9 Best GMAT Prep Courses for 2023: Top Online School Picks & Reviews
BEST TEST DAY PREP
BEST BUDGET OPTION
BEST INTERACTIVE VIDEOS
A great GMAT score opens the door to top MBA programs. It’s no surprise, therefore, that you would invest valuable time, effort, and resources in preparing for this. After all, your GMAT prep has the potential to launch your career towards greater heights.
One way to prepare for the test is to pick the best GMAT prep partner. However, which one is the best GMAT prep partner for you? Well, choosing the most suitable one might be a little tricky, especially with almost all of them claiming to be the best.
Hence, we have compiled here NINE of the best GMAT prep courses for 2020. What made them our top picks for this list? Let’s find out.
1. Kaplan GMAT Prep
Best Test Day Prep
Kaplan GMAT Prep is best if you:
- Are on the lookout for extensive practice tests and questions.
- Want supplemental practice resources to boost your GMAT prep.
- Believe you would need a glimpse of the GMAT through an official test day experience
If you’re looking for the best GMAT prep option that will help you have the best test day preparation, try Kaplan GMAT Prep. As one of the longest-running test prep, Kaplan GMAT had established its name as among the best.
It provides an effective GMAT prep with its offering of nine full-length practice tests and 5000+ adaptive Qbank. Kaplan GMAT also offers a number of video lessons, available in its GMAT Channel in which you could filter your search to access videos of preferred instructors and subjects. All these resources are available for you for six months.
Further, Kaplan provides an official test day experience that simulates the actual GMAT test day, including the time, seating style, and more. If it’s your first time taking the GMAT, this plus would be a good way to give you a glimpse of what you’re about to face. Hence, it prepares you for the important event, not only by familiarizing you with the test but also by helping you get used to the testing conditions.
Kaplan GMAT Prep offers the following packages (1):
- Self-Paced: $599.
- Live Online: $1249
- GMAT Tutoring: $2499 (10 hours)
2. Magoosh GMAT Prep
Best Budget Option
Kaplan GMAT Prep is best if you:
Are an independent learner. With the absence of live classes and very minimal guidance through the study guide and “ask an expert” feature, you need to have a strong self-motivation to make the best out of the Magoosh GMAT prep.
If you are an independent learner who is looking for flexible GMAT prep, you might want to try Magoosh. It offers you a nice enough deal for a cost that would be friendly enough to your pocket. Would its GMAT prep be good enough though? Judging by Magoosh’s confidence with its +50 point increase guarantee, I believe it is.
How does Magoosh plan to increase your score? They offer over 300 video lessons, 1300 practice questions, 2 practice tests, a study schedule, and an accurate test predictor, among other features. It also has an app which is available for iOS and Android, assuring easy access.
Magoosh offers limited packages (2) but you might want to know that these are among the cheapest options you would find for a GMAT prep. It is sad to note, however, that Magoosh does not have live classes.
- Math +I IR study Pack: $219
- Self-Study Premium: $249.
- Guided Study (Tutoring + Premium): $799
3. Manhattan Prep GMAT
Best Interactive Videos
Kaplan GMAT Prep is best if you:
- Learn best through engaging and interactive videos.
- Want a personalized but flexible study arrangement. Since Interactive videos are included in almost all packages, you get a chance to design your GMAT prep at your own sked, and still have an interactive learning experience.
Manhattan Prep has the best interactive videos, particularly in its self-paced course ‘Interact.’
The prep course also offers a number of great deals with its top-caliber instructors and tutors, 6 full-length practice tests, and 5 strategy guides, among other features. It also has a mobile app that is available on iOS and Android, ensuring convenient GMAT prep.
However, the most remarkable feature of Manhattan Prep GMAT for me is their interactive video lessons. These are not just your typical pre-recorded videos that urge you to pause the video from time to time to try to answer the question and continue to play it once you are ready. No. With Manhattan Prep, the lesson urges you to interact. And they react to your responses. It is almost like being in a one-on-one live session.
Manhattan Prep offers a wide variety of deals for learners of different needs, targets, schedules, and budgets. These packages would also give you access to their interactive videos (3).
- Interact Full Course: $999.
