If you’re looking to supercharge your career as a financial planner, becoming a CFP® is the way to go.
Here’s why it matters…
CFP® professionals earn 10% more than their peers—and that’s just the start.
But before you can cash in on that higher salary, you need to pass the CFP® exam. The real question is: Which prep course will get you there?
Let’s take a closer look at two leading options—Dalton and Kaplan—and see which one is your best path to success.
Key Takeaways
- Kaplan Affordability: Kaplan’s CFP® courses range from $599 to $1,399, making it a budget-friendly choice for those seeking quality study materials without breaking the bank.
- Pass With Dalton: Dalton boasts a 99% pass rate for students who complete their course and provides a Guarantee to Pass™ policy that includes either extended access or a full refund.
- Both Cater to Different Learning Styles: With live, on-demand, and in-person class formats, both companies cater to different learning styles at the premium level.
- Dalton Offers More Support: Dalton offers individual coaching, live office hours, and extensive 1-on-1 support, making it ideal for students who need extra guidance and interaction.
- Kaplan is Better for Self-Starters: Kaplan’s lower-priced Essential Review Package provides plenty of resources for students who are confident in their ability to study independently without extra coaching or live support.
Dalton vs Kaplan CFP® Overview
If you’re looking to become a certified financial planner, chances are, you’ve stumbled across two of the biggest names in the CFP® exam prep course space: Dalton and Kaplan.
But with so many different opinions out there, from Reddit to personal interactions to articles like this one, it’s hard to decide which is better.
I’m here to help you do just that. Let’s start by reviewing the basics. Later, we’ll dig deeper into the nitty-gritty. Finally, you’ll receive my verdict on which titan wins in the battle of Dalton vs Kaplan CFP®.
Kaplan CFP® Review Course Overview
Kaplan offers two unique packages for students looking to pass the CFP® exam.
Kaplan Premium Review Package ($1,399)
If you’re looking to get your hands on everything there is to get when it comes to CFP prep, Kaplan CFP®’s premium package is one of the best offers out there.
Get Kaplan CFP Assessment Exam for Free – Deal
The premium review package includes exclusive content like:
- Review Classes: Kaplan CFP® offers three unique class formats for students: live classes taken in a virtual classroom, live in-person classes hosted onsite at a variety of locations, and, of course, an on-demand class video library.
- PassProtection™ Pass Guarantee: Everyone wants to pass the exam on their first attempt, but due to life events and busy schedules, this isn’t always possible. With PassProtection™, Kaplan offers students the chance to continue studying their CFP® prep course even if they fail the first time.
- Study Materials: In the premium package, students get access to a comprehensive video library, CFP® exam podcasts, and summaries of common test topics for each section of review materials. Whereas the Essential offer features more resources for reading and writing-driven learners, the Premium package offers more resources for visual and auditory learners.
- Mock Exams: The Premium Kaplan CFP review course also features mock exams modeled off the real exam. Everything is accounted for: proper time limits, formatting, and question types and topics. The best part? At the end of the exam, question rationales provide feedback on your performance so you can identify your weaknesses and become a savvy studier prior to exam day.
Kaplan Essential Review Package ($599)
If you just want written prep materials without live classes or video content, you may be interested in the more affordable Essential package. Though both of Kaplan’s CFP® courses offer the following features, this is what you’ll be getting:
- Study Materials: Begin with a pre-study assessment, which will help you identify your weaknesses and strengths prior to beginning your CFP® prep. Next, read from Kaplan’s short and sweet library of seven different ebooks. Finally, load up on practice questions and grind away.
- Learning Platform: The Kaplan CFP® review learning platform is armed with an activity feed, performance tracker, and a direct line to discuss your questions with some of Kaplan’s expert instructors.
Dalton CFP® Review Course Overview
Dalton (full name Dalton Education by CERIFI, thank you very much), unlike Kaplan, focuses solely on CFP® courses. In addition to helping students prepare for the CFP® exam, they help students complete the education requirement to attempt the test in the first place via their in-depth education program.
And Dalton has an incredible track record to boot:
- 50% of CFP®s earned their CFP® certification through Dalton
- Students have a 99% pass rate when successfully completing The Dalton Review
Like Kaplan, Dalton offers two review course options:
Dalton Review® Guarantee to Pass™ ($2,195)
This premium package offers everything in The Dalton Review, as well as features including:
- 1-on-1 Support: The GTP package offers numerous ways to get 1-on-1 support, from pre and post-review coaching sessions to supplemental lectures and Q&A sessions.
- Guarantee to Pass™: Whereas Kaplan’s guarantee policy allows for you to continue to use the materials if you fail, Dalton is willing to either extend your access to review materials or refund you 100% of the cost of the program. And, with a pass rate like 99%, it seems like Dalton can more than afford to make such a promise.
- Unique Review Materials: With adaptive digital flashcards that automatically shift and shuffle to help you learn, and the Financial Calculator Essentials textbook, the Guarantee to Pass™ package offers more resources for serious CFP® candidates.
