The short answer
Kaplan and Princeton Review sell structure: a curriculum, scheduled or on-demand lessons, practice materials and a score guarantee with conditions. They are worth it if a schedule and an instructor are what you are missing. They are poor value if you would have done the same work with free official prep.
What each publishes
The figures below were read from each company's own course pages in September 2026. Both run frequent promotions and multiple course tiers, so verify before buying.
| Programme | Format | Listed price (Sept 2026) | Notable inclusions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kaplan SAT Prep On Demand | Self-paced, on demand | From $199 | Instructional videos, full-length practice tests, score guarantee terms on Kaplan's site |
| Kaplan SAT Live Online | Scheduled live classes | Higher than on demand; see Kaplan's site | Instructor-led sessions and practice materials |
| Princeton Review SAT Self-Paced | Self-paced | $299 | 5 full-length SAT practice tests, 365 days access, 14-day free trial |
| Princeton Review SAT & ACT Self-Paced | Self-paced, both tests | $499 | Adds ACT videos, drills and 5 ACT practice tests |
| Princeton Review SAT 1400+ | Targeted high-scorer course | See the course page | Score-guarantee terms with eligibility conditions |
Read the guarantee, not the headline
Score guarantees are contractual offers with conditions: a qualifying starting score, required course completion, deadlines and a defined refund. Princeton Review's 1400+ page states the refund applies if you did not reach 1400 or add at least 150 points and you meet the other eligibility requirements. Kaplan publishes its own guarantee terms alongside its courses.
A guarantee is a refund policy, not evidence that the course causes a score increase for a student like you.
When a big-name course is the right buy
It is the right buy when the household needs an externally imposed schedule, when the student learns better from taught lessons than from reading explanations, or when a parent wants a single package with support attached.
It is the wrong buy when the student already studies consistently and simply needs more targeted practice. In that case the same money spent on a question bank or a one-time platform typically buys more reps and more specific feedback.
“You are buying a schedule and a curriculum. If you already have both, the course is mostly repackaging free content.”
Sources and further reading
Your next useful step
Turn this guide into focused practice.
How this guide is made
Sourced, reviewed and clear about uncertainty.
The ExamScore Editorial Team checks exam facts against the primary sources listed in each guide, labels ExamScore recommendations as guidance, and updates material when official formats or policies change. We do not publish guaranteed score gains.
Continue reading
