{"id":256,"date":"2023-01-01T08:30:38","date_gmt":"2023-01-01T08:30:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.australian-universities.com\/?p=256"},"modified":"2023-01-04T09:17:41","modified_gmt":"2023-01-04T09:17:41","slug":"best-cfa-prep-courses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.australian-universities.com\/best-cfa-prep-courses\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Best CFA Prep Courses of 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"

The CFA is a gold standard in the finance industry and having it will greatly accelerate your career and even lead to better promotions. However, the CFA designation is a difficult exam with a 40-50% pass rate and requires a significant amount of study time with candidates averaging around 300 hours of time for each CFA level. To help you out with the exam, you can consider investing in a good CFA program prep course with the best CFA study materials to help you pass on the first attempt.<\/p>\n

WHO NEEDS A CFA EXAM PROGRAM COURSE?<\/h2>\n

The CFA exam is a coveted designation for finance professionals and, similarly to CPA, the CFA exam is challenging and has a low pass rate. Finding your best approach to tackle the CFA exam can also be challenging since most CFA exam review courses can be time-consuming and expensive. The answer to whether you need to have CFA study materials will depend on several factors.<\/p>\n

FACTORS TO CONSIDER<\/h2>\n

Study discipline<\/strong> \u2013 If you routinely find yourself having trouble maintaining a study schedule, then you\u2019ll definitely benefit from a review course that will work to keep you on track.<\/p>\n

Require improvement<\/strong> \u2013 You can take the free CFA program exam practice test to see where you stand. And if you have a low score and need improvement, then a CFA exam prep course may be a good option to consider.<\/p>\n

Budget<\/strong> \u2013 CFA program courses can get expensive. If you\u2019re working with a tight budget, you can consider our best value recommendation, or opt to self-study with CFA prep books.<\/p>\n

Learning Style<\/strong> \u2013 If you have a history of successfully studying with books, then a self-study, self-paced approach with a good CFA exam prep book may just be your best plan.<\/p>\n

BENEFITS OF A CFA PROGRAM PREP COURSE<\/h2>\n

Actual test simulation<\/strong> \u2013 The online exams included in a CFA review course do a great job of simulating the actual CFA exam conditions to help you familiarize yourself.<\/p>\n

Identify strengths and weaknesses<\/strong> \u2013 the best CFA review courses come with advanced diagnostics to help you identify topics you need more focus on.<\/p>\n

Comprehensive study plans<\/strong> \u2013 CFA exam prep courses are designed to help you craft and stick to a customized study schedule that works for you.<\/p>\n

Pass rates<\/strong> \u2013 CFA exam has a low passing rate typically in the 40-50% range. If passing on your first attempt is critical, you should try a CFA review course.<\/p>\n

Best CFA Prep Courses<\/h2>\n

Princeton Review CFA<\/h3>\n

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Feature Summary<\/p>\n

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  • PRICE – Great price for content received in the course.<\/li>\n
  • GUARANTEE – Money back guarantee offered.<\/li>\n
  • CONTENT – 50+ hours of video lectures and 900 slides of comprehensive study notes.<\/li>\n
  • QUESTIONS – 1500+ practice questions and 2 practice exams.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    The online self-paced course by Princeton Review costs $399 and offers candidates 12 months of access. This online course comes with 900 slides of comprehensive study notes, more than 50 hours of video lectures, over 1500 practice questions, and 2 mock CFA level I exams. This CFA prep course covers all 10 subjects that you\u2019ll be tested on the CFA Level I exam. CFA experts have selected the most important topics that will be tested on and have created 900+ slides of study material for candidates.<\/p>\n

    Princeton Review is an established prep course provider and they take pride in the fact that their CFA course can save candidates up to 165 hours of study time for their CFA Level I exam. The average study time for the CFA level I exam is around 285 hours but Princeton Review claims that their students will only need 120 hours of study time to pass the CFA level I exam.<\/p>\n

    To further show their confidence in their course, Princeton Review backs up their study hour claim with a money back guarantee where students who do not pass level I of the CFA will get to apply for a refund on the money used to purchase the course. While Princeton Review only offers prep materials for Level I of the CFA exam, this is still a great course with an amazing combination in terms of price and value.<\/p>\n

    Pros<\/h4>\n
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    1. Versatility: Princeton Review provides a variety of materials for students to learn from in order to keep themselves motivated. This well-made, self-study course is a great option for students who need a little more versatility in their CFA Level I exam. With study note-filled slideshows, hours of video lectures, and even mock exams, Princeton Review provides enough study material for students to work with such that they won\u2019t ever feel bored.<\/li>\n
    2. Experienced Instructors: Princeton Review prides itself on hiring excellent instructors who truly have an excellent grasp of the material they teach. With their CFA\u00ae Level I exam prep course, this is no exception. The six expert instructors highlighted on the Princeton Review course page are all professionally certified and experienced CFAs. In fact, many of them even possess several finance-related certifications under their belts.<\/li>\n
    3. Reasonable Price: With a name as prestigious as The Princeton Review, you would most likely be expecting their services to come with price tags in the range of thousands. However, that\u2019s far from the case, especially when it comes to their CFA\u00ae prep course! The student now only needs to pay a fraction of the cost that they otherwise would have to pay to enroll in most other CFA courses on this list to enjoy quality study materials.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Cons<\/h4>\n
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      1. Limited Curriculum: With so much to love about this prep course, we find that there\u2019s one major disadvantage that\u2019s cause for concern. Unfortunately, Princeton Review currently only provides review materials for CFA Level I exams. This means that any student looking to take their education and financial expertise to higher levels will need to supplement or purchase additional review courses from other companies.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Kaplan Schweser CFA Program<\/h3>\n

