Best CFA Exam Prep & Courses Online (2026): Schweser, Meldrum & More

Last updated: 21 October 2026. Written by Josh Hutcheson, OnlineCourseing editor. Every price below was read on the provider’s own site on 21 October 2026, and every CFA Institute fee and pass rate on cfainstitute.org the same day. See our review methodology.

Affiliate disclosure: we earn a commission if you buy through some links on this page (Kaplan Schweser, AnalystPrep, Udemy, CFI), at no extra cost to you. That never decides the ranking. Where a provider isn’t one of our partners, such as Mark Meldrum and UWorld, we say so and link it anyway.

The CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) charter is one of the most respected credentials in investment management, and one of the hardest to finish: three exams, roughly 300 hours of study per level, and a Level I pass rate of 43% in August 2026. The right prep provider is the difference between passing on the first attempt and paying a second registration fee. We compared the providers candidates actually use across all three levels, priced each one on its own site, and flagged the places where the received wisdom about CFA prep is now out of date.

Two things changed since our last update. Wiley’s CFA program is now part of UWorld, so there is one fewer independent premium choice. And CFA Institute’s 2026 pricing is settled: $1,140 early or $1,490 standard for Levels I and II, and $1,240 or $1,590 for Level III, with no separate enrollment fee.

Best CFA Prep Providers at a Glance

Prices read on each provider’s own site on 21 October 2026. UWorld was running a sale that day ($630 and $799 on its upper two tiers); providers discount often, so confirm at checkout.

The Best CFA Prep, Reviewed

1. Kaplan Schweser: The Gold Standard

Schweser is the prep provider the largest share of CFA candidates use. Its condensed SchweserNotes, its question bank (QBank) and its full-length mock exams are the backbone of most study plans, and it sells packages for all three levels. The 2026–2027 Level I ladder is Basic $429, Essential $799, Premium $1,099 and Ultimate $1,499. Level II costs $50 more at every tier ($479 to $1,549), and Level III is priced higher again. Essential, Premium and Ultimate carry Schweser’s PassProtection guarantee; Basic does not, and Basic is also the only tier without books (digital books start at Essential, printed books at Premium).

It is the most-trodden path, and Reddit’s r/CFA threads keep landing on the same advice: work through Kaplan’s material, do well on the mocks, and that is usually enough. The honest caveat is density. SchweserNotes compress an enormous curriculum, and some candidates need a lecture provider on top to make the compression make sense. Treat Schweser’s own claim that its users are “more likely to pass” with care: it comes from a 2021 survey of 313 US candidates recruited through two CFA forums, which Schweser discloses in its footnotes.

See Schweser’s CFA packages →

2. AnalystPrep: Best Value, and Best Practice Volume

Passing the CFA comes down to doing questions, and AnalystPrep’s question bank is its strongest asset. You can sign up free and work through more than 150 exam-style questions before paying anything, which tells you whether you like how its questions are written. The paid ladder for Level I: the Practice package is $349 for 12 months of the question bank, computer-based mock exams and performance tracking; Learn + Practice is $499 and adds video lessons, study notes and review summaries; and the Unlimited package is $799 for lifetime access to all three levels, with unlimited Ask-a-Tutor questions.

That $799 figure is the one worth sitting with. Buying Schweser Premium for each level costs several times as much, and even Mark Meldrum’s cheapest self-study tier is $440 per level. If you expect the charter to take three or four years, which is normal, AnalystPrep’s lifetime option removes the risk of paying again after a failed attempt. It also says it will extend access as many times as you need until you pass. Already through Level I? Its Levels II and III lifetime package is $649.

What it isn’t: the most polished lecture experience. Its videos are concise and functional, and candidates who need a teacher to bring the material alive often pair AnalystPrep’s questions with someone else’s lectures. Our AnalystPrep review and AnalystPrep vs Kaplan Schweser comparison go through the packages in detail.

See AnalystPrep’s CFA packages →

3. Mark Meldrum: Best Teaching, No Longer the Budget Pick

Dr. Mark Meldrum’s video courses became a candidate favorite because the teaching is genuinely excellent: lectures follow the curriculum learning module by learning module, and his study-plan guidance is a big part of the appeal. Most guides still describe him as the budget option. That is no longer accurate.

His 2027 Level I ladder is Self-Study $440, Self-Study + Applied Analysis $750, Instructor-Led Online $1,310, and Instructor-Led Online + Applied Analysis $1,630. The instructor-led tiers add interactive live classes and unlimited instructor comments, and Meldrum lists six mentor hours (which he values at $450) among the package features. The cheapest tier now costs about the same as Schweser’s Basic package, and the top tier costs more than Schweser’s Ultimate. Meldrum has also opened a Level III instructor-led course for the February 2027 exam.

