Let Me Find the Best CFA Prep Course for You!
I'm here to help you find the best CFA prep course for you. So, I've analyzed the most popular CFA review courses available and included their pros and cons here. I've also allowed the experiences of my readers and comments from financial analyst forums to inform my conclusions.
Table of Contents
CFA Disclosure
Finding the Best CFA Prep Course for You!
I can't say that one CFA prep course is truly the best because different CFA review courses are more effective for different candidates based on their educational backgrounds and learning styles. But, because there are so many CFA study materials to choose from, I'm sure one of them will be the best CFA prep course for you! To learn more about your CFA prep course options, check out our summary below.
CFA Prep Courses | Kaplan Schweser CFA Review | Fitch CFA Review | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Package | CFA Exam Unlimited | Unlimited | Premium Plus | Platinum | Full Classroom Package |
Pricing | $449 | Check Price | $1,299+ | Level I & II: $1,345; Level III: $1,295 | Level I: $1,395; Level II: $1,495; Level III: $1,595 |
CFA Discount | No discount | ||||
# of Video Instruction Hours | 40+ | Level I: 50+ | 45+ | Level I: 90+ Level II: 100+ Level III: 50+ | Unknown |
# of Practice Questions | 3,000+ | Level I: 1,500+ | Level I: 3,800+ Level II: 3,000+ Level III: 2,000+ | Level I: 5,000+ Level II: 2,000+ Level III: 950+ | 5,000+ |
# of Mock Exams | 8 | 2 | 4 | 3, including 11th hour mock exam | Unknown |
Customer Service | Tutoring Included | Study forum | Instructor help | Live online virtual classes | Instructor help desk |
Performance Tracking |  | | | | |
Pass Guarantee | | |  | | |
Access Until You Pass | | | | | (W/ restrictions) |
Detailed Comparison of CFA Prep Courses
AnalystPrep CFA
AnalystPrep broke the mold in 2014 when it started providing high-quality, comprehensive courses for FAR less than the other providers. Today, AnalystPrep continues to expand its offering to ensure candidates have the very best materials for which to study. And, even better, AnalystPrep is still incredibly affordable. Moreover, AnalystPrep includes features that no other course dares to offer, which is why we crown them as our #1 CFA course.
Strengths
Affordability
For less than $450, you'll receive complete review courses for not one, but all 3 CFA levels.
Most Mock Exams
To prepare for the CFA, you'll need excellent mock exams. AnalystPrep offers a groundbreaking 8 120-question mock exams, the most offered by any CFA course.
Tutoring
Again, AnalystPrep goes where no other course does -- tutoring is included in all of its paid packages. If you get stuck somewhere along the way, the helpful and knowledgable team at AnalystPrep can ensure you overcome the challenge!
Weaknesses
No App
Consequently, for all of AnalystPrep's strengths, they do have one weakness: there is no app. However, I don't view this as a problem, as you can study using any mobile device. The course is extremely mobile-friendly.
Recommendation
If you need a more comprehensive and affordable CFA study program, AnalystPrep is highly worthy of your consideration. We found their course to be straightforward to use, and the content coverage of the CFAI LOSs is very thorough. Therefore, AnalystPrep receives our highest recommendation.
Princeton Review
Princeton Review is synonymous with prestige, and its product for CFA Level I doesn't disappoint. Princeton Review's Ultimate Course is perfect for candidates who need to watch lectures in real time. However, please note that Princeton Review currently only provides CFA materials for Level I.
Strengths
Value
Princeton Review is the only affordable option that provides CFA candidates with the ability to watch LiveOnline lectures. Additionally, the course includes everything you need for Level I, including study notes, flashcards, a QBank, and more.
LiveOnline & On-Demand Option
Because Princeton Review has 2 formats from which you can watch lectures, nearly every candidate will find that there is a pacing
Weaknesses
Only Available for Level I
While the Princeton Review course is excellent, only Part I is available. Therefore, you'll have to find another course for Parts 2 and 3. But, because the other courses offer bundled discounts if you purchase all 3 levels at once, you will miss out on the savings if you choose Princeton Review.