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        Feature Summary<\/p>\n

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        • PRICE – Most expensive course we reviewed.<\/li>\n
        • GUARANTEE – Pass guarantee offered.<\/li>\n
        • CONTENT – Most comprehensive course we reviewed. Option of both online and in-person classrooms. Books, eBooks, and online tools.<\/li>\n
        • QUESTIONS – Diagnostic exams, checkpoint exams, practice questions, and practice exams are all included.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          Kaplan Schweser offers different CFA program course options available for exam candidates to pick from. Their essential self-study package costs $649, premium online class costs $1099, and their premium plus package ranges from $1499 – $2598. All of which are great options, but in today\u2019s review we will be focusing on their premium online class package that\u2019s available for $1099.<\/p>\n

          This premium online CFA program class is led by CFA charter holders and the course comes included with useful study notes, diagnostic exams, quizzes, customizable question banks, p practice exams, and key formulas. One unique feature of this prep course is that the candidate has the choice of participating in lessons live in-person or completely online. Candidates located in Boston, Chicago, New York City, Toronto, or Washington D.C. can attend live classroom sessions. Those not located in these cities can watch the recorded lessons made available on-demand.<\/p>\n

          Additionally, all courses by Kaplan Schweser come with a pass guarantee that makes the next study package available to the candidate free of charge if they do not pass the exam. The availability to attend live classes or on-demand lectures is also a cool feature that works to cater to a variety of different candidates living anywhere. The Kaplan program also included a diagnostic exam feature that will save CFA exam candidates plenty of time by pinpointing what material needs to be studied most in order to achieve the highest score improvement.<\/p>\n

          Pros<\/h4>\n
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          1. Practice Tests: Kaplan Schweser provides 6 full practice exams and up to 4,000 practice questions that are designed to be very similar to those on the actual exam. The practice exams are great for helping you gauge your progress. The course even gives you numerous opportunities to put in your practice before the actual test day.<\/li>\n
          2. Updated Content: This CFA program course is updated every year as the CFA exam continues to evolve. This will ensure that the course materials you see on the review course will closely match what you see on the exam. This way you won\u2019t be wasting your time on material or questions that may not appear on this year\u2019s exams.<\/li>\n
          3. Instructor Support: Even with the Kaplan Schweser Self-Study package, you won\u2019t have to fend for yourself if you have any questions about the material or need additional clarification since you have access to an instructor. The CFA instructor can be connected during specific office hours to give you guidance on more difficult concepts.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            Cons<\/h4>\n
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            1. Price: Premium packages cost upwards of $1,799, which is considerably more than other CFA\u00ae courses on the market. If you\u2019re on a tight budget then you might want to consider another option even though Kaplan offers some cool study tools and live person support.<\/li>\n
            2. No Free Trial: Not only are Kaplan CDA review courses expensive, which can intimidate many students with a tight budget, they also do not have an option for exam candidates to try them out before making a decision. The addition of a free trial would help make it much easier for prospective students to come to a decision.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

              Wiley CFA<\/h3>\n

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              Feature Summary<\/p>\n

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              • PRICE – On the higher end of pricing.<\/li>\n
              • GUARANTEE – Continued access until you pass.<\/li>\n
              • CONTENT – A hybrid learning style with live and on-demand videos is nice.<\/li>\n
              • QUESTIONS – Exam-style practice questions and 2 full-length practice exams included.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                Wiley is well known in the education industry and they offer a suite of test prep subscriptions for all 3 levels of the CFA exam. For the CFA Level I exam, Wiley offers review courses ranging from $445 to $1395. In today\u2019s review, we will be focusing on the CFA Program Gold Course that\u2019s available for $995.<\/p>\n

                The CFA Gold Course comes included with 90+ hours of video lectures, personalized study schedules, printed or e-Books as supplementary study material, more than 1000 practice questions, and 2 full-length practice exams. The CFA program course is unique in that they offer 14 \u2013 17 weeks of live online virtual classes where students can attend live lectures on different CFA topics. In case you\u2019re unable to make it for lectures, you can also choose to watch them on-demand on your own time.<\/p>\n

                Other than that, the course even breaks down the CFA program course material into bite-sized lessons designed to keep your attention and increase knowledge retention levels. On top of that, candidates even get access to the course until they pass their desired CFA level thanks to their pass guarantee. The review course provider gives you access to its course including updates and upgrades until you pass your CFA.<\/p>\n

                Pros<\/h4>\n
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                1. On-demand videos and live videos: Wiley gives you access to on-demand videos and live lessons in case you\u2019re unable to attend physical lessons.<\/li>\n
                2. Access until you pass \u2013 Wiley\u2019s pass guarantee gives you full access to the course (including upgrades and updates) until you pass your CFA.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                  Cons<\/h4>\n
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                  1. Price \u2013 Unfortunately, the CFA prep courses offered by Wiley come with a relatively high price tag. Those on a tight budget might want to consider elsewhere.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                    Bloomberg CFA<\/h3>\n

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                    Feature Summary<\/p>\n