With the best GMAT prep courses, you can get the preparation you need to maximize your chances of success on the exam.
The GMAT is a test used in business colleges to determine a student’s readiness for graduate school. How you do on this test will determine the caliber of institutions that you’re allowed in or whether you’re selected at any school at all.
For those well-prepared, the GMAT is an excellent opportunity to impress the selection committee in the schools you’ve applied to. Doing well is one of the best ways to set you apart from the other applicants.
One of the easiest ways to set yourself up for success is to take some GMAT prep courses.
There are many great GMAT prep courses that are affordable and will help to ensure that your score is as high as possible. But not all of these prep courses are worth the money.
We’ve compiled a list of the 7 best GMAT prep courses to help you maximize your success on the exam and reach your goals.
What Do You Need to Know for the GMAT?
Before we talk about our favorite GMAT prep courses, let’s go over what you can expect when taking this important test.
The GMAT runs for 3.5 hours per session, so this is the amount of time you have to take the test from start to finish. During the test, you will have to focus on integrated reasoning, quantitative skills, analytical writing, and verbal skills. The test is multiple choice.
As it is a mandatory component for admission in most of the top business schools, it’s imperative that you do as well as you can.
Admission committees will look at your score and access the skills that you did well in as well as the readiness you appear to have for careers in business.
In other words, doing well on the GMAT usually means a better chance of more positive acceptance letters!
When your test is graded, you will end up with 5 separate scores.
There are section scores, for the sections mentioned above, plus there is an integrated score that considers performance based on the verbal and quantitative sections.
Overall, you can score anywhere from 200 to 800 on the GMAT. Currently, many schools consider a score of 720+ to be good enough to get you in the top schools. This is why the majority of the top GMAT test prep courses guarantee at least a 700+ score upon completion of the course.
Now that you know what the GMAT is and why it’s highly advised that you consider a GMAT test prep course to get the highest score possible, let’s look at some available options.
What are the Best GMAT Prep Courses?
Here are 7 of the best GMAT test prep courses currently available.
1. Target Test Prep
Target Test Prep
Target Test Prep offers an extensive library of content, including practice questions and drills as well as expert support and guidance from experienced instructors. Students will better understand the GMAT's sections, build confidence in their skills, and develop strategies for tackling difficult problems.
Target Test Prep is an excellent way to boost your score to levels you might not have thought were possible.
In fact, if you visit the Target Test Prep website, you’ll find that the average score for users of the program is 720. Not only that, but 84% of users end up with a score above 700!
The program consists of 1,200 instructor-led HD videos, a personalized study plan that will help you through the process, smart analytics that will find your weaknesses to help you improve, and the ability to master every single concept that is necessary to get a top GMAT score.
Target Test Prep even guarantees an improvement of 110 points on your score.
More than 4,000 practice questions are also part of the program. This will give you a good idea of what you can expect, and it will ensure that you’re prepared for anything on the test.
The average student gets between 500-600 on the GMAT. Being able to score over 700 can make a huge difference in the schools you’re accepted to attend.
Target Test Prep currently offers three plans. There’s the Flexible Preparation plan ($149/mo.), the Dedicated Study plan ($449 for four months), and the Maximum Learning plan ($499 for six months).
If you’re unsure of whether Target Test Prep has what you need, you can even sign up for a 5-day trial for just $1. This should give you plenty of time to discover if this is the right solution for you.
Remember, all plans give you access to GMAT quant and verbal lessons, HD quality instructor-led videos, adaptable study plans, custom GMAT practice tests, error analytics, live support, and a 110-point score increase guarantee!
Click here to try Target Test Prep for 5 days for only $1.
2. Manhattan Prep
Manhattan Prep gives you a couple of different learning options.
You can choose the Live Online GMAT Prep that is instructor-led and will guide you through every aspect of GMAT preparation.
Your other option is Private GMAT Tutoring. This option puts you with your own personal GMAT coach that can build you a study plan and calendar that will help you attain a higher GMAT score.
Manhattan Prep attempts to tailor programming offerings to suit the needs of a variety of situations. For starters, you can choose between live (in-person or online) or on-demand courses. There’s also a Bootcamp option if you’re running out of time and need to get ready for the GMAT fast!
Additionally, there are some Advanced Course options for people already scoring 650 or above, that wish to continue to raise their scores.
A Self Study kit is available if you’re just interested in working through everything on your own.
Manhattan Prep even offers a free class or two, so you can try things out before you buy anything.
Courses include a variety of features specific to the course you’ve picked. Courses include video-based lessons, full-length GMAT practice exams, a foundations of Math workshop, Advanced Quant eBook, and a practice tracker.
If you’re working remotely you can opt between computer study or you can access Manhattan Prep through the mobile app.
3. PrepScholar GMAT Prep
PrepScholar offers an affordable plan that guarantees a score increase of 60 points or your money back! The program is customized to your specific needs further guaranteeing your success. The program tailors your strengths and weaknesses to create a successful study map for you. Not only that, but adaptations are made as you go.
