AnalystPrep vs Kaplan Schweser CFA®: Course Comparison

Prepping for the CFA® exam can be downright daunting.

With pass rates as low as 35% in recent years and the average hovering around 45%, the CFA® exam is one of the most difficult professional exams you can take… And there are three of them you must pass to become a Chartered Financial Analyst™.

The most common solution is choosing one of the top CFA® prep courses, which will help you get ready for one of the biggest hurdles of your professional career.

If you’ve spent any time looking for the best course for you, you’ve heard of AnalystPrep and Kaplan-Schweser. What you may not have heard is that, between the two, AnalystPrep vs Kaplan Schweser, there’s a clear winner.

Today, I’m going to compare and contrast two of the biggest companies in the CFA® exam prep industry to help you decide which one is right for you.

Key Takeaways

• AnalystPrep Value Advantage: AnalystPrep offers a more affordable, complete CFA® course option with valuable features like lifetime access, unlimited Q&A support, and a highly-rated instructor, providing significant value for budget-conscious CFA® candidates.
• Engaging Video Lessons: AnalystPrep’s video lessons, led by Professor James Forjan, are known for their clear, easy-to-follow, and engaging style, making them ideal for visual learners.
• Kaplan-Schweser’s Unique Features: Kaplan-Schweser includes exclusive offerings like audio SchweserNotes™, live review workshops, and digital flashcards, but these come at a much higher price point.
• Practice Question Quality: AnalystPrep’s questions are consistently challenging and designed to prepare candidates thoroughly. Kaplan-Schweser’s questions offer a balanced difficulty level, which may appeal to those seeking a wider question variety.
• Performance Tracking Tools: Both companies provide performance tracking, but Kaplan-Schweser goes further with a weekly task feed to guide study pacing, which may benefit students who prefer structured timelines.

Overview: AnalystPrep CFA® Review

Though AnalystPrep has only been in business since 2014, AnalystPrep has quickly made a name for itself in the exam prep space. And, with reviews on Google, Facebook, and Trustpilot averaging between 4.7 and 5 stars, it’s clear to see why. With a high value, approachable price point, and engaging video lessons led by Professor James Forjan, AnalystPrep CFA® review is a prep provider worth some serious consideration.

AnalystPrep offers three CFA® exam prep packages, but by far, their best-value package is the complete three-level bundle:

Overview: Kaplan-Schweser CFA® Review

Unlike AnalystPrep, Kaplan-Schweser has been around for much longer, though not in its current merger form. Schweser, which Kaplan acquired, has helped 700,000+ CFA® candidates earn their charter over the course of 30+ years. They report a 95% recommendation rate.

Kaplan-Schweser offers four different CFA® prep course options. However, unlike AnalystPrep, they only offer packages for single exam levels. Note that these prices are for Level I 2024. Prices are slightly higher for each level and are planned to increase between $50-$100 in 2025. Also, the access period varies by the date you purchase, which you’ll see when purchasing.

Match Your CFA® Prep Needs: AnalystPrep vs. Kaplan-Schweser

• If you’re on a budget and want comprehensive support, choose AnalystPrep.
• If you prefer engaging video lessons to stay motivated, choose AnalystPrep.
• If live review workshops and digital flashcards are a priority, choose Kaplan-Schweser.
• If you need consistently challenging practice questions to prepare thoroughly, choose AnalystPrep.
• If structured pacing and weekly study tasks help you stay on track, choose Kaplan-Schweser.
• If you’re looking for a highly-rated course with strong student feedback, choose AnalystPrep.
• If lifetime access without conditions matters, choose AnalystPrep.
• If you’re looking for audio review options and concise summaries, choose Kaplan-Schweser.

Why AnalystPrep is the Best CFA® Course (And Not Kaplan-Schweser)

AnalystPrep offers the best value in CFA® prep courses.

Just by looking at the tables, it’s easy to assume that I say that based on price alone. $1,297 is certainly a lot more affordable than $4,397. However, this decision is a lot more nuanced than the price alone.

Here are some additional reasons why I prefer AnalystPrep over Kaplan-Schweser:

• Best Video Instruction: AnalystPrep video lessons are on another level, thanks to the instruction of Professor James Forjan. His lectures are engaging, but more importantly, they’re easy to understand, and he uses spot-on examples to enhance comprehension for CFA® candidates.
• Simple Lifetime Access: I like Kaplan-Schweser, but let’s be honest: PassProtection™ is lifetime access with strings attached (a HUGE list of additional terms and conditions). They also don’t have a defined access duration—it depends on when you purchase your course. AnalystPrep keeps it simple: 12 months or unlimited lifetime access, no strings attached.
• High Trustpilot Rating: Whereas Kaplan-Schweser has a 3.8-star rating on Trustpilot, AnalystPrep’s rating sits at a whopping 4.7 stars. If you don’t believe me, believe all of the other students who’ve given AnalystPrep rave reviews!

Now that you know where I stand, let’s dig beneath the surface to learn the ins and outs of both companies’ course features.

Video Lectures and Audio Lectures

I’ve already talked about how much I love AnalystPrep’s video lectures, but I’m happy to talk about them more! These lessons are comprehensive without being overwhelming. And, thanks to the top-tier instructor, every class is highly engaging, entertaining, and easy to follow. Difficult concepts become easy, and your weaknesses will become your strengths in no time.

Meanwhile, though Kaplan-Schweser’s video lessons aren’t as enjoyable as AnalystPrep’s, they’re still salvageable for CFA® prep. They’re a lot more dry, but they cover everything you’ll need to know. The best approach is combining the notes, video lessons, practice questions, and texts for the best result, as every resource supplements another.