- Live GMAT Course: $1599
- Private Tutoring: $2450 (10 hours)
4. Veritas GMAT Prep
Most Extensive Practice
Kaplan GMAT Prep is best if you:
- Have a long GMAT prep time. This would allow you to maximize the 12 full-length tests and over 5000 practice questions at your disposal for 12 months.
- Believe you could benefit from more assistance even when you opt for a self-study course. You could access this assistance through the live online “office hours.”
If you are on the lookout for an extensive number of practice tests and questions, you might want to check out Veritas Prep. It has 12 full-length practice tests and over 5000 practice questions at your disposal for 12 months.
Further, you might be interested to know that Veritas’ Prep practice questions were designed in consultation with experts in the industry. Hence, the practice test gives you an authentic GMAT experience and helpful diagnostics for a smart prep.
Veritas Prep also offers a lot of plus with its packages such as free admissions consultation and live help for self-study options, which isn’t easy to find in other GMAT prep courses. Veritas Prep offers the following packages (4):
- Self Study: $699
- Live Class: $1399
- Private Tutorial: $2650
5. The Economist GMAT Tutor
Best Packed Self-study GMAT Prep
Kaplan GMAT Prep is best if you:
- Require very minimal guidance. You have to consider that the Economist GMAT Tutor is designed primarily for self-study. You only have limited live 1-to-1 sessions and ask-a-tutor- questions via chat. Hence, you need to be self-motivated in your prep.
- Want a manageable GMAT prep course. In contrast to other preps which offer printed books and other stand-alone online resources, the Economist GMAT Tutor packs them all in a single place for easier management.
A lot of resources do help, especially if you have a lot of time to prepare. However, they could also be overwhelming and confusing at times. Hence, if what you want is GMAT prep packed in one place, you need to check The Economist GMAT Tutor.
Other GMAT prep reviews see the lack of standalone practice tests and study resources as a weakness. However, I think there is beauty with the idea that everything you need is already in one resource. You don’t need to shift back and forth from one material to the next. The drawback though is that there is very limited control over what you will cover in this GMAT prep.
Economist GMAT Tutor also has a nice mobile app that makes sure that what you get on the desktop, you also access through your mobile device. Plus, this app runs even without an internet connection. Another thing that I like about The Economist GMAT Tutor is the flexibility it offers in your purchased packages through its credit system. Economist GMAT Tutor prep options (5) are:
- Quant Package: $599
- Premium Package: $899
- Genius Package: $1299
6. Princeton Review GMAT Prep
Comprehensive Prep
Kaplan GMAT Prep is best if you:
- Want a comprehensive and adaptive drill that offers smart GMAT prep but gives you enough flexibility to have free rein.
- Have ambitious targets for your GMAT. If you target a 700+ GMAT score, Princeton Review; GMAT 700+ might be compatible with your needs.
- Require more tutorial hours. The competitive rate of the Princeton Review for their package allows you to purchase more hours for more personalized GMAT prep.
The Princeton Review offers a comprehensive GMAT prep course with its well designed DrillBuilder that packs learning resources in a smart way. The DrillBuilder helps you build on your skills that need to be sharpened. It also offers flexibility if you want free rein on your practice. These also come with useful videos to help you out of tricky problems.
Further, The Princeton Review also has 10 full-length practice tests, and GMAT live explanations even for self-study packages. You might also be interested to know that it has a very reasonable price for its tutorial package which is almost close to the price offering of Magoosh.
The Princeton Review offers the following packages (6):
- Self-paced course: $799
- Fundamentals: $1399
- Private Tutoring: $1800
7. e-GMAT Review
Best Verbal Prep
Kaplan GMAT Prep is best if you:
- Require a strong prep on the verbal section, particularly on Sentence Correction.
- Are an independent learner that requires minimal support through a live instructor.
- Want to brush up on a single section in GMAT, If you are already confident about your preparation for the other sections and only need to brush up on verbal, this might be a good option for you.
If you are looking for the best GMAT prep course to help you boost your preparation for the Verbal section, particularly in sentence correction, you should check e-GMAT. It offers a package that covers both Verbal and Quant. However, its GMAT prep for the Quant section is not as impressive as the Verbal.