The experts that design and teach the courses all received 99% scores on the GMAT themselves.
Course features include a progress tracker, personalized study plan, three available skill levels, multiple computer practice tests, over 50 interactive lessons, video explanations, over 1,000 practice questions, and more!
You start with a diagnostic assessment that measures your skill level on all the 30+ GMAT skills across the test. From there, a custom curriculum is built for you that caters to your needs and strengths. Finally, you’ll receive weekly reports and can check progress via the progress tracker to stay informed on your progress and to see how you should proceed.
PrepScholar offers 3 course options to suit almost any budget. You can choose the $69 Resource Poll (self-guided without diagnostic assessment), the $139 (self-guided with diagnostic assessment), or the $259 completely customized GMAT course. All plans are risk-free for the first 5 days.
4. Varsity Tutors GMAT Prep
Varsity Tutors gives you the option of smaller in-person classroom classes or the chance to work with an expert in a 1-on-1 tutoring capacity. The virtual classroom allows a small, set number of students to be able to learn and interact together with the tutor. Of course, if you’d prefer personal time with the tutor, you can choose to go that route instead. Varsity Tutors allows you to choose from a variety of highly knowledgeable GMAT experts.
You will have the opportunity to learn all about the available GMAT experts so that you can choose the one best suited for you. Once enrolled, the tutor will work with you performing assessments and other activities to ensure that you understand the concepts in the GMAT and that you’ll be prepared when the time comes to take the test.
Varsity Tutors is convinced that the program they offer will get you a better GMAT score. In fact, they back that up with a money-back guarantee. If you take the test after going to Varsity Tutors GMAT prep and your score doesn’t improve, you can get your money back.
5. The Princeton Review GMAT Prep
The Princeton Review GMAT Prep guarantees that you will receive a 700+ score after taking their prep classes. So, if you have a 620-starting score, they guarantee your score will raise a minimum of 80 points or your money back. Prep classes include instruction led by experts of the GMAT, nearly 4,500 GMAT practice-style questions, a GMAT guidebook, interactive lessons, study drills, and more.
If you take a course with The Princeton Review, you’ll receive 10+ hours of advanced GMAT questions, focused instruction, and an additional 10+ hours on math and verbal explanation sections. Adaptive drills include 10 practice tests. With over 2,500 drill questions, this helps you to know what to expect on the GMAT. There are also online explanations available for all of the practice material so if you’re struggling with something you can pinpoint the problem.
Three levels for the study materials are available. You can even click a hint button when you’re working on problems, and you need a little help. Once you’ve answered the questions you can then check out the explanations to ensure you’re mastering each concept before moving on. The Princeton Review GMAT course is available for $1,649 for the entire course, or you can pay on a payment plan with the first payment of $399 due upon signup.
6. Magoosh GMAT Prep
Magoosh Prep has helped over six million students get into their preferred school. They offer affordable options and the ability to study anywhere. You can use your computer or mobile device. You can also choose between on-demand and live classes, so you get the support and availability that you need.
Magoosh offers three main plans that you can choose from. The price ultimately depends on the plan you choose. The first two plans are self-study plans. You can choose from the Math + IR plan for $219 or the Premium plan for $249. The other option is the Guided Study plan, which is Live + Premium. This plan is available for $599.
Opting for the self-study plans will give you access to study schedules, practice questions, video lessons, and access to math, IR, verbal, and other content (depending on your plan). All of this is available for a full year, so you’ll have time to study on your schedule.
The Live plan ups the ante by giving you 16 hours of live instruction, targeted assignments, and customized homework. Your instructor will be in the 99th percentile for the GMAT. Additionally, class sizes are kept to a minimum so that each student receives the help they need.
7. E-GMAT
E-GMAT offers an affordable solution to raising your GMAT score. You’ll have the opportunity to customize your study plan, to track improvement, and to utilize practice tests to help improve your overall GMAT score. Many of the top GMAT experts work at E-GMAT and they are here to help you succeed!
When you’re working on your study plan, you will see that real-time feedback becomes available four times per hour. This gives you ample time to adjust your learning strategy based on your strengths and weaknesses.
As you study, you can watch HD video lessons and you can take a variety of practice tests and quizzes that will allow you to see where you’re at and how ready you’ll be come test time.
There are two plans available with E-GMAT. You can choose the plan that covers verbal and quant sections, or you can opt for just verbal. The verbal plan only covers the language portion of the GMAT.
No matter which plan you choose you will have access to hundreds of exercises, practice tests, practice questions, and customer support. E-GMAT offers a comprehensive free trial so if you’re curious about what they have to offer, you can sign up and find out.
Final Word on the Best GMAT Prep Courses
If you’re studying for the GMAT, the prep courses in our guide can help you gain the score you need.
All of these courses offer a range of features that will help you master the material and boost your confidence for test day.
The most important thing is to find a course that fits your budget, schedule, and learning style! Good luck on your GMAT prep journey!