Dalton Review® ($1,495)
Even without the premium tier, you’re still getting a ton of value in The Dalton Review®:
- Instructor-Led Exam Review Program: The crux of both tiers of The Dalton Review® is its instructor-driven program, which includes three unique phases: the pre-study program, live classes, and post-class program. The program takes the average student 2-3 months to complete.
- Pre-Study Materials: Materials include 6 study booklets, online lectures, over 2,800 practice questions, and open office hours led by Dalton’s expert instructors.
- Live Review Classes: Cover the topics you’re most likely to see on the CFP® exam in depth with live online instruction. You’ll get video replays of classes and a book with topic summaries and more practice questions.
- Post-Class Program: After the live classes, you can continue to study using the question bank and get 1-on-1 support during office hours. In addition, you can take the Exam Readiness Assessment and practice exams.
Lectures and Videos
If you’ve taken an online course before, you know that the right lectures can make all the difference. Let’s begin by comparing Kaplan and Dalton’s video content and classes.
Kaplan’s Lectures and Videos
- In-Person Lectures: Live in-person lectures are included in the Kaplan CFP® Review Premium package. These lectures are offered in three locations from 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM over the course of 4 days:
- Denver, CO
- Chicago, IL
- Dallas, TX
- Webinar Lectures: If you’re looking for live online classes, they’re held differently for weekdays and weekends. For weekday classes, you’ll spend a 3-hour period on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 7:30-10:30 PM (EST). For weekend classes, you can attend Fridays and Sundays from 7:00-10:00 PM and Saturdays from 9 AM to 12 PM.
- On-Demand Classes and Video Library: Kaplan CFP review offers on-demand classes and a video library for students who prefer to learn in their own time. There are over 30 on-demand classes. Meanwhile, the video library helps with test prep and stress management strategies. The library includes quick “High 5” videos, which allow students to quickly master a topic and discover ways to approach related questions in the CFP® exam.
Dalton’s Lectures and Videos
- In-Person Lectures: Dalton also hosts in-person CFP® review courses in numerous locations. These lectures are offered from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM over the course of 4 days:
- Atlanta, GA (Emory University)
- Chicago, IL (Northwestern University)
- New York City, NY (NYU)
- Irving, TX (DFW Campus)
- Washington D.C. (Hilton Garden Inn)
- Irvine, CA (UC-Irvine)
- Webinar Lectures: Dalton’s webinars are available in three formats for every schedule:
- Weeknights: The weeknight schedule is the most traditional learning process of the three options. Learners participate in a 15-week schedule with 11 live classes and a detailed, day-to-day study plan. These classes take place at either 6:00-9:15 PM or 7:00-10:15 PM (EST).
- Weekends: The weekend option allows learners to attend four live classes on four consecutive Saturdays. Classes take place from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM (EST).
- 4-Day Sprint: If you want to rip the bandaid off, Dalton allows you to take four live video classes over the course of four consecutive days, from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM (EST).
- On-Demand Classes and Video Library: Let’s face it: there’s something naturally more engaging and interesting about live interaction. However, The Dalton Review offers videos that are a cut above the rest. One student who passed on their first try with the Guarantee to Pass™ package says,
“I think 100% of the videos are clear, easy to understand, helpful. The instructors are very good.”
Practice Questions and Exams
The #1 tool for many candidates attempting the CFP® exam is the set of practice questions accompanying their CFP® prep courses. Let’s talk about where Kaplan and Dalton stand.
Kaplan’s Practice Questions and Exams
- Question Bank: The Kaplan CFP® review course options include a bank of over 2,500 questions. You can filter the questions by topic and create custom quizzes. Though Kaplan has a good track record, some students felt underprepared by the questions’ low difficulty and lack of real-world applicability:
“I found the exam questions to be more scenario-based than Kaplan Qbank questions generally were. I remember dozens of questions that would lay out a situation or scenario, and the question would be “what should the planner do next”. They required a command of the financial planning steps as well as understanding of the concept being tested.” - Mock Exams: Practice makes perfect when it comes to knocking it out of the park on exam day. Kaplan is known for its valuable practice tests that are worth the investment compared to free options:
“I thought the Kaplan mocks did a good job of making you think why the answer was the one you should select. Kaplan Qbanks and mocks provided much more value to me than the CFP® mocks.”
Dalton’s Practice Questions and Exams
- Question Bank: Dalton’s question bank has 2,800 questions to choose from, 300 more than Kaplan offers. And, whereas the Kaplan CFP® review course students often felt underprepared, the exact opposite is true with Dalton students:
“Dalton was great. I would say they did an awesome job prepping me. I passed today as well and I would say Dalton was 5x as hard as the test I took today. Hats off to the people at Dalton for getting you ready for this.”
