ExamFX vs Kaplan (2026)
The two names every new producer is told to pick between, compared on verified price, access clocks, and what each one’s guarantee really requires.
These are the two incumbents in insurance pre-licensing, and most candidates meet them the same way: an agency hands over one or the other. Both bundle state-approved pre-licensing hours with exam prep, both run on a 60-day access clock, and both sell a live-instruction tier at the top of the ladder.
The differences are narrower than the marketing suggests, so this page focuses on the four that actually change the decision: how the ladders are priced, what happens when 60 days is not enough, what each guarantee demands of you, and which one teaches with a human.
Side by side
| ExamFX | Kaplan Financial | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $169.95–$299.95per line, by tier · 60-day access | $139–$349TX L&H package ladder · 60-day access |
| Best for | Live-online classes | Deepest package ladder |
| Practice questions | Not published | QBank (unlimited) |
| Tiers | Self / Video / Live | 5 packages |
| Access | 60 days | 60 days + paid ext. |
| Extras | Readiness Exam | 3-day live class (top tier) |
| Guarantee | Refund if you fail within 3 days of an 80%+ Readiness Exam | Money-back guarantee (criteria apply) |
ExamFX: checked 2026-08-28Kaplan Financial: checked 2026-08-28
Where each one wins
Entry price
Kaplan Financial
Kaplan’s Texas L&H ladder starts at $139 against ExamFX’s $169.95 self-study tier. Kaplan hides per-tier prices behind a multi-step selector, though, so the headline range is easier to quote than to shop.
Top-tier price
Kaplan Financial
For live instruction, Kaplan Premium verified at $329 against ExamFX Live Online at $299.95 — but Kaplan’s includes a scheduled 3-day cohort class, printed manuals, and one-on-one InstructorLink access.
Access window
Tie
Both give you 60 days. Kaplan at least sells extensions openly ($29/30 days, $39/60, $49/90); ExamFX’s pages do not show an extension path, so plan the calendar either way.
Live instruction
Kaplan Financial
Kaplan runs scheduled multi-day cohort classes with instructor follow-up. ExamFX’s Live Online tier is webinar-based. If you want a class with a roster and a teacher who knows your name, Kaplan is the closer fit.
Readiness signal
ExamFX
ExamFX’s Readiness Exam is the clearest go/no-go gate in the category — and it doubles as the condition on their refund. Kaplan has checkpoint and mastery exams but no single equivalent verdict.
Guarantee clarity
ExamFX
ExamFX publishes its condition: fail within three days of scoring 80%+ on the Readiness Exam. Kaplan advertises a money-back guarantee "if criteria are met" without showing the criteria up front.
Brand assignment
ExamFX
ExamFX is the one carriers and agencies most often assign, and it is sold through the PSI store. If your employer is reimbursing, it is usually already the default.
Published question counts
Tie
Neither publishes one. Kaplan advertises an unlimited-attempt QBank and ExamFX advertises exam simulations, but on question depth both ask you to take it on faith.
ExamFX
$169.95–$299.95
ExamFX is the incumbent your employer probably hands you: polished portal, structured tiers, and real live-online classes at the top price. The claimed 93% pass rate is a vendor number, and the guarantee has a gate — read the Readiness Exam condition before counting on it.
PROS
- The provider agencies and carriers most often assign — 45 years in, 9.5M candidates trained (their numbers)
- Live Online tier ($299.95) includes real scheduled webinars
- Readiness Exam gives a clear go/no-go signal before you book
CONS
- Pass guarantee only pays out if you fail within 3 days of scoring 80%+ on their Readiness Exam
- 60-day access on every tier, no published question counts, no free trial
Kaplan Financial
$139–$349
Kaplan is the full-course experience: manuals, cohort-scheduled live classes, and instructor access, priced accordingly. It is built for people who want a guided program more than a question bank — budget for the access-extension fees if your exam date might slip.
PROS
- The biggest education brand in financial licensing, with a real 3-day live-online class on the Premium tier ($329 verified)
- License Exam Manual, state law supplement, checkpoint exams, and one-on-one InstructorLink support
- Financing available
CONS
- 60-day base access with paid extensions ($29–$49) stacked on top
- Per-tier prices hide behind a multi-step selector; question counts unpublished
Which should you pick?
Choose ExamFX if…
- Your agency or carrier already assigned it, or is reimbursing
- You want a single readiness score that tells you when to book
- You want the refund condition written down before you buy
- Webinar-style live sessions are enough live instruction for you
Choose Kaplan Financial if…
- You want a real scheduled class with an instructor and printed manuals
- You want the cheapest entry into a state-bundled package ($139 tier)
- You would rather buy access extensions openly than gamble on 60 days
- You value the biggest brand in financial-licensing education
Full disclosure: we make a third option
We build EstatePass, an insurance exam-prep subscription — so treat this as a comparison written by an interested party, and check the numbers yourself against the sources. Where we differ from both: we do not provide state pre-licensing hours, so if your state requires them you need ExamFX, Kaplan, or another approved provider regardless. What we replace is the $170–$350 prep layer on top, at $9.99 a month with no 60-day clock and a free tier to judge it by.
How we compared: We compared verified price (Texas Life & Health as the representative state), access windows, included practice tools, live-instruction options, and the exact conditions on each pass guarantee. Every number was checked on the vendor’s official page on 2026-08-28; vendors that hide pricing are marked unverified rather than estimated. Vendor pass-rate claims are labeled as claims.
Disclosure: EstatePass is our own product and is labeled wherever it appears. Competitor prices and features were checked against each vendor's official site on 2026-08-28; anything we could not verify is marked as such rather than estimated. Tell us if something here is out of date.
FAQ
Do both satisfy state pre-licensing requirements?
Yes — both sell state-bundled packages that include approved pre-licensing hours where a state requires them. That is the main reason their prices start where they do; the exam-prep layer alone is a much cheaper product category.
Which has the higher pass rate?
Both advertise pass rates in the low-to-mid nineties (ExamFX cites 93–94%). None of these figures are independently audited, and neither publishes methodology, so they are marketing claims rather than comparable statistics.
What happens if 60 days is not enough?
Kaplan sells extensions at $29 for 30 days, $39 for 60, and $49 for 90. ExamFX does not publish an extension path on the pages we verified — assume you may need to repurchase, and be realistic about your timeline before you buy.
Is there a cheaper way to get the practice without the course?
Yes, if your state does not require pre-licensing hours (or you are taking them elsewhere). WebCE’s complete package verified at $109.95 with three months of access, and subscription prep — ours included — runs about $10 a month. The course hours, not the questions, are what make these packages expensive.
More insurance licensing resources
Try before you compare on price alone
Our free tier needs no card — answer 20 questions a day and judge the explanations yourself.