Verified by Rick Lopez, M.Ed.
For many people, when they think of test prep, they think of Kaplan. They are almost always the first company to pop up in search results, and everybody has a sister or a friend who’s used them to prepare for some type of exam. However, in recent years, a number of smaller companies, including PrepScholar, have made waves in the test prep world for their combination of affordability and effectiveness. In this head-to-head comparison, we see how the Digital SAT and ACT prep courses from Kaplan and PrepScholar stack up against one another.
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$50 OFF Applied In CartGiven this is a long, detailed comparison, we’ve included jump-to links above for your convenience.
In the video above, John (from the Test Prep Insight team) covers how the prep courses from Kaplan and PrepScholar stack up, and delivers our team’s thoughts on which one is ultimately better. For more information, be sure to continue reading our full written comparison below.
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To most effectively see how the SAT and ACT courses from Kaplan and PrepScholar stack up, we think it is best to highlight the specific study materials and features in which each company wins over one another.
With that in mind, let’s first discuss the advantages of choosing Kaplan over PrepScholar to help you prepare for the SAT or ACT exam.
Kaplan and PrepScholar take vastly different approaches to their Digital SAT and ACT curriculum. PrepScholar takes a very traditional approach to instruction of “learn, practice, review.”
You may be able to guess how this works, but essentially you get a text and video lesson on a given topic, then hammer practice problems to test your knowledge following the lesson, and finally review solutions to the problems to reinforce your learning.
This simple, yet effective instructional design is backed by learning science, and our team loved its use in this course.
By contrast, Kaplan uses a much more modern approach to teaching its SAT and ACT material by trying hard to appeal directly to teenagers. Kaplan uses video lessons that feature an instructor sitting on a couch with a coffee in hand, speaking causally to the camera like you were an old family friend.
Kaplan’s overall course structure is cohesive and well-designed, but it’s this modern component that really jumps out.
Our team found both approaches to teaching to be highly effective; however, at the end of the day, our team gives Kaplan the nod in this category. We just think Kaplan’s new-age, engaging learning framework is the way to go, especially among the high school demographic.
Believe it or not, Kaplan actually offers the more affordable SAT and ACT prep courses.
Kaplan provides on-demand courses that run for right around $200, as well as more robust course options with live classes that range in price from around $700 to $800.
On the flip side, PrepScholar offers its flagship “Complete Course” (a self-paced option) for a shade under $400, as well as a course option with live classes for around $900.
So all in all, you’ll likely save around $100-$200 by going with Kaplan. Plus, Kaplan seems to be more aggressive with sales and discounts, so there is a chance you’ll be able to save even more.
If you are working with a limited budget, you may also want to consider the SAT prep courses from Magoosh.
When it comes to video lessons, Kaplan is the clear winner (in terms of both quality and production value). Their picture and audio quality are supremely good, and the use of sharp and well-timed onscreen graphics is superb.
Plus, I’m also a fan of the approach that Kaplan takes within its video lessons. Most videos either feature an instructor sitting on a couch, casually chatting with you like you’re a friend, or an instructor onscreen with an actual student walking through some lesson in a friendly, engaging way.
Overall, I think this approach is ideal for high-school aged students. The videos are not too formal, yet they are still extremely helpful and insightful.
By contrast, PrepScholar’s lessons are all business (and somewhat boring if I’m being honest).
They take the form of a classic PowerPoint-style slideshow, and the instructor gives their verbal lesson while updating the slide with notes in red ink. There’s just no engagement factor. Therefore, Kaplan easily gets the win in this category in my opinion.
When it comes to live classes, Kaplan wins on all fronts. Not only does Kaplan offer more live class hours than PrepScholar (18 vs 9), but our team also thinks Kaplan has the edge as far as quality of instruction goes.
We found Kaplan’s live classes to be highly effective, with clear and helpful instruction from some awesome teachers, as well as a fantastic digital classroom setup (Prep Expert offers outstanding live classes as well). It’s also worth noting that there are two to three teachers per live class session with Kaplan, which is pretty amazing.
All in all, our team walked away very impressed by Kaplan’s live Digital SAT and ACT classes.
This category is a pretty easy win for Kaplan. And that’s because Kaplan provides prep books, while PrepScholar does not provide any.
To be clear, PrepScholar does provide their written lessons, which are detailed and insightful, in printable format, but they are not written like books.
Whether this will matter to you depends totally on whether you are the type of student that need prep books. Personally, I’m a big fan of printed prep materials. I love being able to study on-the-go, so for me, it is a big deal and I think Kaplan’s digital prep books are some of the best in the entire SAT prep space.
In an increasingly digital world, user interface and experience are becoming more important than ever for ACT and SAT prep courses. Having a platform that is intuitive, easy to use and clean can even make a difference in the efficiency of your studies. And on this point, Kaplan wins.
Their overall user interface, like their video lessons, is modern and cool.
It is also extremely easy to use, with clear direction on what to study and when. This is not to say PrepScholar’s user interface is bad – it is perfectly serviceable and we actually quite liked it – but it’s just not as good as Kaplan’s.
Like Princeton Review and Magoosh, Kaplan provides a number of bonus Digital SAT & ACT study resources and tools.
Most notably is that Kaplan gives students (or parents) the option to add three additional hours of one-on-one tutoring for only $300. That is an incredible price considering most established SAT/ACT prep companies charge north of $150 per hour.
In my opinion, 0ne-on-one tutoring can enhance SAT and ACT prep courses by providing personalized attention and tailored strategies to address specific weaknesses, ensuring a more effective and efficient study experience. This individualized approach can boost confidence, motivation, and ultimately lead to improved test scores.