One of the interesting features of e-GMAT is the Scholaranium that houses practice questions, including some retired official GMAT questions. After answering every topic, a performance report will show your progress. It also has a personalized study planner, video lessons, and student support.
Here are the course offerings of e-GMAT (7):
- GMAT Online (Verbal and Quant): $349
- Verbal Online: $249
- Quant Online: &249
8. examPAL GMAT
Most Personalized
Kaplan GMAT Prep is best if you:
- Want a personalized GMAT prep that is tailor-fit to your strengths and will help you enhance your weak areas.
- Desire to learn other ways of solving the problems to help you find the one that will save you time and will be most suitable to your strengths.
- Are an independent learner who does not require much instruction. However, you could acquire live one-on-one sessions using your credits.
Looking for personalized and self-paced GMAT prep for busy people? You might want to check out examPAL GMAT prep. Most of the other GMAT prep courses offer adaptive technology but examPAL goes beyond adaptive to personalized GMAT prep.
How does examPAL personalize your GMAT prep? With its award-winning technology feature, the PALgorithm, it studies how you think and optimizes your strengths. According to examPAL, three main routes to solve a GMAT problem are Precise, Alternative, and Logical. Hence, examPAL’s algorithm will help you know the efficient routes towards the correct answers.
With examPAL, you have access to interactive video lessons, 4 GMAC practice tests, and essay reviews, among other features for 6 months. Their packages also offer flexibility through the credit system which allows you to purchase other features not listed in your package.
ExamPAL offers the following GMAT prep packages(9).
- Genius: $1399
- Premium: $999
- Quant: $699
9. Target Test Prep
Best Quant GMAT Prep
Kaplan GMAT Prep is best if you:
- Are targeting a boost in your quant score specifically. However, If you are looking for a prep that covers all sections in the GMAT, you might want to look elsewhere.
- Are looking for hourly tutorials to supplement your GMAT prep in Quant, verbal, and IR.
Are you confident with the other GMAT sections and want to focus on boosting your Quant score? Then you might want to try Target Test Prep. Unlike other general GMAT prep, it targets specifically to optimize your Quant performance through a personalized study plan and smart analytics, among other features.
Target Test Prep offers practice questions, video lessons, live support, and private tutoring to help boost your Quant score. However, what is really interesting about this prep is the OnTarget analytics that shows you the topics that you have covered mostly and those that need more improvement.
Further, it also has an error tracker that will help you determine where things went wrong in your solution. It could help you reflect on your answering process so you’ll know what is keeping you from your target quant score. It also allows customized practice tests where you could specify the topics, number of questions, and difficulty level.
Target Test Prep offers the following packages which offer the same features different subscription durations (10).
- GMAT Flexible Preparation: $149
- GMAT Dedicated Study: $449
- GMAT Maximum Learning: $499
Which of these ‘bests’ is the best for you?
Even with your list narrowed down to these nine best GMAT prep courses, choosing the best one for you is still a bit tricky. Why wouldn’t it be? Each prep course offers interesting features that could boost your GMAT score.
Aside from the budget, of course, there are other important things that you might need to take into consideration before you decide on the best GMAT prep course for YOU.
Target Goals
What is your target for this GMAT? And when we talk about targets, we are not just talking about your target score. It could also be a specific section that you target to improve. You have to take this into consideration when you choose your GMAT prep partner.
Do you aim for the GMAT scores that will get you to the top MBA programs? Then, you might want to consider intensive and advanced preps like Manhattan Prep’s GMAT Advanced course or The Princeton Review’s 700+.
If you know your strengths and weaknesses, you probably already know which areas you need to target best. Do you need a GMAT prep course that covers all sections? Or, are you already confident with other sections and wish to focus more on Quant or Verbal? If you are targeting Quant prep specifically, then you might be interested in Target Test Prep. If you target improvement in the Verbal section, then you might want to check out the e-GMAT Review.
The point is, you should clearly identify your goals for the GMAT prep and choose the course that will help you achieve them.
Timeline
Another thing that you might want to consider is your timeline. When do you plan to take the GMAT and how much time do you have to prepare before then? If you still have a year to prep, you might want to take into consideration the GMAT prep courses’ subscription length to make sure they’d give you enough time to maximize the resources.
