Kaplan LSAT Review

Table of Contents

• Evaluation of the Kaplan LSAT Coursework
• Kaplan LSAT Books
• Course Options & Pricing
• Kaplan LSAT Practice Tests
• Kaplan LSAT Online Class Experience
• Verdict: Kaplan LSAT Prep Course Review

Since this is a fairly detailed and lengthy review, we’ve added helpful jump-to links above for quick navigation.

Video Review: Is Kaplan LSAT Worth It?

In the video above, Lara from the Test Prep Insight team gives our full Kaplan LSAT review. She walks you through the different Kaplan LSAT course options, covering pricing, study materials, practice tests, and overall quality. If you’ve been wondering if Kaplan LSAT is worth it, then this video and our review below highlight the key pros and cons of their LSAT prep options. For more detail, be sure to continue reading our full written review below.

Evaluation of the Kaplan LSAT Coursework

The first thing that jumps out about the Kaplan LSAT prep course is the sheer quantity of prep material. Between the lessons, assessments, prep book material, practice problem sets, practice tests, drills and problem explanations, there are hundreds of hours of prep work to complete.

When I review LSAT prep courses, the quantity of study material is always a major factor that I look at (as some courses are very light on instructional content); however, there is no way you can complain about the amount of study material provided by Kaplan.

Whether you’re taking the On Demand, Live Online, or In Person Course, the Kaplan LSAT course offers over 30 hours of core lesson instruction.

Now, that doesn’t sound like much, especially when compared to Princeton Review, which offers 65 hours of live instruction; however, the core curriculum is supplemented by over 60 hours of additional video content through Kaplan’s LSAT Channel (more on this below).

Thus, Kaplan really offers more than 100 hours of lesson work and instruction in total, which is astonishing. Yet, I like how they parcel out core work from optional work based on your individual strengths and weaknesses. It gives the course a more personalized approach.

The main course curriculum (which Kaplan calls its “Study Plan”) is broken down into six major core sessions, with those core sessions being further broken down into units based on problem types and concepts.

Each core session includes video lessons, assessments, and practice problem sets, among other coursework. In my opinion, this structure is highly effective.

If you take the On Demand Course, I think the core video lessons are well designed and incredibly detailed. When opened, they appear in a new browser tab and are broken down into shorter video segments.

You can speed up, slow down, or jump ahead to a segment that is further along. The video lessons themselves alternate between an instructor who talks you through the lesson and a digital whiteboard that illustrates each concept with notes, highlights, and constantly changing graphics.

Overall, I found the lessons to be genuinely insightful and took away a lot of solid actionable strategies. The instructors clearly know their stuff and chose great practice problems to exemplify their points, making it easy to break down and understand underlying concepts.

That said, my take on the online instructors was that they weren’t the most exciting individuals, particularly when compared to some other test prep companies’ instructors (like Blueprint LSAT). But “fun factor” aside, the instructors were obviously really knowledgeable and passionate about the LSAT. Plus, they all scored in the 99th percentile, and they’re very experienced at walking students through complex information.

One way that Kaplan has recently updated their course is by adding a new feature called Interactive Practice. Here’s how it works. Instead of simply throwing you into review questions you have to solve entirely on your own, the course first provides a more guided walk-through where you’re clicking through a module of real LSAT questions that push you to apply the methods you just learned in the video instruction.

This feature provides a nice balance of critical thinking and structured support. There’s a chance for you to type in your own answers into the text box, but you can also click on different parts of the screen for tips and step-by-step help in solving each problem. Pop-up windows give you instant feedback on your response, helping you understand not only what the right answer is but how you’re supposed to get there.

No one else offers this type of personalized coaching as you learn to tackle each type of problem. To me, it’s like having a driving instructor in the passenger seat, talking you through each turn and transition until you’re ready to steer independently.

In addition to the core instruction, Kaplan offers a “Practice Library,” which includes:

• Assessments designed to help you master certain subjects and problem types
• Timing drills
• LSAT practice exams

This is where you really get your money’s worth from Kaplan, in my opinion.

This section of the course is full of practice material that will keep you busy for literally hundreds of hours (if that’s what you want). The material is spot on, as it’s built entirely on official LSAT questions.

Plus, I liked the diversity of additional prep resources in this section – I never got bored and could bounce back and forth among the problem types.

To accompany the practice problems, Kaplan provides you access to explanations of every LSAT question ever released.

Although explanations appear for each practice problem that you work throughout the coursework, you can also download PDFs of all the explanations for a given practice set in one easy-to-locate place.

I particularly liked this feature for offline study, as you can print it out and haul it along with you if you’re going to be on the train or taking a flight.

Overall, the Kaplan LSAT prep material is rock solid. The quantity of test prep study material is unparalleled among the courses I’ve reviewed, and the quality is top-notch.

Apart from the few small gripes I had above, the overall quality of Kaplan’s coursework is very strong, and I give them a high grade for core content.

