What the Kaplan MCAT prep course is
Kaplan is one of the most recognized names in test prep. Their MCAT course has been around for decades, and it comes loaded with resources: 15 full-length practice exams, an adaptive question bank, 130+ science content review videos via the MCAT Channel, a structured study schedule, and a set of review textbooks that remain some of the most concise and test-relevant content review books on the market.
We see Kaplan alumni regularly in our retaker population. The consistent feedback: Kaplan provides content confidence, but the course does not teach the strategy and reasoning students need to push their score well above 500. This is our honest take on what works, what does not, and whether Kaplan makes sense for a retaker.
Pros
Online resources and the MCAT Channel
The Kaplan MCAT Channel is a library of pre-recorded video lessons covering tough science topics (enzyme kinetics, electrostatics, research design, etc.) plus live Q&A sessions with instructors. For topics where reading alone is not enough, the video format can be genuinely helpful. The adaptive question bank (QBank) provides additional practice, though we recommend UWorld over Kaplan's QBank for question quality and explanation depth.
Structured study schedule
Kaplan provides a week-by-week study schedule that removes the planning burden entirely. For students who struggle with building their own study plan, the structure is a real benefit. You know exactly what to do each day. The trade-off is that the schedule is not personalized to your specific weaknesses, which matters more for retakers than for first-timers.
Instructor quality (with caveats)
All Kaplan MCAT instructors scored in the 90th percentile or higher on the MCAT. Some are excellent teachers who share valuable study strategies and stress management techniques alongside the science content. The caveat: Kaplan's instructor hiring bar is described by former staff as relatively accessible compared to some competitors, so quality can vary by instructor and by location. If you are considering a live course, try to research your specific instructor beforehand.
AAMC materials included
The AAMC Bundle is included in Kaplan MCAT courses. This is a meaningful financial perk, saving you the $324 separate purchase. Since the AAMC materials are non-negotiable for any serious MCAT student (see our AAMC review), having them bundled in reduces the effective cost of the Kaplan course.
Cons
Lacks critical thinking instruction
This is the most significant issue with the Kaplan MCAT course and the reason we see so many Kaplan graduates in our retaker population. Kaplan teaches tips, tricks, and content recall. It does not teach the critical reasoning that the MCAT actually tests, especially on CARS and the more complex B/B passages. The course leaves students feeling prepared on content but underprepared for the way the AAMC actually constructs questions and distractors. This gap is a top reason students retake the MCAT.
Pillar Prep's Retaker Course was built specifically to address this gap. Our curriculum skips the content review (you already did that with Kaplan) and focuses entirely on trap recognition, critical reasoning, and personalized weak-area training through the Retaker Flywheel.
Redundancy in the later weeks
A common complaint from Kaplan students: by the end of the course, the material starts to feel repetitive. You are doing passages that feel similar to earlier passages without developing meaningfully new skills. The course has breadth, but it lacks the progressive skill-building that keeps students engaged and growing in the final weeks of prep. For retakers, this feeling of redundancy is even more pronounced because so much of the content was already familiar on day one.
Question bank quality
The Kaplan QBank is content-focused rather than strategy-focused. The questions test whether you know a fact, but they do not test the layered reasoning and distractor navigation that the real MCAT demands. As a result, doing well on Kaplan QBank questions can give you false confidence. For dedicated question practice, we recommend UWorld for third-party questions or working through Pillar Prep's own 1,900+ retaker-built passages.
Pricing overview
Kaplan's pricing varies by course format and package. Always check Kaplan's official MCAT page for current numbers. Common options include:
- Self-paced course: typically in the $1,500 to $2,500 range
- Live online course: typically $2,500 to $3,500
- In-person course (where available): premium pricing
- Private tutoring: hourly rates with package options in the four-figure range
All course tiers include the AAMC Bundle, which offsets the price by roughly $324.
How Kaplan compares to Pillar Prep for retakers
Kaplan provides content review confidence. Pillar Prep provides critical thinking and trap recognition training. For first-timers who need to learn the science, Kaplan is a reasonable choice. For retakers who already know the science and need to fix how they approach questions, Kaplan's curriculum is not designed to help.
Many of our most successful retakers used Kaplan textbooks for their first attempt and then enrolled in the Pillar Prep Retaker Course for their retake. The Kaplan content foundation plus Pillar's retaker-specific training is a combination that works well. If you have already completed a Kaplan course and are planning a retake, the Retaker Course picks up exactly where Kaplan leaves off.
For one-on-one help alongside any prep program, Pillar Prep tutoring is available as a standalone option.
Bottom line
The Kaplan MCAT prep course provides solid content review confidence, but it does not teach the critical thinking skills that determine MCAT outcomes. For first-timers, it is a defensible starting point. For retakers, the content-heavy, strategy-light curriculum is a poor match for what you actually need. If you have already done Kaplan once and did not hit your target score, repeating the same approach is unlikely to produce a different result. Consider The Retaker Course instead.