Recommendation
In short, the Princeton Review CFA course is excellent for visual learners who will certainly benefit from the 2 different types of lectures available. If you are weaker in the LOSs for Level I, Princeton Review (PR CFA) might suit you well, as they only create Level I materials. In other words, if you can get by with the CFAI materials for Levels II and III or don't mind purchasing Levels 2 and 3 elsewhere, PR CFA might be the perfect solution for you.
Kaplan Schweser CFA Review
One of the most established brands in the CFA review course industry is Schweser CFA Review. Though many people consider Schweser to be the best CFA prep course provider, I don't think Schweser is for everyone.
Strengths
Comprehensive course
The Schweser CFA prep course completely integrates the lectures with the notes. The course also includes a reputable Qbank (practice questions), mock exams, videos, and access to lecturers.
Easy-to-understand materials
Regardless of your finance background, you'll find the Schweser notes to be just right in many ways. They're clear and concise with a perfectly balanced length and depth.
Most mock exams
Of all the CFA prep courses we reviewed, Schweser's course contained the most practice exams. Having so many mock exams available is a real advantage because mock exams enable you to grow completely comfortable with the format and functionality of the exam before you sit for it.
Intuitive course guide
The Schweser course comes with a unique study guide called Stanley that helps you navigate through the extensive program materials.
Weaknesses
Most expensive
Schweser offers a lot of great resources in its CFA prep course, and it makes you pay quite a bit for them. What's worse, Schweser's high price rises even higher when you select add-ons such as in-person classes or WindsorWeek. Paying so much for this course is even harder to justify when you realize it doesn't include the most customer-friendly policies or guarantees.
Shallow content
Schweser's notes and video content are easy to understand, but they also teach the concepts at a very high level. For this reason, some students may find that the information doesn't go deep enough for them to fully grasp the material.
Inconvenient policies
Schweser is a little stingy with its policies. They don't offer a pass guarantee, extended access for retakers, or even a free trial.
Recommendation
In conclusion, the Kaplan Schweser CFA Review course is best for busy candidates who have a solid understanding of finance and a preference for reviewing the exam content at a high level.
Wiley CFA Review
Due to an acquisition in 2012, Wiley CFA Review is a combination of the Elan CFA Guides and the state-of-the-art Wiley learning platform. Therefore, the Platinum package teaches the CFA exam content via a variety of means. Specifically, this course includes practice questions, mock exams, videos, and virtual courses. You'll also get a CFA cram course that you can use to review the material one more time a few days before your testing appointment.
Strengths
Best videos
Featuring star instructors Peter Olinto and Basit Shajani, the Wiley videos are very professional and informative.
Challenging questions
Not many CFA prep courses make practice questions as tough as Wiley does. But that's good news, because it means that Wiley's CFA practice questions will prepare you for any curveball questions the real exam may throw at you.
Weaknesses
Excessive coverage
If you've got a finance degree or finance experience, you may think that Wiley goes overboard with the amount of material they present. It may be overwhelming to utilize Wiley, and if you don't have time to study ALL of Wiley's materials, you may want to consider AnalystPrep instead.
Recommendation
If you need a more comprehensive CFA study program, then Wiley CFA Review will be the perfect choice for you. With professional instructors who teach the basics and beyond, a decent value, and reassuring free trials and unlimited access, you may want to check out Wiley.
Fitch CFA Review
Fitch CFA was once 7City Learning. Under their new name, they provide both classroom and online CFA prep courses.
Strengths
Enlightening videos
I believe the Fitch CFA Review course is better for visual and auditory learners than the Schweser course because Fitch's videos are more instructive.
No Pass, No Pay
Conditions for this unique guarantee apply, but if you meet them, you can receive a check from Fitch if you don't pass the CFA exam.
