High Pass Education and Therapist Development Center both offer popular self-study exam prep programs for mental health licensing exams. Here is some information on their similarities and differences. You may consider these factors and others in determining which program is best for your specific needs.
Exam Prep Courses Offered
Both High Pass Education and TDC offer courses for the California MFT Clinical Exam, the California LCSW Law and Ethics Exam, and the California LMFT Law and Ethics Exam. High Pass Education additionally offers a program for the California LPCC Law and Ethics Exam. TDC additionally offers programs for the National MFT Exam and for the ASWB (Social Work) Clinical Exam.
Pricing
High Pass Education offers significantly lower prices than TDC. As of November 26, 2025, High Pass Education offers Law & Ethics Exam prep programs at $139. TDC charges more than twice as much, at $295. For their California MFT Clinical Exam prep programs, High Pass Education charges $249 while TDC charges $375.
Format
The two companies use different teaching formats. High Pass Education primarily uses on-demand video to deliver course material. TDC primarily uses on-demand audio to deliver course material, with some downloadable handouts. Customers of both programs report liking the format of the program they chose, suggesting that the educational format may be a factor in purchasing decisions.
Quizzes and Practice Tests
Both High Pass Education and TDC offer practice tests of various lengths within their exam prep programs, including multiple full-length practice tests. High Pass Education offers robust exam results reporting, including detailed data and recommendations on your test-taking skills. TDC offers more overall practice tests. Some High Pass Education practice tests offer automated in-exam coaching, where brief notes at the bottom of the screen aim to help users improve their test-taking skills in real time.
Success Rates
Both companies advertise strong customer success rates on their actual exams. High Pass Education provides success rate data broken down by exam type and by scores on customers’ final mock exams. For example, High Pass notes that among customers who scored 80% or above on their first attempt at their final mock exam, 100% passed their real exam. TDC advertises an overall pass rate. Neither company reports specific sample sizes or methodologies, making direct comparisons difficult. Both companies’ reported data may be impacted by response bias. Ultimately, both companies likely produce very strong success rates, and those rates are likely to be impacted by user factors such as incoming knowledge base and amount of the prep program actually completed.
Instructors
Therapist Development Center exam prep courses are led by Amanda Rowan, a licensed clinical social worker. High Pass Education exam prep courses are led by Ben Caldwell, PsyD, a licensed marriage and family therapist. Both report extensive clinical and teaching experience. Dr. Caldwell has taught therapists at the graduate level for more than 20 years, and is the author of Basics of California Law for LMFTs, LPCCs, and LCSWs, a textbook required in graduate programs around the state.
Summary
Both High Pass Education and Therapist Development Center offer popular licensing exam prep courses for mental health professionals. High Pass Education courses offer significantly lower prices, on-demand video, and some practice test features like in-exam coaching and feedback on test-taking skills that TDC does not. Therapist Development Center offers a popular audio format and more overall practice tests.
Ultimately, we believe that High Pass Education offers a meaningfully better overall value, with more features at a significantly lower price.
This information was collected in November 2025.
