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Kaplan Schweser vs Mark Meldrum

Kaplan Schweser or Mark Meldrum for CFA® Level I?

Kaplan Schweser has four packages from $429 to $1,499, with its AI Tutor from Essential, two to six mock exams and printed notes from Premium. Mark Meldrum has four from $440 to $1,630, built around in-depth video lectures and CFA® instructors who answer your questions. Quizara, which we make, is a third option: an AI tutor that works from your own results, in one plan.

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Kaplan Schweser vs Mark Meldrum vs Quizara at a glance

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FeatureOur productQuizaraKaplan SchweserMark Meldrum
AI tutor
What the AI works fromYour own study record, plus the lesson, Study Notes and question you're on.Schweser's own CFA study program, with explanations inside its study tools.No AI tutor listed
Tells you what to study nextYes, from your own results. When you ask, it reviews your practice record and mastery by Knowledge Point.Not described for the AI Tutor. The Performance Tracker, in every package, tracks your progress and recommends what to work on.No AI tutor listed. Its Study Planner works out your study hours from how hard you rate each reading.
Explains the questions you got wrongYes, with your past attempts. It opens the question and explains your mistake.QBank answers come with explanations and tutorial videos; the AI Tutor reading your attempts is not described.No AI tutor listed. Its CFA® instructors answer questions you post: up to 10 in Self-Study, more in Instructor-Led.
Quizzes you inside a lessonYes, inside the lesson. Up to five questions on the lesson you're in, right in the chat.Not described for the AI Tutor; custom quizzes in the QBank.No AI tutor listed; quizzes for select readings.
Checks CFA Institute's own pagesYes, and quotes them. For exam rules and curriculum questions, it reads the official page and links the passage.Not describedNo AI tutor listed
Included inPremium and the free trialEssential, Premium and Ultimate; not BasicNo AI tutor listed
Learning
Lessons661 step-by-step Lessons, one per Knowledge Point. Each teaches what the exam tests, how it's asked and how well you need to know it, from the basics up, with Study Notes.80+ hours of OnDemand Masterclass videos in every package; SchweserNotes eBooks from Essential, printed books from Premium.In-depth video lectures, reading by reading, from Dr. Mark Meldrum and a team of CFA® instructors, with PDF lecture notes; Instructor-Led adds 30+ hours of live sessions.
Practice
Practice questions9,000+ practice questions in the real exam's style, checked by experts and set at a range of difficulty levels, in the question bank, lesson quizzes and mock exams.2,600+Q-Bank included; its blog says thousands of questions
Full-length mock exams5 full mock exams, all included, 180 questions and 270 minutes each. After each session, the AI tutor reviews it against the exam: your strong and weak subjects, weighed by how much each counts, and what to study next.Basic 2, Essential 4, Premium 6, Ultimate 6; an in-person mock at a Prometric® test center is included in Ultimate and an option in the others.3 per level, per its blog, released about two months before your exam.
Price and access
Price$279.30 (30% off $399, limited time)Basic $429 · Essential $799 · Premium $1,099 · Ultimate $1,499Self-Study $440 · Self-Study + Applied Analysis $750 · Instructor-Led $1,310 · Instructor-Led + Applied Analysis $1,630
PlansOne plan, all of it included: every Lesson, all 5 mock exams, 9,000+ practice questions and 2,000 AI Credits, with no packages to compare.Four packagesFour packages
Access365 days, whichever exam window you choose.Until the end of the month after your exam window.Until shortly after your exam window (March 2, 2027 for February); reading videos stay in its archive for three years.
Free trial
Free trial14 days, $0, no card: Quantitative Methods (11 Modules, 87 Lessons), 1 full mock exam and 20 AI Credits for the AI tutor.7 days: sample QBank exams, online SchweserNotes and topic quizzes for Quantitative Methods.Free Access, $0: 2018-curriculum videos for Ethics and Quantitative Methods.
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Which should you choose?

Why choose Quizara

  • An AI tutor that works from your results. Ask what to review first and it reads your graded answers and your mastery of each Knowledge Point, then shows where you're losing marks.

  • A step-by-step Lesson for every Knowledge Point. Each of the 661 Lessons teaches what the exam tests, how it's asked and how well you need to know it, from the basics up. Stuck on a step? The AI tutor reads the lesson you're on and explains it.

  • Everything in one plan. Every Lesson, all five mock exams, 9,000+ practice questions and the AI tutor: $279.30 (30% off $399, limited time). That's less than any Schweser or Mark Meldrum package.

  • Exam facts from CFA Institute. Ask about exam rules or curriculum changes and the AI tutor quotes CFA Institute's own pages, with a link.

  • 14 days free, no card. Try Quantitative Methods, a full 180-question mock exam and the AI tutor with 20 AI Credits, for $0.

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When Kaplan Schweser may suit you better

  • You want live online classes and a live review workshop (Ultimate, or Premium with a paid upgrade).
  • You want printed SchweserNotes (Premium and Ultimate) or a mock exam in person at a Prometric® test center.
  • You want PassProtection™: if you don't pass, your next Essential, Premium or Ultimate package is free (terms apply).