Learning cognition resource
Fitch Learning Cognition (FLC) is the part of the online platform that assess your strengths and weaknesses and directs you toward the most critical topics. In this way, FLC provides you with a truly adaptive learning experience.
Weaknesses
Lack of in-depth materials
Fitch's notes are not the most detailed, so you may struggle to find the additional explanation you need to understand a topic.
Fluctuating class schedule
If enrollment is low enough, Fitch will cancel its classes. Consequently, this situation can lead to frustrating setbacks for candidates with tight schedules.
Recommendation
Fitch is decent at just about everything, and they may really appeal to you. But due to their lack of any outstanding features, I struggle to recommend Fitch over other courses.
My General CFA Study Material Recommendation
The CFA is one of the most (if not the most) daunting professional exams. What's more, the different exam levels build upon one another by expecting a deeper understanding of the concepts from Level 1 to Level 3.
With this information about the exam in mind, I recommend AnalystPrep to help you pass the CFA exam. AnalystPrep provides excellent tutoring, notes, and practice questions, and I think most candidates would agree. The AnalystPrep CFA course puts these high-quality resources into a nice, neat package and with help from lecturers, a free trial, and an access until you pass guarantee. At this time, the AnalystPrep brand isn't as big as Schweser, but AnalystPrep's lower price point is a benefit of that fact.
Best CFA Course Video Lectures
Watching a video while you study is usually a great way to waste precious review time. But if you're watching a video lecture that comes with your CFA prep course, then this activity is actually a perfect way to prepare for the CFA exam. Your CFA prep course's video lectures can help you learn a lot of important CFA exam content. Furthermore, you can also process the information faster and retain it longer, deepen your understanding, engage with the concepts more enjoyably, and complete more convenient study sessions, all from viewing video lectures. To me, that sounds like plenty of really good reasons to value CFA course video lectures! And here's even more good news: every CFA prep course has them.
CFA Prep Course | # of Video Lecture Hours |
Fitch CFA Review | 120 |
Wiley CFA Review | 110+ |
AnalystPrep | 40 |
Clearly, the CFA prep course market presents a lot of variation in CFA video lecture hour numbers. But conveniently enough, nearly all CFA courses include video lectures. In fact, the best CFA video lectures on the market not only come with plenty of hours, but they're also well made and cover the exam content exceptionally.
AnalystPrep
Now, I can see that AnalystPrep's video lecture hour total falls short of Fitch's, but I also know that AnalystPrep's video lectures are more engaging. And the AnalystPrep videos cover the exam content extensively. AnalystPrep's comprehensive videos really aid auditory and visual learners.
So, when you choose to review with AnalystPrep's video lectures, you can study and watch a show at the same time!
Best CFA Course QBanks
You need to answer plenty of practice questions in order to be completely prepared for the CFA exam. Why? Because Level 1, Level II, and Level 3 each have hundreds of questions about hundreds of topics. So, the CFA exam could ask you about anything relating to finance at any time. So, where can you find all the practice questions you need to answer? In a CFA course Qbank.
A Qbank is an assortment of practice questions written to represent real CFA exam questions as accurately as possible. When you have a Qbank, you can increase your exposure to the exam content, improve your weak areas, and develop your familiarity with the testing environment. And when you have a particularly large Qbank, you can also decrease your chances of memorizing the questions, which is the best way to go.
CFA Prep Course | # of Practice Questions |
Wiley CFA Review | L1: 5,500+; L2: 2,300+; L3: 1,500+ |
Schweser CFA Review | L1: 4,000+; L2: unknown; L3: unknown |
AnalystPrep | 3,000+ |
As you can see, the CFA review course industry features a lot of variance in Qbank size. However, CFA candidates have reported that the AnalystPrep Qbank has the most challenging practice questions, so it's the best Qbank on the market.
AnalystPrep
The AnalystPrep Qbank has tons of practice questions, which is awesome. When you crack open the AnalystPrep Qbank, you'll find more than 3,000 practice questions for CFA Levels I, II, and III. You'll also see that AnalystPrep's questions reflect the difficulty level of real CFA exam questions better than any other course. Challenging practice questions are essential because they'll enable you to refine your skills and boost your confidence for exam day.
