FINRA writes the SIE, and it publishes a free content outline and practice test, but no textbook or lessons. Its FAQ says a number of vendors have created materials and that it doesn't endorse any of them. So any free teaching comes from a vendor, and most of those vendors also sell a paid course. I should mention that I run FreeFellow, which is one of them and appears in the list below.
Everything here is as of November 1, 2026, and comes from what's open without paying or creating an account. Vendor counts and prices are what their own pages said that day, and they change.
What FINRA publishes
Start with the content outline, a 15-page PDF dated 2025 that needs no signup. It gives the four sections, how many of the 75 scored questions come from each (products and their risks is the largest, at 33), every topic under them and the rules they draw on. It lists what you need to know without teaching any of it, so I'd use it as a checklist against whatever else you study.
The practice test is 75 multiple-choice questions in your browser, with no signup and no clock. At the end you get a score out of 75 and can review which ones you got right and wrong, but nothing explains the answers. FINRA warns that your result isn't an absolute prediction of how you'll do. The opening screen says 2018, so it may not track every change in the 2025 outline. There's only one version, so I'd save it until you think you're close.
The one-page quick reference guide covers logistics like the fee, who can sit and how long you have to schedule. It still says the exam has 10 unscored questions and the outline says 5, so go with the outline. The exam tutorial shows how the test software works and has no SIE content.
Free material from vendors
These are in alphabetical order, and none needs an account unless the table says so.
Scroll horizontally to view all columns.
| Resource | What it covers | Access | What it leaves out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Achievable | Notes on its 15 textbook chapters, and a 75-question practice exam with explanations | No signup | The full textbook, chapter quizzes and its other practice exams are in the $99 course |
| CertFuel | Topic lessons, an 80-question practice exam, 198 short videos and a podcast. Its page counts 3,800+ questions and 2,900+ flashcards | No signup or card | No live classes listed. Its help is an AI tutor |
| FreeFellow | More than 900 original questions with step-by-step solutions, 20 written lessons, a formula sheet, a glossary and a 12-question diagnostic | Samples, lesson previews, the formula sheet and the diagnostic need no signup. The full bank and full lessons need a free account | Timed mocks, flashcards, topic drills, analytics and lesson audio are paid |
| Mometrix | A short test with explanations, and a summary of the outline on the page | No signup | 18 of the test's 23 questions are locked, so you get 5. Its course, study guide and flashcards are paid |
| OpenExamPrep | A 47-section study guide (updated January 2026), 700 questions with explanations, 50 flashcards and a cheat sheet | No registration or card. Saving progress needs a sign-in | No timed full-length exam listed. AI is limited to 10 free interactions a day, with more bought or earned through ads or referrals, and the site runs ads and affiliate links |
FreeFellow's free tier has limits. The full original question bank is free with an account, subject to usage limits. Worked solutions, written lessons, mixed practice, and your readiness score stay free. Free accounts can access 300 different practice questions a week, with limits of 120 a day and 60 an hour. The weekly allowance resets on Monday at 00:00 UTC. Repeating a question within the same week does not use another question from the weekly allowance. Fellow, the paid tier, is $39 a month or $79 a quarter per track. The question bank post goes through what's in the bank.
These don't all do the same job. If you haven't studied this material before, you need something that teaches, like CertFuel's lessons, OpenExamPrep's guide or FreeFellow's lessons. Achievable's notes suggest reading each chapter after you've studied it, so they suit review better. And between FINRA, Achievable and CertFuel, you can sit three full-length tests without paying.
Some free offers stop at a form, so this part comes only from their landing pages. Acadio's free trial asks for an email and no card, and includes a diagnostic exam and its first unit. Kaplan's free trial is a 7-day demo limited to Unit 1, with a study plan, quizzes from that unit's questions and a checkpoint exam. It goes through Kaplan's cart, and the page doesn't say whether it asks for a card. STC's free study guide wants your email, name and company. Knopman Marks' free practice exam wants your name and a work email, and the page doesn't say how many questions it has.
What free materials don't give you
The biggest gap is a person to ask. If you've read an explanation twice and still don't follow it, the free options above mostly leave you on your own or with an AI tutor. You also don't get a class, or anyone keeping you to a schedule. Kaplan's packages ran $99 to $229 on November 1, with live online classes at the top end. Achievable's $99 course advertises support by phone, text and email from a real person, and Acadio listed a year of access at $79.
I'd think about paying if you learn better from a teacher, if you've worked through a free course and your scores aren't moving, or if you're short on time and want someone else's study plan. Compare any price with what a failed attempt costs you: the $100 fee again, plus the retake wait. If a firm has hired you, ask whether it pays for prep before you buy anything.
Otherwise I'd study from the outline with one free source that teaches, add a question source with explanations, and keep FINRA's test for the end.
FreeFellow is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by FINRA or the companies named here.