When Mark Meldrum may suit you better

  • You want in-depth video lectures from Dr. Mark Meldrum and a team of CFA® instructors, and to put your questions to them.
  • You want live online sessions and six hours with a mentor (Instructor-Led).
  • You want One-Fee-To-Pass: with the Level I or II Instructor-Led package, if you don't pass you can extend to your next exam (terms apply).

7 things Quizara adds

  1. Ask what to study next, and get an answer from your own results

    Ask "What should I review first?" and it reads your practice record and mastery of each Knowledge Point, then tells you where you're losing marks. You can ask follow-up questions in plain words.

    The AI tutor answering "Based on my practice so far, what should I review first?" from a Practice session and a Mock Exam record

  2. Find out why you got a question wrong

    It opens the question you missed with your past attempts and explains the step where your reasoning went off.

    The AI tutor explaining a missed Mock Exam question on the Capital Market Line: the option chosen, the correct option and where the ratio flipped

  3. Quiz yourself without leaving the lesson

    Ask it to test you and it brings up to five questions on that lesson from Quizara's question bank, right in the chat.

    A lesson on index weightings with five Quiz questions from Quizara's question bank in the AI tutor panel

  4. Pick up where you left off

    It can find what you asked before, so you never explain the same confusion twice.

  5. Get exam facts straight from CFA Institute

    Ask about exam rules or curriculum changes and it reads CFA Institute's own pages, then quotes the passage it used, with a link.

    The AI tutor answering what changed in the 2027 Level I curriculum, quoting CFA Institute with links to its pages

  6. Learn step by step, and ask about the exact step

    Each of the 661 Knowledge Points has its own Lesson on what the exam tests and how it's asked, built up step by step from the basics. Stuck on a step? The AI tutor reads the lesson you're on and explains it.

    A lesson on index management paused mid-step, with the AI tutor explaining that step next to it

  7. Everything in one plan

    Every lesson, all five mock exams, 9,000+ practice questions and 2,000 AI Credits for the AI tutor come in one plan, for less than any Schweser or Mark Meldrum package.

FAQ

Should I choose Kaplan Schweser or Mark Meldrum?

It depends on how you like to study. Kaplan Schweser has four Level I packages with its AI Tutor from Essential, 2,600+ practice questions, two to six mock exams, printed SchweserNotes from Premium and an in-person mock at a Prometric® test center. Mark Meldrum has four packages built around in-depth video lectures from Dr. Mark Meldrum and a team of CFA® instructors, who answer the questions you post; its blog says three mock exams per level. If you'd rather study with an AI tutor that works from your own results, Quizara is a third option.

How much do Kaplan Schweser and Mark Meldrum cost?

Kaplan Schweser's Level I packages are $429 (Basic), $799 (Essential), $1,099 (Premium) and $1,499 (Ultimate). Mark Meldrum's are $440 (Self-Study), $750 (Self-Study + Applied Analysis), $1,310 (Instructor-Led) and $1,630 (Instructor-Led + Applied Analysis). Quizara Premium is $279.30 for 365 days (list price $399): every Lesson, all 5 mock exams, 9,000+ practice questions and 2,000 AI Credits in one plan.

Do Kaplan Schweser and Mark Meldrum have an AI tutor?

Kaplan Schweser does, in its Essential, Premium and Ultimate packages: it answers from Schweser's own study program. Mark Meldrum's site doesn't list one; its CFA® instructors answer your questions instead. Quizara's AI tutor works from your own results: ask what to review first and it reads your graded answers and your mastery of each Knowledge Point, then shows where you're losing marks. It also explains the questions you got wrong with your past attempts and quotes CFA Institute's own pages, with a link, for exam rules.

How many mock exams do Kaplan Schweser and Mark Meldrum include?

Kaplan Schweser includes two in Basic, four in Essential and six in Premium and Ultimate; Ultimate also includes an in-person mock at a Prometric® test center. Mark Meldrum's blog says three per level, released about two months before the exam. Quizara Premium includes five, each with 180 questions and a 270-minute time limit.

Can I try Kaplan Schweser, Mark Meldrum or Quizara for free?

Kaplan Schweser has a 7-day free trial with sample QBank exams, online SchweserNotes and topic quizzes for Quantitative Methods. Mark Meldrum's Free Access costs $0 and has videos from the 2018 curriculum for Ethics and Quantitative Methods. Quizara's 14-day free trial costs $0, needs no card and includes Quantitative Methods, one full mock exam and 20 AI Credits for the AI tutor.

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More comparisons

Compare eight CFA® Level I courses side by side

How we compared: we read Kaplan Schweser's Level I study packages, AI Tutor, free trial and PassProtection pages (US site) on November 3, 2026, and checked its prices again on November 6. We read Mark Meldrum's subscriptions, 2027 Level I Self-Study, 2027 Level I Instructor-Led, FAQ and Free Access pages and its blog on November 6, 2026. Prices are in US dollars. Check each provider's site for current prices.

Quizara is an independent study platform and is not affiliated with or endorsed by CFA Institute. Kaplan, Schweser, SchweserNotes, PassProtection, Prometric, Mark Meldrum and One-Fee-To-Pass are trademarks of their respective owners, used here only to identify their products. CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst® are registered trademarks owned by CFA Institute.