealer firms that train cohorts of new associates, and insurance agents and career changers entering the industry. It claims to have helped more than 400,000 students pass exams and that students have answered more than 10 million test questions on the platform.

The product stack is content-led: authored textbooks (20+ published by Managing Director Jeffrey Van Blarcom), television-quality video courses filmed in a professional newsroom, exam prep software with 1,000+ question test banks, the ExamPlan study calendar, and visual exam-readiness dashboards. In 2025 the company introduced TotalGenius, an AI-powered 24/7 tutoring assistant, and Greenlight Exams, readiness assessments built on the latest student and regulatory feedback. The flagship commercial differentiator is the Greenlight Money Back Pass Guarantee, which refunds the purchase price if a student passes the Greenlight practice exam but fails the actual licensing exam.

Commercially, the company operates a self-serve, direct-to-consumer e-commerce model on securitiesce.com with one-time purchases typically priced $85–$489 and 6–12 months of access. There are no subscription plans, no marketplace listings, and no resellers. Demand generation is driven by an educational blog, free practice questions, free coupons, and organic social (Facebook, Twitter/X, LinkedIn), with additional revenue from onsite corporate FINRA training, private tutoring, and continuing education products such as the 12-hour IARCE course. The company is privately held with no disclosed external funding, operates with 11–50 employees, and serves primarily the U.S. market.

Name

The Securities Institute of America

Legal name

The Securities Institute of America, Inc.

Website

https://securitiesce.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Securities Institute of America is a private, New York-based financial education company founded in 1996 that produces self-study exam preparation for U.S. securities licensing candidates across 20+ FINRA, NASAA, and NFA exams, selling textbooks, video courses, test banks, and AI tutoring direct-to-consumer via securitiesce.com.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Securities Licensing Exam Preparation Training

NAICS

Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Securities & Investment Licensing Exam Prep (FINRA Series 7/63/65/66, SIE) (EDANAIAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Financial Services & Insurance (FINRA, CFP, IAR, Insurance CE) (EDAAALAJ), Certification & Exam Prep Course Marketplaces (EDAFAIAJ), Higher Education Admissions & Placement Exam Prep (GRE/GMAT/LSAT/MCAT) (EDAGADAC)

Keywords

• Securities exam preparation
• FINRA licensing training
• Financial certification courses
• Investment adviser education
• Continuing education compliance

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Exam Prep Course Sales: One-time purchase model for comprehensive exam prep packages that include video training, textbooks, practice questions, and access to test banks. Products are sold individually for specific exams (SIE, Series 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 22, 23, 24, 26, 39, 57, 63, 65, 66, 79, 82, 99) as well as combination packages for multiple related exams.
2. Continuing Education (IARCE): 12-hour IARCE (Investment Adviser Registered Continuing Education) course for licensed investment advisers to meet NASAA continuing education requirements.
3. Private Tutoring: On-demand private tutoring services through TotalGenius platform, as well as onsite FINRA exam prep classes for corporate groups.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Securities Institute of America sells self-study and instructor-led exam preparation packages for FINRA, NASAA, and NFA securities licensing exams, including SIE and Series 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 22, 23, 24, 26, 39, 57, 63, 65, 66, 79, 82, and 99. Each package typically combines a textbook, video lecture series, online test bank, AI-powered tutoring, and the Greenlight Money Back Guarantee. The company also delivers continuing-education courses (IARCE, Firm Element, FINRA Regulatory CE), private tutoring, and onsite corporate training.

Product overview

The Securities Institute of America is a financial licensing exam preparation company offering a comprehensive suite of study products for over 20 FINRA, NASAA, and NFA securities licensing exams. The core product portfolio includes individual exam prep courses for licenses including SIE, Series 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 22, 23, 24, 26, 39, 57, 63, 65, 66, 79, 82, and 99, as well as combined 'top-off' exam packages (e.g., SIE & Series 7, Series 7 & 63). Each exam prep product typically includes three learning components: a comprehensive textbook, television-quality video training classes filmed in a professional newsroom, and an exam prep software/test bank with practice questions, simulated final exams, and checkpoint exams. The company also offers TotalGenius, an AI-powered real-time tutoring feature, continuing education courses (IARCE 12-credit course, Firm Element Training), private tutoring, and onsite classes. The flagship differentiator is the Greenlight Guarantee—a money-back pass guarantee where students who pass the Greenlight practice exam but fail the actual exam receive a full refund. The platform includes features like the ExamPlan study calendar, interactive visual exam readiness dashboards, and performance tracking/reporting tools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Greenlight Guarantee: Money back pass guarantee program ensuring students pass their exams or receive a refund
• TotalGenius
• Greenlight Exams