Now, if you have a shorter prep time, you might want to consider more intensive preps like Manhattan Preps’ Bootcamp or private tutorials that will target the improvement of your weak areas.
Schedule
I’m sure you don’t need to be reminded that your schedule is an important consideration as well. After all, what good is an excellent product if it collides with your other activities?
If you are an extremely busy person, you surely need a flexible GMAT prep course such as the self-paced course. However, if you could give more time to attend classes, then live classes might be an option. The thing is, make sure you will be able to maximize the prep, given your schedule.
Learning Style
How do you learn best? This has to be clear with you when you choose your GMAT prep course.
- Are you an independent learner or do you need more one-on-one guidance in your GMAT prep?
- Do you learn best with interactive visuals or are you more of a reader?
- Do you want clear directions in your study plans or do you require flexibility to take the rein to focus on areas you know you need to focus on?
Your answers will help determine your learning style. This is how you learn best. Hence, you might want to be matched with the GMAT prep that is most compatible with your style of learning.
Self-Paced Options
Are you an independent learner? If you are, the self-study or self-paced courses might be your best match. They offer practice and learning materials such as videos, practice tests, and questions that you could work on at your own schedule and pace.
Some of these GMAT prep courses offer minimal guidance through chat or email or live online help. You are mostly responsible however for your learning. If you are seriously considering a self-study, here are the GMAT preps that offer self-paced courses.
|
GMAT Prep |
Pricing |
|
Magoosh GMAT Prep |
$249 |
|
e-GMAT Review |
$349 |
|
Target Test Prep GMAT |
$499 |
|
Kaplan GMAT Prep |
$599 |
|
Veritas GMAT Prep |
$699 |
|
Princeton Review GMAT Prep |
$799 |
|
Manhattan Prep GMAT |
$999 |
|
examPAL GMAT |
$999 |
|
The Economist GMAT Tutor |
$1299 |
Live and In-person Classes
Some students benefit a lot from being connected with other reviewers and have personal interactions with instructors who would guide them through the GMAT prep. If you are one of them and you could devote time for classes, you might take into consideration these GMAT prep classes. These preps give you materials for self-study but provide support through live or in-personal classes.
|
GMAT Prep |
Pricing |
|
Kaplan GMAT Prep |
$1249 |
|
Veritas GMAT Prep |
$1399 |
|
Princeton Review GMAT Prep |
$1399 |
|
Manhattan Prep GMAT |
$1599 |
Private Tutorials:
Finally, if you require more personalized guidance, you might want to consider GMAT tutoring classes, even when they are more pricey. These tutorial sessions match you with an expert tutor who will help you engage in a smart prep that is based on your strengths and weaknesses.
|
GMAT Prep |
Pricing |
|
Target Test Prep GMAT |
$300 per hour |
|
Magoosh GMAT Prep |
$799 (6 hours) |
|
Princeton Review GMAT Prep |
$1800 (10 hours) |
|
Manhattan Prep GMAT |
$2450 (10 hours) |
|
Kaplan GMAT Prep |
$2499 (10 hours) |
|
Veritas GMAT Prep |
$2650 (10 hours) |
The indicated prices above are regular package prices. For sale and discounted prices, check out the GMAT prep’s websites.
Conclusion
Each GMAT prep course offers interesting features, thus the need to research and identify your best option.
To know which GMAT prep course is suitable, however, you need to know yourself as well. What is your target? What is your learning style? Only upon knowing these will you be able to know which features you should be prioritizing in your selection.
Reference List
- https://www.kaptest.com/gmat/comparison/prep-course-options
- https://gmat.magoosh.com/plans
- https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/prep/
- https://www.veritasprep.com/gmat/
- https://gmat.economist.com/
- https://www.princetonreview.com/business/gmat-test-prep?ceid=tersh-nav-honors-course
- https://www.princetonreview.com/business/gmat-test-prep?ceid=tersh-nav-honors-course
- https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-economist-group-and-exampal-collaborate-to-enhance-gmat-tutor-and-gre-tutor-test-prep-products-301153135.html
- https://exampal.com/gmat/pricing
- https://gmat.targettestprep.com/plans