Main Differences of the Platforms
When you’re considering a career as a Chartered Financial Analyst, you need to complete the CFA exam. Preparing for the exams can be a little daunting because pass rates have been below 50%. This makes this qualification one of the hardest to obtain among all financial certificates.
Candidates are recommended to study for at least 300 hours before they take each exam. For this reason, many places offer support to students.
Two such companies are Kaplan Schweser and AnalystPrep. Though we already have individual reviews of each of these companies, this article will help you to decide whether to choose Kaplan or Analyst Prep to help you reach your CFA goals.
The main differences between Analyst Prep and Kaplan are:
- Kaplan has a pass guarantee, which means you can retake a course if you don’t pass the exam.
- Kaplan provides a lot of resources, materials and sourcebooks.
- AnalystPrep has a lifetime access option.
- AnalystPrep is a lot cheaper.
- AnalystPrep has better reviews.
If you’re comparing AnalystPrep and Schweser, it might also be useful to look at my compilation of top prep providers. This review aims to provide a broader perspective, helping you to make a more informed choice about the best way to prepare for the CFA exam.
So, which is better AnalystPrep or Kaplan? To aid your decision-making in choosing your CFA prep course, we’ve compiled the information you need about each platform side-by-side. Now you can see Kaplan versus Analyst Prep at a glance.
AnalystPrep CFA vs Schweser? You have the best choice between them.
Overall Comparison: Kaplan versus AnalystPrep
| Brand | Kaplan | AnalystPrep |
| Materials | – Self-study options
– Video lesson options – Live online class options – Checkpoint exams – Pass Guarantee – Each level is a separate course |
– Practice-only option
– Learning & practice option – Video lessons – Study notes – “ask a tutor” questions – Mock exams – 12-months access – 24/7 tech support |
| Platform | – Uses Zoom for live online classes | – Recommended online learning platform |
| Cost | Packages from $699 | Packages from $249 |
| Reputation | Trustpilot 3.5/5 | Trustpilot 4.8/5
Facebook 4.7/5 Google 4.4/5 |
Package Comparison
| Options | Essential Package | Premium Package | PremiumPlus Package |
| Kaplan | – Lowest cost
– Self-study – Activity feed – Checkpoint exams – Instructor link – JumpStart – Kaplan Schweser community – Mock exams – Performance tracker – QuickSheet – Schweser Notes – Schweser Notes videos – SchweserPro Qbank – Pass guarantee |
– OnDemand class & review
– OnDemand class – OnDemand workshop – Schweser’s secret sauce – Activity feed – Checkpoint exams – Instructor link – JumpStart – Kaplan Schweser community – Mock exams – Performance tracker – QuickSheet – Schweser Notes – Schweser Notes videos – SchweserPro Qbank – Pass guarantee |
– Live online class & review
– OnDemand or Live Online Class – 3-Day live online review workshop – Schweser’s secret sauce – Activity feed – Checkpoint exams – Instructor link – JumpStart – Kaplan Schweser community – Mock exams – Performance tracker – QuickSheet – Schweser Notes – Schweser Notes videos – SchweserPro Qbank – Pass guarantee |
| Options | CFA Level 1 complete course (learn & practice package) | CFA level II complete course (learn & practice package) | CFA level III complete course | CFA all levels complete package |
| AnalystPrep | – 60 hours of video lessons
– 2,000 study note pages – 4,000 practice questions – 5 mock exams – Formula sheet – Performance tracking – 12-months access – 5 “ask a tutor” questions – 24/7 tech support |
– 50 hours of video lessons
– 1,500 study note pages – 225 item sets of 4-6 questions each – 2 mock exams – Performance tracking – 12-months access – 5 “ask a tutor” questions – 24/7 tech support |
– 100+ MCQ vignettes
– 40+ essay-type cases – Performance tracking tools – 5 “ask a tutor” questions – 24/7 tech support – 12-months access |
– Video lessons for all three CFA exam levels
– Question banks for all three levels of the CFA exam – Computer-based testing (CBT) mock exams for all three levels – Performance tracking tools – Unlimited “ask a tutor” questions – Lifetime access – Annual curriculum updates |
There is a lot of choice when it comes to AnalystPrep vs Kaplan CFA but both companies do offer quite different packages.
