Best CFA Review Courses of 2023

So you finally decided to become a Charted Financial Analyst (CFA) to advance your career. One obstacle still ahead is the CFA levels I, II, and III. To pass this exam is no small feat.

The CFA institute provides a curriculum and basic study materials based on the topics covered in the exam. Due to the challenging nature of the exam though, this may not always be enough. If you’re looking to pass the CFA exam series, you’re going to need some extra help. 

Fortunately, the CFA Institute also provides a list of credible CFA prep providers who follow the guidelines and standards of the CFA institute. The list is huge, and deciding which course to go with can be overwhelming.

For this article, we’ve examined the 6 best CFA review courses to help you decide which one suits you best:

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Best CFA Review Courses of 2023

• Best Overall CFA Review Course: Kaplan CFA Test Prep
• Best Value + Premium Offerings in a CFA Review Course: The Princeton Review CFA | Read our Review
• Most Tutoring Options in a CFA Review Course: Bloomberg CFA Prep
• Best 3-Level Bundle CFA Review Course: AnalystPrep CFA | Read our Review
• Best Supplemental CFA Review Course: FinQuiz | Read our Review
• Most Budget-Friendly CFA Review Course: Illumeo CFA Review

Learn More About the Best CFA Review Courses of 2023

After thorough research into the best material that you can use to familiarize yourself with the CFA exam, here is a list of the ten best CFA exam prep courses.

Best Overall CFA Review Course: Kaplan Test Prep

The Kaplan Schweser Test Prep originated in 1990 and has been helping people acquire their CFA charters. It’s a very well-known and widely recognized CFA prep course. Among the major CFA review courses, most people find Schweser CFA to be the best.

Kaplan offers three-course options. They include:

• Essential
• Premium
• Premium plus options

This review course provides exams that are structured as checkpoints to help you keep track of your progress. It also has a study program that adapts your schedule while measuring your performance. The result is that you get to be productive and motivated throughout the entire preparation.

To get Kaplan though, you’ll have to part with $1,698, so it’s a good idea to grab one of our discount codes and save some money.

Bottom Line

Kaplan CFA Test Prep is best suited for CFA candidates who don’t mind the price because they want to utilize every study tool at their disposal.

Kaplan Schweser CFA Discounts

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Best Value + Premium Offerings in a CFA Review Course: Princeton Review

The Princeton Review is well known for their college prep courses, but they recently expanded to the CFA exam prep space. The Princeton Review offers a comprehensive review course for all three levels of the CFA exam. It’s well-designed and comes packed with tons of learning material, including 3,150 MCQs with detailed answers, 1,650 practice drills and a CFA study guide with 900+ deep-dive slides. For a more personalized experience, you also get Q&A access to their CFA professors.

The Princeton Review CFA offers On-Demand courses for each exam level, priced as follows:

• CFA Level 1 – $599
• CFA Level 2 – $499
• CFA Level 3 – $599

For the Level 1 exam, they also offer a higher-touch learning experiences. The Princeton Review LiveOnline package adds 24 hours of live, online instruction and 1-on-1 access to a professor.

For their most personalized approach and premium offering, you can also purchase their Private Tutoring package. At this level you get the LiveOnline course package PLUS 14 hours of 1-on-1 tutoring from their CFA professors. If money is not a concern or your boss is paying, this is a great option as the tutoring will help enforce accountability into your studying.

Want to know more? Read our review of The Princeton Review CFA.

Bottom Line

Princeton Review is ideal for students looking for a range of learning methods. With tons of learning material, their On-Demand courses offer great value, while their LiveOnline and Private Tutoring options offer live instruction and greater accountability.

Princeton Review CFA Discounts

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Best 3-Level Bundle CFA Review Course: Analyst Prep

Analyst Prep is a fairly new entrant in the CFA prep providers industry, but it’s become popular with CFA candidates over the years. It started with a simple question bank for the level 1 CFA exam and instantly became a hit. Today, Analyst Prep offers complete CFA prep courses for all three levels of the CFA exam.

Analyst Prep mixes up the learning process to keep you lively and engaged by providing notes, on-demand live lectures, and more than 40 lecture videos. They also offer great value with a huge amount of learning material at a fair price. You can purchase access to all three levels for just $699.

However, AnalystPrep has gotten mixed reviews over the years due to some quality control concerns with their question bank as the company grew. For this reason, AnalystPrep isn’t viewed as a premium CFA review course.

Want to know more? Read our AnalystPrep review.

Bottom Line

Analyst Prep is ideal for students who want lots of CFA practice material at a low price.

AnalystPrep CFA Discounts

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Most Tutoring Options in a CFA Review Course: Bloomberg Exam Prep

The Bloomberg exam prep is who want a high-touch learning experience and access to tutors. Bloomberg offers CFA candidates the following features:

• 10,000+ practice questions
• On-demand live lectures
• 11 mock exams
• 5 private tutoring sessions (Ultimate course only)
• One-on-one coaching sessions

Bloomberg provides Level I, II, and III exam prep material in up to six courses. They include;

• Sprint (2 months of access) – $499
• Endurance (4 years of access) – $1,299
• Essential – $699
• Premium – $1,199
• Ultimate – $1,999

Bottom Line

Bloomberg Exam Prep is best suited for CFA candidates who want tons of access to private tutors in addition to their full review course.

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Best Supplemental CFA Review Course: FinQuiz

FinQuiz is another excellent self-study option for the CFA. With materials covering all three levels of the CFA exam and modular pricing, FinQuiz is a go-to platform for candidates who want to pass the CFA exams their own way.

Some FinQuiz course features include:

• 3,000+ MCQs 
• One-year course access 
• Print + digital textbooks
• On-demand lectures
• 6 mock exams
• One-on-one tutoring sessions
• Condensed notes and formula sheet you can use to help master key formulas

FinQuiz sells both full review courses as well as individual study materials like their question bank, curriculum notes, and mock exams, making it a great option for students looking for supplemental CFA review materials.

Want to know more? Read our FinQuiz review.

Bottom Line

FinQuiz CFA Test Prep is best suited for CFA candidates who want to self-study and/or need supplemental CFA review materials in addition to their main CFA review course.

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Most Budget-Friendly CFA Review Course: Illumeo

Illumeo is a well-known provider of quality CPE courses and other on-demand learning programs, but did you know they also offer a CFA prep course? Illumeo only offers a course for CFA level 1 at the moment, but they still have a ton to offer.

Illumeo’s Level 1 CFA course consists primarily of 9 hours of video-based lessons, PDF notes and quizzes / exams at the end of each chapter. Just enough variety of learning material without any fluff. It’s also smartphone accessible, so you can study on the go.

The best part about Illumeo though is their pricing. You can purchase Illumeo’s entire Level 1 course for just $199, which is much less than other Level 1 courses out there. If you’re just looking for some supplemental study materials or need a fresh perspective on a few topics, you can also purchase individual lessons for $24 each. Most other CFA providers don’t offer this level

Bottom Line

Illumeo is best suited for CFA Level 1 candidates with a minimal budget or that are just looking for supplemental study materials.

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You need to study if you’re seeking to boost your career by becoming a Chartered Financial Analyst. And while many companies provide you with materials to do so, we have provided you with a list of the best ten based on various factors.

This list has its basis on factors like price, CFA levels offered, provision for final review, money-back guarantee, provision for mobile app, customer service, and their overall best features.

You will also note that the different packages are suitable for different students and candidates. This means that one CFA course may work for one and produce the desired results but may not work favorably for another.

 After utilizing the information in this article, you will get a CFA course that works best for you.

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