None of this makes Meldrum a bad choice. The instruction is still among the best available. It just means you should choose him for the teaching, not because you think you’re saving money. Mark Meldrum is not an affiliate partner of ours; we link him because leaving him out would misrepresent the market.

4. UWorld CFA: Best Question Explanations (and Now Home to Wiley)

UWorld built its reputation on medical and accounting exam prep, and its CFA product carries the same signature: answer explanations that teach rather than justify. UWorld has also acquired Wiley’s CFA prep program, including long-time Wiley instructors such as Peter Olinto, so the former Wiley Efficient Learning course now lives inside UWorld’s platform. If you were weighing Wiley, you are now weighing UWorld.

Level I packages: Core Essentials $399 (QBank, digital study guide and analytics), Advanced Prep Course $699 (adds video lectures, mocks A and B and a study planner) and Elite Full Course $999 (adds printed guides, mocks C to E, live Q&A sessions and StudyPass, which keeps your access until you pass). On 21 October the upper two were on sale at $630 and $799.

UWorld is not one of our affiliate partners (our application is still pending), so we earn nothing if you choose it. We include it because it is one of the two or three providers candidates most often weigh against Schweser.

5. Udemy: Budget Top-Ups

Udemy has affordable, topic-specific CFA courses (quantitative methods, financial reporting, fixed income and so on) that are handy for shoring up one weak area without buying a full package. They are a supplement, not a study plan. Check that any course says it covers the current curriculum year before you enroll, because CFA Institute revises the curriculum every year, and check the course’s “last updated” date on its page.

Other names worth knowing: IFT (the Institute of Financial Training, a long-standing budget video option) and Bloomberg Exam Prep. In Reddit’s r/cfaindia threads after the August 2026 results, several passing candidates said they used nothing but Schweser notes and CFA Institute’s own question bank; others named Indian video providers. Both routes work if you do the questions.

CFA Live Online Classes: What AnalystPrep’s Level I Course Actually Includes

Until 2026, choosing AnalystPrep meant choosing self-study. Its Live CFA Level I package changed that, and because “are there live CFA classes online?” is one of the questions we get most, here is exactly what it is.

The product is the full AnalystPrep platform plus scheduled, instructor-led sessions every week, aligned to the Level I curriculum. Sessions are taught by CFA charterholder James Forjan and by Martin Stoynov, CFA, FRM. Questions go to moderators during the session, and anything unanswered goes to the Ask-a-Tutor team afterwards. The February 2027 schedule runs topic by topic, starting with six sessions on quantitative methods and economics.

Two practical details. There is no fixed cohort: you can join at any point in your study cycle. And if you already hold an AnalystPrep package with platform access, you upgrade by paying the difference rather than buying again.

Is it worth $1,299 when the same platform is $499 without the classes? That is an $800 premium for accountability. If you have already failed a level or abandoned a self-paced course, that is a rational price for structure. If you reliably finish what you start, buy the $799 lifetime package and keep the difference: the study materials are the same.

See the Live Level I schedule →

AI Study Tools and Tutoring: What’s Real Today

Every prep provider now markets artificial intelligence, so it is worth being precise about what CFA candidates can actually use.

Ask-a-Tutor is human. AnalystPrep’s tutoring, unlimited on its lifetime packages and capped at five questions on the Level II and III practice packages, routes your question to its tutors, all CFA charterholders. For a conceptual misunderstanding on a Level II vignette, a charterholder’s explanation beats a generated one.

The AI Study Planner is still “upcoming.” AnalystPrep lists it on its Live Online page, labeled upcoming on 21 October. We won’t rate a feature we can’t use. More broadly, the study tool that moves CFA scores is still a large, well-explained question bank worked honestly. Be skeptical of any AI feature sold as a shortcut through 300 hours per level.

How Much Does CFA Prep Actually Cost?

Candidates routinely underestimate the total, because prep is only one of the costs. Here is the full picture, with CFA Institute fees read from its dates-and-fees tool on 21 October 2026.

CFA Institute puts the exam fees alone for the whole charter at $3,520 to $4,570, depending on whether you register early or standard. Add AnalystPrep’s $799 lifetime package to the early figure and a disciplined candidate can finish for about $4,300 in total. The same candidate registering late every time and buying Schweser Premium at each level will pay about $8,000.

Two levers matter more than which provider you pick. Register early: the $350 gap between early and standard registration is larger than the price gap between most prep packages. And don’t fail: a retake costs another full registration fee, which is why the guarantees (Schweser’s PassProtection, UWorld’s StudyPass, AnalystPrep’s lifetime access) are worth reading closely.

Confirm your exact fee in the CFA Institute dates-and-fees tool. Fees exclude local taxes.