Bottom Line: AnalystPrep CFA® video lessons are known for being engaging and easy to learn from. Kaplan-Schweser’s videos are more dry, but they still get the job done if you’re able to sit through them, particularly when supplemented with other materials.

Textbooks and Course Content

Though neither company offers books or textbooks, both have their own version of study notes.

Study notes from AnalystPrep ring in at around 1,000 pages per level, for a total of 3,000 pages. However, don’t be intimidated by that number—the notes focus on succinct summaries over long, dry, textbook-esque prose. It’s super easy to go through them and quickly understand complex topics, thanks to highlighted key terms and bite-sized chunks of info. However, the notes being so condensed means you may lose some needed context found in traditional written content.

In contrast, Kaplan-Schweser offers their SchweserNotes™ in every package except Basic. These are truly the best alternative to traditional written study notes in every way—they are a gem for test preppers. It’s basically the CliffsNotes for CFA® exams. However, like AnalystPrep, the quick bites and summaries are great for basic levels of understanding, but you’ll likely need to add more depth and comprehensive review strategies to pass.

Bottom Line: Both companies offer excellent study notes, though Kaplan-Schweser’s SchweserNotes™ are known for their excellence. However, in both cases, the notes are probably not enough to pass and will need to be paired with deeper reading and/or video lessons to succeed.

Technology

When it comes to contemporary education strategies, technology is a major aspect. AnalystPrep’s tech suite is relatively limited, but they do offer performance tracking tools so candidates can track their progress and identify strengths and weaknesses within their CFA® prep journeys.

Meanwhile, Kaplan-Schweser also offers a performance tracker which compares your scores to those of your peers. They also have an activity feed that features weekly tasks for students to complete. This takes the stress out of creating a study plan and helps students progress at a solid pace.

Bottom Line: Both companies offer performance tracking tools, but Kaplan-Schweser offers an activity feed with weekly tasks to complete as well.

Practice Questions and Test Bank

Both companies offer a total of 6,000+ questions and mock exams that represent the quality, content, format, and timing of the actual exam. So, the question is less about quantity than it is about quality.

AnalystPrep questions are difficult, which I actually think should be a priority when you’re looking for a prep course, regardless of the subject. AP really wants you to know your stuff in and out, so though not everything will be on the exam, you’ll be thoroughly prepared for all levels of question depth, and you’ll be able to easily bat any curve ball that comes your way.

Meanwhile, Kaplan-Schweser questions tend to be more mixed. Some are much easier, and some are much harder than what you’ll find on the exam. I tend to prefer AnalystPrep’s more consistently difficult questions, but if you’d prefer a more balanced mix, you may enjoy Kaplan’s banks more.

Bottom Line: AnalystPrep questions are difficult, which helps to overprepare students, so exam day is a breeze. Meanwhile, Kaplan-Schweser questions tend to be more balanced, which could be a positive or a negative, depending on your personal preference.

Student Access and Support

AnalystPrep offers minimal support in its single-level packages. However, when you purchase the complete course (which I recommend far more, regardless), you gain access to unlimited Ask-a-Tutor questions. This is perfect if you struggle to understand concepts when you study independently and frequently need clarity on those concepts.

In Kaplan-Schweser’s case, you have InstructorLink in every package except the Basic. InstructorLink is a direct line to your teacher’s inbox, so you can get your burning questions answered—just like AP’s unlimited Ask-A-Tutor questions.

Bottom Line: Both companies offer the same basic support concept: unlimited Q&As with experts. However, unlimited access to this is only available in AnalystPrep’s complete course; this is available in every Kaplan-Schweser package except the Basic.

Value and Price

I love writing this section because price doesn’t mean anything until you understand an offer’s value. I’m going to start with Kaplan-Schweser in this section because they’re much more expensive and have additional features.

Kaplan-Schweser’s price ranges from $329 to a whopping $4,397 (for all three levels of the Ultimate Package). And, just one level of their Ultimate Package is more than AnalystPrep’s complete course at $1,399 compared to $1,297.

That being said, Kaplan-Schweser offers unique features that AnalystPrep doesn’t, including:

• Audio version of SchweserNotes™
• Review workshops (live online and on-demand)
• Digital flashcards
• Live masterclasses
• Schweser’s Secret Sauce® (a concise final review of the CFA® exam topics)

So then the question becomes, are these additional features worth an additional $3,000-plus? I’d argue no, particularly when considering AnalystPrep’s excellent quality.

Bottom Line: Kaplan-Schweser offers more content than AnalystPrep, but it’s probably not worth the investment of an additional $1,000 to $3,000 for that upgrade. Still, they both are a good value purchase, especially when compared to other prep programs.

Final Verdict: AnalystPrep vs Kaplan-Schweser CFA®

Though I truly believe both courses are excellent options, the prep course from AnalystPrep is my pick for the best.

AnalystPrep’s CFA® study materials cost significantly less than Kaplan-Schweser’s, but in multiple avenues (especially value and video lessons), AnalystPrep outperforms its competitors. And, in every avenue, the two are at least comparable.

So then, the question is: why pay more and get something just as good as an option that costs thousands of dollars less?

And, even though AnalystPrep’s resources are usually comparable, AnalystPrep’s video lessons surpass Kaplan-Schweser’s by a mile, making AnalystPrep the perfect pick for video learners, CFA® candidates on a budget, and students looking for the best possible value.

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