Kaplan, for example, have a “you pass guarantee” which means you can continue studying with them until you pass. This is a huge positive considering that around half of people don’t pass the exams.
Both companies have individual packages for each level of the CFA. AnalystPrep, however, does have a complete package with lifetime access and so those who are really sure that this is the path for them and are convinced they’ll be successful can sign up to this package to save money in the long run.
Apart from this package, all other packages have a 12-month access limit.
With both companies, you decide which level of support you need. There are two levels with AnalystPrep (practice only and learn & practice) and three levels with Kaplan (Essential, Premium and PremiumPlus).
Pricing Comparison
Whether you’re going to choose Analyst Prep or Schweser CFA packages, you will have to pay. The cheapest package is a practice-only package by AnalystPrep, which costs $249 for one level. If you are studying for more than one level, it might make sense to get their combined package, which costs $699.
With the combined package, you get access to every test prep, exam practice questions, and practice questions both online and in the form of mock exams.
When you look at both Analyst Prep and Schweser CFA, Kaplan Schweser costs a lot more. However, with their courses, you do get access to the best CFA books and CFA calculators like a qualified Chartered Financial Analyst would use.
As you can see, the prices are considerably different and there is no combination package for the Kaplan Schweser option.
| Option | CFA Level 1 | CFA Level 2 | CFA Level 3 |
Complete package
|
| AnalystPrep | $249 (practice) $399 (learn & practice) – 12 months |
$249 (practice) $399 (learn & practice) – 12 months |
$249 (practice) $399 (learn & practice) – 12 months |
$699 Lifetime access |
| Kaplan Schweser | $699 $999 $1,299 |
$749 $1,049 $1,349 |
$799 $1,099 $1,399 |
Not available |
Quality, Features, Material (Questions, Mock Exams, Course, Formats)
Both AnalystPrep and Kaplan are rated highly by reviews online and so it comes down to budget, course content, and your requirements.
AnalystPrep has thousands of practice questions and claims to have the largest online question bank. Students also get access to mock exams and study notes. The course videos are made by professional educators who present in-depth explanations of the curriculum topics, and the readings follow the CFA exam format.
As you’d expect with the price, the Kaplan packages do offer more. Each student has access to an instructor to ask questions at any time, there’s also lots of checkpoint exams and mock exams.
One of the most important aspects of Kaplan’s features compared to AnalystPrep is the Schweser’s PassProtection. This ensures that the next study package is free if a student doesn’t pass.
With the PremiumPlus package, students can access live instruction either as an in-person class or a live video class via Zoom.
There is also a 3-day live online review workshop over Zoom in the run-up to the exams, as well as a compact Schweser’s Secret Sauce book that provides exam tips and insights of the CFA curriculum.
In addition, you may also be interested in the Princeton Review reviews available on my site. This dedicated section offers a detailed examination of one of the leading players in the industry, shedding light on its methodology, success rate, and more.
Analyst Prep: How is it better than Kaplan?
- Experienced experts in all aspects of the financial analyst industry.
- Affordable packages comparing with Schweser.
- Better feedback from former students.
Because of this, the company is highly experienced in all aspects of the financial analyst industry and its experts have a broader knowledge.
The packages with AnalystPrep are also much more affordable. You can access materials for all three levels for less than $700. The cheapest you can access all three levels with Kaplan is $2,247.
What’s more, AnalystPrep has a much better average rating on Trustpilot.
Kaplan: How is it better than AnalystPrep?
- The quality of content is impressive.
- Schweser’s PassProtection.
Kaplan is also the most widely used CFA preparation platform so there are a number of students you can turn to for peer support.
Unlike AnalystPrep, Kaplan has its Schweser’s PassProtection. This allows CFA candidates to have another go of the course free of charge if they fail first time. As pass rates aren’t very high, this is a great offer for students who are unsure of their abilities to pass first time.
Verdict: So, Which CFA Option is the Best?
Both Kaplan and AnalystPrep are great at what they do. Being on a tight budget doesn’t mean you can’t access help with the CFA and in terms of value for money, AnalystPrep certainly has that! However, Kaplan does have the pass guarantee that AnalystPrep doesn’t have. As for which one is best, it’s hard to say. If money is no object, Kaplan’s PremiumPlus package is certainly worth it, otherwise, you’re probably better sticking with AnalystPrep.