So, if you're ready to drill through practice questions and cozy up to the CFA exam format, you're ready for the AnalystPrep Qbank.
Best CFA Course Mock Exams
Missing the CFA exam passing score and failing even one CFA exam can really set you back. That's because the CFAI has made several different CFA exams, and you can only take them on particular CFA exam dates. You have a better chance of avoiding this annoying situation if you're familiar with how the exam looks and operates before you sit for it, but how can you acquire that familiarity without taking an actual exam? Three words: CFA mock exams.
CFA course mock exams introduce you to the exam format and functionality during your studies so you are super ready for the L1 CFA exam ahead of time.
CFA Prep Course | # of Mock Exams |
Schweser CFA Review | L1: 6; L2: 6; L3: 6 |
Fitch CFA Review | L1: 2-3; L2: 2-3; L3: 2-3 |
AnalystPrep | 8 (Levels I, II, and III) |
To side-step the hassle of sitting for even one CFA exam twice, you'll want to take as many mock exams as you can get your hands on. Thankfully, the quality of CFA review course mock exams is comparable, so we're just looking for quantity here. And we find the highest number of CFA course mock exams in Schweser CFA Review.
Schweser CFA Review
Schweser CFA Review is the course that's got all your CFA mock exam needs covered. Not only does Schweser CFA Review come with more CFA course mock exams than any other provider, but this course also keeps you well-stocked with CFA mock exams from L1 to L3, with 6 mock exams for each level. With so many mock exams available to you, you can hit the ground running toward the L1 exam with advance knowledge of the testing experience. Then, you can ride that knowledge high all the way to L3 success by perfecting your testing performance.
You certainly won't be set up for CFA exam success if you don't take any mock exams. Having plenty of CFA mock exams gives you an essential head start to passing each test, and you'll get all the CFA mock exams you need from Schweser CFA Review.
Best CFA Prep Course Performance Tracking
Because you can't take the CFA exams whenever you want to in a year, and because you have to pass 3 exams to become a CFA, finishing the CFA exam process takes time. But it doesn't have to take any more time than necessary, and CFA course performance tracking can help you keep your study time at a minimum while still ensuring that you're ready to pass.
CFA course performance tracking enables you to monitor your study progress and strengthen your weak areas all the way up until exam day. With such helpful analytics about your exam preparations, you can maximize your study time and be completely sure that you're ready to pass.
CFA Prep Course | Performance Tracking |
AnalystPrep CFA | Study Planner, Online Dashboard, Progress Metrics |
Fitch CFA Review | Adaptive Technology |
Schweser CFA Review | Adaptive Technology |
What's more, performance tracking integrated with adaptive technology lets you take your study productivity to the next level. A course equipped with adaptive technology adjusts to your learning style and speed. So, if a certain concept isn't sticking for you, the course will suggest you approach that topic using a different study resource. Furthermore, as you answer practice questions, the course will give you harder questions about the topics you know well and easier questions about the topics that are still tricky for you. Performance tracking with adaptive technology is clearly a CFA review game-changer, and AnalystPrep CFA Review is the best place to get these features.
AnalystPrep CFA Review
With its dynamic course platform, AnalystPrep CFA Review increases the difficulty of your practice questions as you perform better. In doing so, AnalystPrep helps you deepen your level of comprehension with the exam content. Furthermore, it also helps you optimize your time management. Additionally, AnalystPrep features predictive analytics that predict your preparation levels. Specifically, the Topic Mastery system helps you identify your strengths and weaknesses so you know everything you need to know to pass.
For candidates who come to the CFA exam with a lot of questions about how to study and how to maximize their preparations, adaptive technology can be a real life-saver. And you’ll find exceptional adaptive technology in AnalystPrep CFA Review.