Kaplan LSAT Prep Books

To supplement the live and digital lessons, every student that purchases a Kaplan LSAT prep course gets access to digital copies of the course prep books, with the option to purchase physical copies as well. The digital book interface allows for note-taking, bookmarking, and highlighting in a variety of colors. The books align with the course lessons and provide strategies on each section, practice questions, and other drills.

You work through the lesson books along with the course, taking notes and working practice problems.

I personally found the books to be a really helpful complement to the course lessons. Without them, following along and reinforcing the concepts would be a lot tougher. They contain great information, and I’m always a fan of the old school textbook so that I can make notes, dog-ear pages and highlight things.

The Kaplan LSAT Channel

As I noted above, Kaplan’s LSAT Channel is a line of supplemental video lessons that take a deeper dive into certain concepts and problem types, with new videos being released almost nightly. To me, this is arguably the best feature of the Kaplan LSAT course.

The instructors appear in the corner of the screen, giving their specialized daily lesson, with a digital whiteboard and large chat feature for students to interact, ask questions, or answer a teacher’s live poll.

I found these videos (which are streamed live and then made into on demand videos after the fact) to be pretty helpful when I needed a deeper dive on a particular subject. Plus, there is a cool filter feature for the pre-recorded sessions that makes it easy to find LSAT Channel videos that fit what you need – you can search by topic, level of difficulty, or even preferred teacher.

Course Options & Pricing

Kaplan offers four different course options from which to choose, each varying in format, price and features. Their packages include:

• On Demand Course
• Live Online Course
• In Person Course
• Tutoring + Live Online Course

The On Demand Course is Kaplan’s starter, self-paced package and is reasonably priced at just under $900. This course includes most of the same materials that you will get with their more expensive options, such as video lectures, practice questions, simulated exams and more, but without any live class work or tutoring.

The Live Online Course is Kaplan’s go-to, flagship offering and costs about $1,300. This includes everything the On Demand Course does, but with 24 hours of live class sessions in a virtual classroom. While the accountability of live sessions is helpful for staying on track, you can easily make up any missed sessions.

And for those of you looking for personalized one-on-one instruction, Kaplan also offers a 10-hour Tutoring + Live Online Course starting at around $2,000.

The In Person Course is the exact same as the above-mentioned Live Online Course, but meets live in-person in a more traditional classroom environment. This package costs right around $1,700.

Though seemingly expensive, these price points are on par with other high-end LSAT prep companies, and can often be found on sale for less.

Most importantly, we found them to be right in line with the quality of course that you get. But if you are looking for something more budget-friendly, check out our review of Magoosh.

Kaplan LSAT Practice Tests

Similar to just about every other LSAT prep company out there, Kaplan utilizes LSAC’s LawHub subscription program to get access to all official, past LSATs.

This means that you will have access to 59+ real LSATs. While this is about the same benefit you get with most other prep courses, it is the best you can get.

There is no better form of practice than using real LSATs under exam-like conditions. Now, there is one thing to note here – Kaplan doesn’t cover the $120 subscription cost, which is kind of a bummer. Still, I can’t overstate the value of these practice tests. They’re definitely worth the investment.

In addition, as part of Kaplan’s required study plan, you must take 4 full-length LSAT practice exams in the official test environment.

Following each practice LSAT, you will get your test results in the form of a “Performance Report,” which gives you targeted and detailed feedback about where you performed well and where you, well, have opportunity for improvement.

I think this feature is of great benefit for zeroing in on where you need work. Almost everyone will need help in at least one particular type of problem, and the Performance Report will call that right out for you.

In addition to the Performance Reports, Kaplan also provides you with personalized recommendations on where you need supplemental work. These recommendations come from Kaplan’s internal analysis of practice tests you have taken, as well as every single in-lesson practice problem and drill you encounter.

My personal opinion is that this additional personalized recommendation is helpful, but also somewhat overwhelming.

Unless you’re really strong on a subject, it’s going to recommend you give it more work. In theory, this is great and something I’d want to do, but with all of the material Kaplan already has you working on, it became a bit of a burden. If the recommendations were a little more narrow and sensitive to your true weaknesses, this would be a game changer.

👉 Related: Kaplan vs Princeton Review LSAT Comparison

User Experience & Technology Interface

The Kaplan LSAT prep course user experience and interface is just about what you would expect for a high-end course from a test prep behemoth – an intuitive and easy to use system that just about anyone can work.

This interface was obviously designed for the masses, with its clearly delineated sections and dropdowns. I say this as a good thing – you don’t even have to think or hunt for what you’re looking for, it’s just right there in front of you.

Some prep courses offer a digital first approach with a fancy mobile app, snappy responsiveness and a clean modern look. Kaplan is not that. Rather, Kaplan has an above average digital platform with good video quality, an easily navigable dashboard, and a clean appearance.

