Cfa Level 1 Kaplan May 2026

But with rising exam fees and intense competition from newer providers like Wiley, Mark Meldrum, and UWorld, is the Kaplan Schweser package still the right choice for 2025-2026 candidates?

If you’ve begun researching how to pass the CFA Level 1 exam, you’ve almost certainly encountered two names: the CFA Institute (official curriculum) and Kaplan Schweser . For decades, Kaplan has been the gold standard in third-party prep providers. Their "SchweserNotes" are legendary for condensing thousands of pages of official text into digestible, high-yield study guides. cfa level 1 kaplan

A massive online database of ~3,000+ multiple-choice questions. You can customize quizzes by topic, difficulty, and number of questions. It’s designed for active recall—hammering concepts until they stick. But with rising exam fees and intense competition

This article breaks down what’s inside the Kaplan CFA Level 1 package, its pros and cons, and who it’s best suited for. Kaplan offers tiered packages (Basic, Premium, PremiumPlus), but the core components remain consistent. Here’s what you’re paying for: Just remember to supplement Ethics.

On-demand lectures covering every reading. Some instructors (like the famous Peter Olinto) are highly engaging. Videos are segmented into 10-20 minute chunks, perfect for commutes or gym breaks.

Kaplan includes 4-6 full mock exams (depending on the package) that mimic the computer-based testing environment. These are notoriously slightly harder than the real exam, which is a good thing for stress inoculation.

Final verdict: 4.5/5 stars for CFA Level 1 candidates with 12-20 weeks to prepare. Just remember to supplement Ethics.