Who Can Take the CFA? Eligibility Rules in 2026

You need to meet one of three conditions to enroll, per CFA Institute’s program policies (read 21 October 2026):

• A bachelor’s degree or an equivalent program, completed.
• Be an undergraduate: your Level I exam window must be 23 months or less before the month you graduate. To sit Level II you must be within 11 months of graduating, and for Level III you need the degree or 4,000 hours of work experience.
• 4,000 hours of work experience and/or higher education, built up over at least three sequential years, by the date you register for Level I.

You also need an international passport, to be ready to sit the exams in English, and to live in a participating country. That answers the question Indian searchers ask most, “can I do the CFA after 12th?”: not straight after school. You can enroll as an undergraduate once your Level I window falls within 23 months of graduation. Fees are the same in US dollars wherever you sit, plus any local tax.

What Is the CFA, and How Is It Structured?

The CFA charter is awarded by CFA Institute. Earning it means passing three sequential exams and meeting a work-experience requirement of 4,000 qualified hours. Level I tests foundational knowledge across the curriculum, Level II focuses on valuation and application, and Level III on portfolio management. Since 2025, Level III candidates also choose a specialized pathway: Portfolio Management, Private Markets or Private Wealth.

Exams run four times a year, usually in February, May, August and November. Level I is offered in all four windows; Levels II and III in fewer. Most candidates take 2–4 years to finish, and many take longer, given the pass rates below.

CFA Exam Dates and Registration Deadlines for 2027

Read from the CFA Institute tool on 21 October 2026. The practical point: if you are starting now and want the early rate, the August 2027 window is the next one you can still register early for, and its registration opens on 3 November 2026.

CFA Level 1: What to Expect (and the Best Prep)

Level I is where everyone starts, and it is the broadest of the three. It covers ten topic areas: ethics, quantitative methods, economics, financial statement analysis, corporate issuers, equity, fixed income, derivatives, alternative investments and portfolio management. It is a computer-based, multiple-choice exam split across two sessions. Ethics carries real weight and is very learnable, so don’t leave it to the end.

Because of its breadth, Level I is where a good provider pays off most. Best Level I prep: AnalystPrep for a cost-conscious candidate, its live package if you need scheduled classes, Mark Meldrum if teaching quality is your priority, and Schweser if you want the industry-standard package.

CFA Level 2: What to Expect (and the Best Prep)

Level II is the level many candidates find hardest. The format shifts to item sets, mini case studies each followed by several questions, and the emphasis moves from knowing concepts to applying them, especially in equity, fixed income and financial statement analysis.

Best Level II prep: practice volume matters most, so a heavy question bank is essential: AnalystPrep or Schweser’s QBank paired with strong lectures. AnalystPrep’s live classes cover Level I only, so at Level II you are back to self-paced study with either provider. Give it the full ~300 hours and prioritize timed item-set practice over re-watching lectures.

CFA Level 3: What to Expect (and the Best Prep)

Level III centers on portfolio management and wealth planning and includes a constructed-response (essay) section alongside item sets, plus your chosen pathway. The essay portion trips up strong test-takers because it rewards concise, correctly framed written answers.

Best Level III prep: a provider with strong constructed-response practice and feedback is worth more here than raw question volume. Mark Meldrum (who now runs an instructor-led Level III course for February 2027) and Schweser both invest heavily in essay strategy. Practice writing full answers under time and compare them against the official guideline answers.

CFA Pass Rates

CFA Institute publishes results after each window. These are its own figures, from the exam results page and its pass-rate infographic (read 21 October 2026):

The practical reading is simple: more than half of Level I candidates pay a second registration fee. Disciplined prep and full-length mock exams are what move you above the line, and, as the cost table shows, they cost less than a retake.

How to Study for the CFA

CFA Institute recommends roughly 300 hours of study per level, and successful candidates take that seriously. A proven approach:

• Start 4–6 months out: work through lectures from Mark Meldrum or Schweser topic by topic.
• Practice relentlessly: a question bank like AnalystPrep is where the real learning happens. Do questions as you finish each topic, not just at the end.
• Master ethics: review the Code and Standards several times; it is weighted at every level and very learnable. One passing candidate on r/cfaindia kept an “ethics mistake log”, which is a good habit.
• Use your tutor allowance well: spend Ask-a-Tutor questions on concepts you have failed to fix twice on your own.
• Mock exams: in the final 4–6 weeks, sit full-length timed mocks and review every miss. CFA Institute’s own practice questions are the closest to the real exam style.

Do You Need a Prep Provider at All? What Candidates Say

A long-running r/CFA thread argues, bluntly, that you do not need an external provider: everything on the exam comes from CFA Institute’s curriculum, which your fee already pays for. The most upvoted replies agree it is possible and disagree that it is efficient. The curriculum is massive, and candidates with full-time jobs said a provider saved them time: one described getting through only quantitative methods and economics in two and a half months on the official text alone, then finishing with a Kaplan package.