Best CFA Course Pass Guarantees and Access Lengths
I know you want to pass the CFA exam as fast as you can. That's a great goal, but sometimes, the unexpected interfere. For example, you may not get the testing appointment you wanted. Or, you may fail one level of the exam. In case anything delays your progress, you'll want extended access and regular updates to your CFA prep course at no extra cost. And you can get these features when you purchase a CFA review course with the right policies and guarantees.
Specifically, you'll want a pass guarantee, which prevents you from paying an additional penny for the course no matter how many times you fail. An access until you pass guarantee is also desirable, as it promises constant updates to your course until you finish the exam. When you secure course perks such as these, you also ensure peace of mind through the entire process of passing the CFA exam.
CFA Prep Course | Pass Guarantee | Access Until You Pass |
Wiley CFA Review | Yes | Yes |
Fitch CFA Review | Yes | Yes (with conditions) |
AnalystPrep | Yes | Yes |
Thankfully, most CFA prep courses include some kind of pass guarantee and access until you pass. Therefore, we need to evaluate these policies further to determine which ones are the most customer-friendly. As you can see, several CFA review course providers have attached conditions to their guarantees. Usually, these conditions are not hard to meet as long as the CFA exam candidate keeps track of them. But some CFA course providers actually have limitations on their guarantees, such as only granting extended course access to a candidate one time. As a candidate, you can't control these limitations, and they may really inhibit your course progress. Consequently, you may want to steer clear of those CFA courses, and for that reason, choosing the Wiley CFA Review course is the way to go to get the best CFA course guarantees and access lengths.
Wiley CFA Review
Wiley CFA Review is here for candidates who face undesirable changes to their CFA exam plans. Wiley demonstrates this fact with their hassle-free course policies and guarantees. For example, Wiley's pass guarantee vows that their course has no expiration dates, and all course repeats are free. What's more, Wiley's "Your Partner Until You Pass" Guarantee elucidates that content updates and software upgrades don't come with any fine print. On top of that, these services are free, don't require any paperwork, and allow you to retain your notes, practice tests, and metrics when you re-take the course.
However, AnalystPrep is an extremely close second. Consequently, AnalystPrep prioritizes convenience, flexibility, value, assistance, and peace of mind.
Does CFAI Provide Review Materials?
The organization that creates the CFA exam and awards the CFA designation is the CFA Institute (CFAI). The CFAI also wrote the Candidate Body of Knowledge, the foundation for the CFA exam curriculum. This document delineates the CFAI's expectations for what candidates must know to pass the CFA exam.
The CFA Institute gives candidates online access to the curriculum readings after the candidates register for the CFA exam. If you want to receive the printed versions of the readings, you must pay $150. If you fail a CFA exam level and the CFAI lets you sit for the exam again within that same year, the CFAI won't send you another curriculum, as it would be the same as what you received before. But if you sit for the exam again the next year, the CFAI will send you the most recent edition of the curriculum, as the curriculum may have changed by then.
Because the CFAI gives you the exam curriculum for free, you could rely solely on the curriculum to prepare for the exam, and some candidates do. But on its own, the curriculum actually makes an ineffective study option for many candidates, as they find it overwhelming and boring to get through. And of course, the curriculum doesn't include practice questions, mock exams, or performance tracking, so it can't really help you improve your understanding or perfect your weak areas. Therefore, 70-80% of all CFA exam candidates combine the curriculum with a full CFA review course so they can study more efficiently and effectively.
What Is a CFA Prep Course?
A CFA course is a set of materials discussing the CFA exam content. CFA candidates can prepare for the exam by completing a CFA course. While some CFA review courses involve attending a live class in person, many are resources you access online, thereby allowing you to study for the exam on your own time and at your own pace. You can continue to review the CFA exam curriculum as you work through your CFA course. But because your CFA course addresses the entire curriculum, you usually don't need to refer to the curriculum once you have a CFA course.
Do I Really Need a CFA Prep Course?
