Prep101 MCAT Vs. Kaplan MCAT: Which Is Better?

Today we take a look at two of the most notable MCAT prep courses out there in 2026: Kaplan MCAT vs Prep101.

We took a look at the two prep courses in order to compare them and see which one of them is right for you.

Let's jump right into it!

Before we do that, I wanna talk about an exciting deal we secured for our readers with Prep101. This is the best discount you can get today for Prep101.

Prep101 MCAT Vs. Kaplan MCAT Comparison Table

Prep101 MCAT Vs. Kaplan MCAT Overview

Having been in operation since 1999, Prep101 offers a very thorough MCAT course comprising plenty of study materials and resources from various sources.

This prep course is particularly focused on guided practice, whereby the expert instructors diligently and tactfully guide students on the tactics and strategies to use to master the MCAT. Ideally, you are taught how to think for this particular test.

Prep101 currently highlights three core tracks: Self-Paced, Live Online, and a premium 515+ program.

Kaplan is a similarly comprehensive MCAT test prep company guaranteeing you the structure and guidance you need to ace the MCAT.

You have the option of choosing from multiple Kaplan MCAT prep courses, including On Demand, Live Online, In Person, Private Tutoring + Live Online, 515+, and Bootcamp.

Whichever course format you choose, you still get access to a full MCAT prep course, all resources included.

Prep101 MCAT Vs. Kaplan MCAT Detailed Comparison In 2026

Access Lengths

Kaplan and Prep101 now use different access structures depending on plan tier.

Prep101's Live Online format is designed around flexible scheduling, and classes are also recorded for catch-up review.

This way, students have diverse options to choose from based on their availability, so you get to join the class that's more convenient for them. You can even repeat a class should you wish to reinforce the particular concept being taught.

Better yet, if you miss a live session, recordings are posted in your dashboard so you can stay on track.

Kaplan teaches multiple live online and in-person class sessions throughout the year, so you can easily sign up for the study period that works for you.

The big difference here is that Prep101 emphasizes scheduling flexibility within its live model, while Kaplan emphasizes choosing among multiple course formats and start windows.

Kaplan's class scheduling flexibility comes in, whereby the live course is offered multiple times throughout the year, so you can choose to start the course in April or July. Then again, Prep101 MCAT also offers the same.

Course Formats

Prep101's current lineup focuses on Self-Paced, Live Online, and 515+ paths, with escalating support and intensity by tier.

On the other hand, Kaplan’s prep course options come at different prices and with different offerings, so you generally cannot make a direct switch from one format to another without changing plans.

In this regard, Prep101 wins for having a more flexible course format, giving you more value for your money even when you decide to switch learning methods at some point during your study period.

Guided Practice

**Prep101 and Kaplan both offer excellent MCAT guided practice, equipping you with great advice and strategies on how to tackle different questions and passages.**

Prep101 dedicates substantial time to guided practice in the form of in-class exams and workshops.

The expert instructors walk you through 6-8 passages during every class time, training you how to map and analyze passages, dissect and simplify question stems, and attack answer choices with confidence.

You get a ton of guided practice through CARS-focused workshops and section-specific strategy work.

Kaplan offers plenty of guided practice as well, included even in the self-study on-demand course.

Offering unlimited live online workshops, the experienced instructors guide students through questions and passages, giving them the necessary strategies for tackling different sections.

At the same time, Kaplan includes instructor support layers such as workshops, office hours, and guidance tools depending on the package.

Official AAMC Practice Material

Ordinarily, students buy the AAMC practice material separately, so Prep101 and Kaplan, including these resources in their MCAT courses, is quite the sweet deal.

The official AAMC materials for the MCAT comprise 6 question packs, a section bank, 5 full-length practice exams, the official guide questions, flashcards, old AAMC tests, and the CARS diagnostic tool.

A Prep101 MCAT subscription includes official AAMC practice materials as part of its course stack.

On the other hand, any Kaplan MCAT subscription includes access to all the AAMC study materials available on the platform.

Practice Tests & Questions

Both providers now offer a large volume of practice, but in different ways.

The best way to guarantee a higher score on test day is to take the MCAT as many times as possible through practice exams and tackling many practice questions.

The Prep101 MCAT course now advertises 12,000+ practice questions.

Kaplan advertises 10,000+ total practice questions, including a 3,000+ customizable Qbank.

Not only that, but Kaplan also offers students the option of creating their own customized tests by filtering questions by topics and subtopics. These custom tests could be as long or as short as you need them to be based on your particular study needs.

Prep101 has 25 full-length exams, while Kaplan has 18.

What's great, though, is that Prep101’s tests come from various sources, namely the AAMC, Altius, and Examakrackers. These exams come complete with score reports, analytics, and video reviews, respectively.

The good thing about compiling practice tests from a variety of sources is that it eliminates testing bias that can come with using just one resource to study for the MCAT.