Difficult questions can certainly be frustrating to practice with, but the end result is a massive confidence and a sense of being overprepared, rather than underprepared. - Mock Exams: Similarly to Dalton’s Qbank, the practice exams are much more difficult than the actual exam. However, also similarly to the Qbank, you could see this as a good or a bad thing. One student finds the value in Dalton’s difficulty:
“I scored a 61 and spent the following day reviewing the entire test, especially the wrong answers. Painful at the time, but have faith this is over preparing me for the actual exam.”
Value: Comparing Costs and Guarantees
Whether you’re a broke student or a billionaire with a yacht, value is still a crucial aspect to consider in every purchase. Let’s take a look at how Kaplan and Dalton stack up.
Kaplan CFP® Review Value
Price Range: $599-$1,399
Guarantees: PassProtection™ (for Premium only)
Value Rating (1 low, 10 high): 7
Kaplan CFP® review options range from $599 to $1,399. As a result, their $599 Essential offer is the most affordable in the group.
At both price points, Kaplan has a lot to offer prospective CFP® review students. Spending under $1,500 for an in-person class over a 4-day period is unheard of, but Kaplan delivers. Further, their PassProtection™ guarantee is an excellent inclusion to their lineup.
However, Kaplan struggles against Dalton when it comes to 1-on-1 support, where they offer very little in addition to the classes. In any industry, personalized support is expensive, so even though Kaplan is cheaper, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re more valuable.
Dalton CFP® Review Value
Price Range: $1,495-$2,195
Guarantees: Guarantee to Pass™ (for Premium only)
Value Rating (1 low, 10 high): 9
Dalton’s lowest-priced option is higher than Kaplan’s highest-priced option. Yet, Dalton has a lot more value.
It costs between $825 to $1,025 to take the CFP® exam. With a 65% pass rate, that means choosing the right prep course is all the more important. It’s these facts from earlier that make Dalton worth the investment–because, in the long run, getting it done correctly the first time means the difference between a shiny new certificate and being $825+ in the hole:
- 50% of CFP®s earned their CFP through Dalton Education
- Students have a 99% pass rate when successfully completing The Dalton Review
Plus, Dalton also features office hours, supplemental Q&A sessions, supplemental lectures, individual coaching, and additional flexibility for their live and in-person classes.
Student Support
Though both options offer excellent support, one clearly wins out over the other.
Kaplan Student Support
- Class Support: Most of the support Kaplan students receive will come from either instructor interaction during classes or via email. For classes, the support is the traditional Q&A. Ask your clarifying questions and get back to the content.
- InstructorLink™ Email Access: Kaplan instructors can also answer your exam questions via an email-esque software called InstructorLink™. Is it just a fancy way of saying “email your instructors”? Yes. Is it helpful? Also yes.
Dalton Student Support
- Class and Email Support: Like Kaplan, Dalton students can ask questions in their live course environments, whether in person or online. They’re also able to email instructors and Dalton faculty to ask questions about topics they’re struggling with in their coursework.
- Live Office Hours: I don’t know about you, but when I ask someone a question, it brings up seven different follow-up questions. And it’s exhausting to communicate all of that in an email without feeling like a jerk and/or doofus. That’s why I love Dalton’s office hours: an easy way to get all of your questions out in the open and answered, and it’s scheduled time, so you’re not bothering a soul.
- Individual Coaching: If you need additional help understanding concepts or building an effective study plan, Dalton’s coaching option is here to help. From helping you alleviate stress prior to exam day to encouraging you and building your confidence, individual coaching is a massive level of support.
Final Verdict
When deciding between Kaplan and Dalton for CFP® exam prep, it really comes down to your learning style and budget. Kaplan shines as the more affordable option, offering essential and premium packages starting at $599. It’s ideal for self-driven learners who don’t need extensive hand-holding but appreciate a comprehensive set of study tools, mock exams, and flexible class options, including on-demand and live formats. Kaplan’s value lies in its ability to provide solid prep resources at a lower cost, making it a great choice if you’re confident in your ability to study independently and stay on track.
On the other hand, Dalton’s higher price tag comes with a more personalized approach, featuring 1-on-1 coaching, live office hours, and a 99% pass rate guarantee. While this extra support may appeal to those who prefer more structure and direct interaction, the higher cost doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a better option for everyone. For budget-conscious individuals who thrive in self-paced environments, Kaplan offers nearly the same level of content and practice tools for much less, making it a smarter, cost-effective choice for many CFP® candidates.
FAQs
Dalton focuses on more personalized and intensive support, with a strong guarantee to pass, while Kaplan offers more affordable packages and flexible study options for independent learners.
Kaplan’s courses are more affordable, starting at $599, whereas Dalton’s lowest-priced course begins at $1,495.
Yes, Dalton’s Guarantee to Pass™ ensures either extended access or a 100% refund if you fail the CFP® exam.
Kaplan offers live virtual classes, in-person classes, on-demand video lectures, and a comprehensive video library.
Dalton is better for students who require individual support, offering live office hours, 1-on-1 coaching, and personalized guidance throughout their study process.