Theoretically, you do not need a CFA review course because you will receive the CFA exam curriculum, which tells you what you need to know. But relying on the CFA exam curriculum alone is risky, as doing so leaves so much up to you. And, with CFA exam pass rates averaging 48%, skipping out on a CFA prep course is not worth the risk. And if you don't already feel super familiar with every exam concept (which most of us don't at the beginning of our exam journeys), then supplementing with a CFA review course is essential.
You should also work with a CFA review course if you want to be absolutely certain that you know the exam content as well as necessary. Finally, if you'd like to see and interact with the exam format and functionality before you take the exam so you face fewer surprises on exam day, you need to take a CFA review course.
The good news about CFA review courses is that they are worth the money due to how many materials CFA review providers pack into them. CFA review providers design all of these study materials to address your various learning style needs and enable you to strengthen your weak areas with the exam content. For example, CFA review providers almost always supply you with digital or physical books, or both. They also enhance their courses with Qbanks, which contain tons of practice questions representing those on the real exam. Another study bonus CFA review providers offer is a collection of mock exams you can use to develop your testing strategy and time management. And the most tricked-out CFA courses also feature performance tracking and/or adaptive technology.
What Are the Benefits of a CFA Prep Course?
Investing in a CFA prep course is truly worthwhile for several reasons. When so many CFA exam study materials are within your reach, you can enjoy the following benefits:
- Understand all of the exam content before you take the exam.
The CFA exam focuses on a lot of financial information. What's more, the CFA exam curriculum is pretty dry. Reading it is beneficial, but if you're not a linguistic learner, learning from it can be quite challenging. Thankfully, a CFA prep course compensates for the limitations of the CFA exam curriculum by supplying plenty of study material options, such as videos, books, question banks, mock exams, and more. These resources equip you to create more customized study sessions that fit your learning style. On top of that, mixing up your review materials allows you to maintain your focus and deepen your understanding. So, the more study materials you have available to you, the better chance you have of being completely ready for each exam and passing them the first time.
- Deepen your knowledge levels and sharpen your skills.
An additional advantage of study material options is the opportunity to level up your knowledge and skills. If you just read through the curriculum several times, you won't be able to assess your understanding or analyze your abilities. Yet, a CFA review course gives you those chances with practice questions and mock exams. When you have performance tracking and adaptive technology as well, you can be certain you've mastered even the most difficult concepts and can answer any question about any topic. Finally, you can also experience the testing process prior to exam day and enjoy the major confidence boost that interaction brings.
- Enjoy exam support in the form of live online classes, instructor help, or study forums.
The CFA exam is one of the longest professional exams out there, as finishing the whole thing takes candidates an average of 3-4 years. But you don't have to be on your own that entire time. Rather, you can get help for your journey from your CFA course. Some courses include live online classes that you can join to enjoy an interactive educational environment. Other courses offer instructor assistance to recreate student-teacher interaction or host study forums so candidates can ask each other questions and work together to understand the exam topics. You'll find that as you endeavor to pass multiple exams over multiple years, a support system such as these is just what you need to stay motivated and encouraged.
Can You Prepare with Just CFA Books?
If you are already very well-acquainted with finance and need little extra instruction to prepare for the CFA exam, you could consider pairing the CFAI curriculum with a CFA book from another provider. This strategy can save you a lot of money on your CFA exam prep and be just as effective if you're a good self-studier.
There are a number of CFA Level 1 books to choose from, and you can easily analyze them using our detailed comparison.
How Much Does a CFA Course Cost?
The most popular providers have a CFA course for each exam level, so you must buy 3 CFA courses in total.
The most basic courses available from CFA course providers usually include study guides, practice questions, mock exams, performance tracking, and, occasionally, short videos. Prices for these courses range from $149-$695.
CFA Review Provider | Basic Course Price (1 Exam Level) |
AnalystPrep | $99 |
Wiley | $595 |
Schweser | $649 |
CFA review providers also offer more complete course packages for each exam level, which hold study materials like in-depth video lectures, live webinars, virtual classes, formula sheets, study planners, even more practice questions and mock exams, cram courses, and more. These packages usually cost between $299-$2,598.