If I had to knock one thing it would be that every time you open a video lesson, assessment or PDF, it opens it in a new browser tab. By the end of a long study session I had 20 different tabs open, which can become annoying at times. I’d prefer the module you open up appear within the same browser.

Kaplan LSAT Online Class Experience

Kaplan’s flagship Live Online Course offers a chance to meet with your instructor face-to-face online and engage with other students in a virtual class setting. For those of you that need structure in a study schedule and/or retain information better when taught in a live setting, this is the option for you.

My instructor was very enthusiastic and held us all accountable. If you didn’t get your homework done, he let you know he didn’t like that. I mean, he didn’t get on your case, but he’d humorously make you feel bad enough that you didn’t want it to happen again – which is the exact type of accountability many students (like myself) need.

Now, I should point out that technically, there are always two instructors leading each session – one who leads the primary lesson, and a second expert who’s constantly answering questions in the chat. This efficient design really works for keeping class time moving forward while taking care of each student’s individual needs.

The pace of the course is very doable, though there were a couple sessions that were a bit of an overload. I would say that the homework assigned after each Kaplan LSAT class took roughly an hour to an hour and a half to complete.

All in all, if you need a committed study schedule and to be held accountable, or just plain learn better in a live environment, I’d strongly recommend the Kaplan LSAT Live Online Course.

Extra LSAT Resources From Kaplan

Outside of the resources I’ve described above, including the lessons, drills, practice tests, explanations and more, Kaplan doesn’t offer too much in the way of extracurricular resources.

Some other test prep companies like Blueprint LSAT and Magoosh offer some cool supplemental tools like law school admission estimators and bonus readings, but Kaplan mostly sticks to their tried and true material.

The only real supplemental Kaplan tool worth mentioning would be the practice estimator tool. Basically, Kaplan takes your initial score assessment and runs it through their algorithm to show you how much studying you will need to do to achieve a certain score.

For example, if you want to score a 170, based on your initial baseline score, it will tell you that you need 120 hours’ worth of prep with their program (this is just a hypothetical). But it’s a handy tool for mapping out your study timeline.

To be honest though, I didn’t really mind that they didn’t offer many extra add-ons. Between the lessons, homework, LSAT Channel videos and more, I had plenty to do without any additional resources. Not to mention, some of the resources others offer have a coolness factor, but you only end up using them once or twice anyway.

Kaplan LSAT Tutoring – Our Thoughts

Although I didn’t hire a Kaplan teacher for some private tutoring, the option was available. All course options give you the opportunity to add on one to five hours of private tutoring during checkout.

In terms of price of tutoring, when compared to other test prep companies, Kaplan’s private tutoring rate is extremely reasonable at about $150 per hour.

Other courses we have reviewed offered supplemental tutoring at prices that ran $200+ per hour. Thus, at around $150 per hour, Kaplan is very affordable, particularly with just a few hours needed to lock in that rate.

And with respect to quality, Kaplan instructors are top LSAT scorers themselves and generally great communicators. I would not hesitate to engage the instructor I had for my in-class course, and would expect others to be of similar quality.

Online Content Access Period

Kaplan’s standard On Demand Course provides you with 4 months of online access, which for most students should be plenty sufficient to prepare for the LSAT.

However, if you want, there is the option to extend the content access period during checkout for an additional fee. For example, to extend to 6 months, it costs an extra $200, or you can extend to 12 months of access for an additional $400.

Does Kaplan Have A Mobile App?

Your Kaplan content is mobile friendly and can be easily accessed on your devices, however, there is not currently a Kaplan mobile app for LSAT studies.

That’s one way I’d like to see Kaplan improve their offering, although I will say, the main course is easy to access from any device on the go.

Does Kaplan Have A Score Increase Guarantee?

Kaplan does have a money back guarantee if your score does not increase. If you complete your Kaplan program and do not score higher on your test, you have two options. You can either (1) request reactivation of your program within 60 days, which will give you an additional 12 weeks of free access to online resources, or (2) you can request a tuition refund.

Kaplan’s Refund Policy

If your circumstances change, or if you simply change your mind, Kaplan will refund your program tuition. But don’t delay. For a full refund, you have to request cancellation within 3 days of your purchase date. Cancelling 4-7 days after your purchase date gets you only 75% of your program tuition back. No refunds will be given for requests made after 8 days.

Verdict: Kaplan LSAT Prep Course Review

If you want to play it safe and know that you’re getting an LSAT prep course which will cover all the bases and get you the information you need, then this course is likely a great fit for you. It is the safe, conservative choice.

There are no frills or cool modern features that turn heads, but what you will get is an absolute ton of high-quality lessons, prep books, practice problem sets, drills, explanations, and practice tests, all designed by Kaplan’s team of LSAT experts.

Apart from a couple minor negatives, I give the Kaplan LSAT course a very high grade. I think that if you’re a student looking for a known commodity and you want a sure-fire score increase with no real risk, the Kaplan LSAT prep course is likely right up your alley. It’s a safe, solid choice.

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