Products and services

• SIE Exam Prep Course Comprehensive preparation course for the Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) exam, the foundational exam required for all securities professionals. Includes video training, textbook, test bank, and access to TotalGenius AI tutoring.
• Series 7 Exam Prep Course Preparation for the General Securities Registered Representative Exam (Series 7), qualifying individuals to conduct business in stocks, bonds, options, ETFs, and investment company securities. Includes textbook, video class, study calendar, and TotalGenius AI tutor access.
• Series 65 Exam Prep Course Comprehensive preparation for the Uniform Investment Adviser Law Examination (Series 65), qualifying individuals as investment adviser representatives.
• Series 63 Exam Prep Course Preparation for the Uniform Securities Agent State Law Examination (Series 63), required for securities sales in most U.S. states.
• Series 6 Exam Prep Course Exam preparation for the Series 6 limited investment company and variable contracts products representative registration exam.
• Series 79 Exam Prep Course Preparation for the Investment Banking Representative Examination (Series 79), covering investment banking concepts and financial advisory services.
• Series 57 Exam Prep Course Preparation for the Equity Trader Examination (Series 57), qualifying individuals to trade equity and convertible debt on an agency or principal basis.
• Series 9 Exam Prep Course Preparation for the General Securities Sales Supervisor Options Module (Series 9), covering option business supervision.
• Series 10 Exam Prep Course Preparation for the General Securities Sales Supervisor General Module (Series 10), qualifying individuals as general securities sales supervisors.
• Series 24 Exam Prep Course Preparation for the General Securities Principal Examination (Series 24), qualifying individuals to supervise all aspects of a general securities broker-dealer.
• Series 3 Exam Prep Course Preparation for the National Commodity Futures Examination (Series 3), required for commodity futures sales representatives.
• Series 4 Exam Prep Course Preparation for the Registered Options Principal Examination (Series 4), covering supervision of option activities.
• Series 22 Exam Prep Course Preparation for the Direct Participation Programs Limited Representative Examination (Series 22).
• Series 23 Exam Prep Course Top-off exam preparation for Series 9/10 licensed individuals seeking General Securities Principal registration.
• Series 26 Exam Prep Course Preparation for the Investment Company Products/Variable Contracts Limited Principal Examination (Series 26).
• Series 39 Exam Prep Course Preparation for the General Securities Principal Supervisory Analyst Examination (Series 39).
• Series 66 Exam Prep Course Preparation for the Uniform Combined State Law Examination (Series 66), required alongside the Series 7 for investment adviser representatives in many states.
• Series 82 Exam Prep Course Preparation for the Private Placement Securities Representative Examination (Series 82), covering private placement offerings.
• Series 99 Exam Prep Course Preparation for the Operations Professional Examination (Series 99), covering broker-dealer books, records, and regulatory reporting.
• TotalGenius On-Demand AI Tutoring AI-powered real-time on-demand instructor that answers securities exam questions 24/7, generates custom practice questions tailored to weak areas, and creates personalized cheat sheets for exam preparation.
• IARCE 12 Credit Hour Course Continuing education course providing 12 hours of Investment Adviser Representative Continuing Education (IARCE) credits to meet NASAA continuing education requirements for licensed investment adviser representatives.
• Firm Element Training Course Firm Element continuing education training course for securities industry professionals to maintain regulatory compliance with FINRA firm-element requirements.
• FINRA Regulatory Continuing Education Prep Course Continuing education preparation course covering FINRA regulatory continuing education requirements for registered representatives.
• Onsite FINRA Exam Prep Classes Live, in-person instructor-led exam preparation classes delivered at client locations for broker-dealer firms and corporate groups preparing cohorts of employees for FINRA licensing exams.
• Private Tutoring for Securities Exams One-on-one private tutoring sessions with expert instructors for individual securities exam candidates, with a company-reported 95%+ pass rate among tutoring clients.
• FINRA Exam Prep Mobile Apps Mobile applications for FINRA exam preparation that allow students to study on-the-go via smartphones and tablets.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95%+ pass rate for tutoring clients
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature5 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Kaplan Financial Education: One of the largest U.S. providers of FINRA securities licensing exam prep (Series 7, 63, 65, 66, SIE), continuing education, and adjacent licensure programs. Directly competes across almost every exam SIA offers, with broader catalog reach via Kaplan's parent.
• Securities Training Corporation (STC): Long-standing dedicated FINRA exam prep provider offering textbooks, online courses, and instructor-led classes for the same Series exams and SIE that SIA covers, with comparable self-study and corporate training offerings.
• ExamFX: Specialist in insurance and securities licensing prep including SIE, Series 6, 7, 63, 65 and continuing education. Closely comparable product mix, online delivery model, and pass-rate-driven positioning.
• Pass Perfect: Direct FINRA/NASAA exam prep competitor offering self-study and classroom courses for SIE and the full Series lineup, with similar textbook-plus-online-test-bank delivery.
• Knopman Marks Financial Training: Provides live and online FINRA licensing prep (Series 7, 63, 65, 66, SIE) with strong classroom and corporate-training presence, directly competing for broker-dealer training contracts that SIA targets.
• Whelan Financial Training: Specializes in Series 7 and other FINRA exam prep with live in-person and online formats, competing for the same individual candidate and corporate cohort customers.

Broad incumbents

• Wiley Efficient Learning (CPA/FINRA): Broader EdTest prep provider covering FINRA Series exams alongside CPA and other professional credentials under Wiley's umbrella, with the catalog breadth to bundle SIA's offerings into multi-license packages.
• Becker Professional Education: Large professional education provider best known for CPA review but also active in securities licensing and continuing education, with comparable online/self-study infrastructure that competes for the same candidate base.
• OnCourse Learning (Real Estate Express / Kaplan Subsidiary Brands): Adjacent licensing prep provider (real estate, insurance, securities CE) that overlaps with SIA in the professional licensing and continuing education end of the funnel.

Emerging players

• Achievable (Modern EdTech Prep): Tech-forward prep platform (e.g., FINRA SIE, Series 6, 63, 65, 66, 7) using mobile-first delivery and adaptive learning, representing the kind of digital-native challenger that could pressure SIA's broader exam coverage over time.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/securitiesexams
• Facebookfacebook.com/securitiesinstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-securities-institute-of-america-inc./about

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Securities Institute of America