CFA Review Provider | Premium Course Price (1 Exam Level) |
AnalystPrep | $249 |
Wiley | $1,345 |
Schweser | $2,598 |
So, to get courses for all 3 levels, you must pay somewhere between $249-$7,794. This price range doesn't include any course supplements you may want. These additional materials can cost anywhere from $45 to $395.
The reality is that preparing for the CFA exam costs quite a bit of money. You not only have to pay for a CFA prep course, but you also must cover the CFA exam fees. However, you can keep your CFA exam expenses to a minimum by using our CFA course discounts to get a great deal on your CFA exam prep.
Is AnalystPrep the Best CFA Course?
We've placed AnalystPrep CFA Review at the top of our CFA prep courses list because AnalystPrep gives candidates amazing features at a great price point.
AnalystPrep’s Amazing Features
A big part of what makes AnalystPrep so great is their quality video lectures. AnalystPrep's videos are super easy to follow and led by thorough, captivating instructors. AnalystPrep's practice questions also reproduce the real exam questions very well. AnalystPrep writes their questions well and makes them realistically challenging, so these questions give candidates great insight into the difficulty of the CFA exam.
AnalystPrep comes with always-free content updates and access until you pass all 3 exam levels.
Last but not least, AnalystPrep is the best value on the market. It comes with tons of top-notch study materials for much less than the most expensive courses.
AnalystPrep’s Amazing Price
At this point, you may be wondering: "If AnalystPrep is so great, how can the price be so low?"
That's a great question. And at this point, the answer is that the purpose of AnalystPrep's price point is to stay competitive in the industry. The result? CFA candidates can get an excellent tool at a stellar price.
Is Schweser CFA Review Worth It?
As we begin to assess Schweser CFA Review, we must acknowledge that Schweser is the leader in the CFA review industry. Throughout its history, Schweser has been able to acquire several different companies, build an empire of sorts, and encounter little competition until recently. At the same time, Schweser has distinguished itself as the most expensive course on the market. So, the question is: are you getting a high-quality CFA review course that really is worth every cent, or are you simply sponsoring a brand name?
Schweser’s Solid Summaries
We can't deny: Schweser has a few things going for it other than the big name.
First of all, Schweser's videos and notes are very precise. They summarize the CFAI curriculum to an extent that makes the content quite a bit more bearable and beneficial for some.
Secondly, Schweser seems to hold the biggest supply of mock exams of any course in the business. Specifically, Schweser's course comes with 6 mock exams for each exam level. This amount of mock exams is significant, as mock exams allow you to perfect your testing performance while interacting with the exam format.
Schweser’s Financial Scheme
Yet, those are all the good things we have to say about Schweser. Now, we must point out the cons of this popular course.
First, we must mention Schweser's lack of detail. Excessively summarizing the exam content may not hinder well-informed candidates, but it will leave candidates who need more basic instruction in a lurch. What's more, Schweser's videos aren't the most engaging on the market. In fact, they can be a bit dull due to the fact that the instructors' words are very scripted and never enhanced with additional insight.
And we certainly can't forget about the sky-high prices. While we're not surprised by the idea of paying a lot for a brand name, we are shocked that Schweser doesn't take good care of their candidates after asking them to pay so much. Unlike Wiley and other courses that endeavor to keep candidates well-satisfied with pass guarantees and access until you pass, Schweser skimps on the pro-candidate policies by only offering to give exam re-takers 50% off their Premium packages. No other provider is so miserly, so this is quite ridiculous.
So, yes, Schweser can help candidates who find the CFAI curriculum overwhelming and don't need that much detail. But we can't recommend Schweser in good conscience as long as they plunder candidates' bank accounts and keep good guarantees at arm's length. With these marks on Schweser's record, we're inclined to prefer other courses (like AnalystPrep) instead.
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