So with Prep101, you can rest assured that each practice exam is different from the other with regard to content, wording, questions structure, format, etc.

In addition, the Altius exams, in particular, are of excellent quality, second only to the AAMC exams. These realistic tests are representative of the actual exam, far more than the Kaplan ones.

MCAT Books & Study Guides

Prep101 provides 7 interactive hyperbooks and 5 workbooks, while Kaplan provides a 7-book review set.

While the Examkrackers books are more concise, allowing you to cover your content review in a shorter time, the Kaplan books are much more detailed and better suited for pre-med students who've been away from school for a while and perhaps need a deeper dive into the MCAT subjects and topics.

Examkrackers is famous for its 101 Passages book which is an invaluable resource for CARS.

The Prep101 classroom companions are filled with detailed notes, and there's enough margin space to allow you to add your own notes and scribbles as you go, so that’s quite handy.

Annotated Notes

One incredible feature that comes with the Prep101 MCAT course is the annotated lecture notes.

These are essentially detailed yet concise notes that the instructors themselves have compiled and structured for the students. The notes contain helpful, high-yield information based on the instructors’ judgment, experience, and expertise.

Ideally, annotated lecture notes not only help you to fill any gaps in your content review but also direct you on where to focus to make optimum use of your study time.

Guarantees

Kaplan MCAT subscriptions include higher-score guarantee options, with additional 515+/15-point guarantees on select premium plans.

Prep101 offers a free repeat policy on Live Online and a money-back 515+ guarantee on its premium 515+ track.

The advantage of this free repeat policy is that you can start prepping for the MCAT earlier instead of putting it off till the last minute.

For instance, you could take the Prep101 MCAT course for the first time in the summer after your first year, then retake it in the summer after your second year and ace the MCAT!

Verdict: Which One Is Better?

Both Prep101 and Kaplan offer stellar MCAT courses well worth your consideration.

On the one hand, Prep101 has the upper hand in that they offer way more class time, providing 154 hours of live instruction, in contrast to Kaplan’s 42 hours.

Additionally, Prep101 pairs each student with a personal MCAT coach to keep you focused and motivated and offer direction on how to go about your study sessions. This is a pretty neat feature.

You also have the annotated lecture notes and the fact that Prep101 offers more full-length practice exams than Kaplan (25 vs. 18). Additionally, Prep101 is simply much better for CARS.

Lastly, let's not forget that Prep101 includes official AAMC practice material and a very large integrated practice stack.

This is extremely helpful for students who want one integrated platform for both practice and review.

Kaplan has the upper hand in that they offer unlimited live online workshops and multiple format options for different schedules.

These interactive workshops essentially take a deep dive into various MCAT sections and topics, and there is even a Q & A session where students can seek any clarifications.

Also, the series of explanations videos provided by Kaplan is quite comprehensive. Not to mention that the videos are far more engaging than the solution videos offered by Prep101.

Kaplan’s performance analytics are also far superior, helping you know exactly where your weaknesses lie and highlighting your answer-changing habits, so you can better understand your thinking process and exactly what you are doing wrong or right.

So which one has a better MCAT course: Kaplan or Prep101?

Well, Prep101 offers a far more intense MCAT course. Their live classes go deeper, and they provide a ton of material for content review. Not to mention also, the fact that they compile materials from a variety of sources is a huge win for the test prep company.

They also offer a stronger practice-test bundle and intensive coaching support, proving that Prep101 MCAT can be a more effective course than Kaplan for students who want a highly guided, high-volume prep experience.

You can check out the other comparisons we did on other MCAT prep resources below:

• Kaplan MCAT vs Princeton Review
• Prep 101 vs Kaplan MCAT
• Prep101 Vs. Princeton Review
• UWorld Vs. Blueprint MCAT
• Memm Vs. Anki
• Blueprint MCAT vs Princeton Review

Prep101 MCAT Vs. Kaplan MCAT FAQs

Which Is Better For MCAT: Prep101 Or Kaplan?

Based on the quality and quantity of study materials, I'd say that Prep101 is better for MCAT than Kaplan.

The Prep101 course is thorough and comprehensive, offering students immense learning flexibility while still providing excellent guidance via the personal MCAT coach.

Which One Has Better MCAT Tutors: Prep101 Or Kaplan?

Prep101 has better tutors, and that’s because they take a ‘student first’ approach.

With this approach, the students not only get to select the tutors based on who's more engaging and knowledgeable, but they also rate and evaluate the tutors’ performance and these reviews are displayed alongside the instructors’ biographies on the Prep101 website.

Is Prep101 Enough For MCAT Prep?

Yes, Prep101 is more than enough for MCAT prep.

This intensive course provides a very intense workload guaranteed to eliminate any content gaps and provide you with a ton of excellent MCAT practice.