Our read of those threads: at Level I, the official curriculum plus a question bank is a legitimate, cheap route if you have time. If you are working full time, buy practice first (AnalystPrep’s $349 package is the cheapest serious option) and add lectures only for the topics you can’t crack from the text. One candidate added that their reliance on providers fell as they moved up the levels, from heavy at Level I to none at Level III.

Reddit threads read 21 October 2026 (r/CFA, r/cfaindia); quoted as paraphrase. Ignore any thread offering “spare” subscriptions or shared logins: they breach providers’ terms and leave you with no access when they are revoked.

Which Provider Should You Choose?

• Want the safest, most-used package? Schweser.
• On a budget, or in it for the long haul? AnalystPrep’s $799 lifetime package covering all three levels is the cheapest complete route by a distance.
• Need someone to teach you? Mark Meldrum for recorded instruction, or AnalystPrep’s Live Level I classes if you want a weekly schedule.
• Learn best from worked explanations, or were you a Wiley fan? UWorld, which now owns Wiley’s program.
• Just filling gaps? The official CFA Institute Learning Ecosystem (included with registration) or a topic course on Udemy.

Compare AnalystPrep’s CFA packages →

Is the CFA Right for You? (And the Alternative)

The CFA is ideal for investment management, research and portfolio roles, but it is a multi-year commitment: read the cost table as a four-figure expense for three or four years running. If you want a faster, practical credential focused on modeling, the CFI Financial Modeling & Valuation Analyst (FMVA) takes months rather than years. We compare the two in our FMVA vs CFA guide, and if alternatives are your field, see our CAIA certification guide (CFA charterholders skip CAIA Level I).

Still deciding between accounting and investment analysis? Our CPA vs CFA comparison sets out the fees, pass rates and careers side by side.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best CFA prep provider?

For most candidates, Kaplan Schweser. For value, AnalystPrep: $799 buys lifetime access to all three levels. For teaching quality, Mark Meldrum. For answer explanations, UWorld, which now also owns the former Wiley Efficient Learning program. Many candidates pair lectures from one provider with a question bank from another.

How much is the CFA Level 1 exam?

For Level I and Level II, CFA Institute charges $1,140 at early registration or $1,490 at standard registration; Level III is $1,240 or $1,590. There is no enrollment fee since 29 April 2025. CFA Institute puts total exam fees for the charter at $3,520 to $4,570.

When does registration close for the February 2027 CFA Level 1 exam?

Registration for the February 2027 Level I exam (22 to 28 February) closes on 5 November 2026, at the standard $1,490 fee. The next early-rate deadline is 20 January 2027, for the August 2027 window, which opens for registration on 3 November 2026.

Is the CFA exam hard?

Yes. CFA Institute reports a 43% Level I pass rate for August 2026, 45% for Level II and 47% for Level III, with long-run averages of 41%, 46% and 54%. It recommends about 300 hours of study per level.

Who can take the CFA exam?

You need a completed bachelor’s degree, or to be an undergraduate whose Level I window is within 23 months of graduation, or 4,000 hours of combined work experience and higher education over at least three sequential years. You also need an international passport and must live in a participating country.

Are there live online CFA classes?

Yes. AnalystPrep runs weekly instructor-led Live CFA Level I classes in its $1,299 Lifetime+ package, with no fixed cohort. Mark Meldrum sells instructor-led Level I tiers at $1,310 and $1,630 and an instructor-led Level III course for February 2027.

What is the cheapest way to prepare for the CFA?

The official curriculum is included with your registration, so the cheapest legitimate route is that curriculum plus a question bank. AnalystPrep’s $349 Practice package is the cheapest serious option for one level, and its $799 Unlimited package is the cheapest way to cover all three.

Can I pass the CFA with only the official curriculum?

Many candidates do, especially at Level I, by reading CFA Institute’s curriculum and working its practice questions and mocks. Most people with full-time jobs add a provider to save time, and some say they rely on providers less at Levels II and III.

What happened to Wiley CFA prep?

UWorld acquired Wiley’s CFA prep program. The Wiley material and instructors such as Peter Olinto now sit inside UWorld CFA, whose Level I packages are $399, $699 and $999 at list price.

Does AnalystPrep have an AI tutor?

Not yet. Its Ask-a-Tutor service is staffed by CFA charterholders, and an AI Study Planner is listed as upcoming on its Live Online page.

How long does it take to pass the CFA?

Most candidates take 2 to 4 years across all three levels, at roughly 300 study hours per level, and longer if they need retakes.

Are Udemy CFA courses good enough on their own?

Generally no. They are affordable supplements for specific topics. For a full study plan, use a dedicated CFA provider or the official curriculum plus a question bank.

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