The Best GMAT Prep Courses To Ace Your Exams

Best for: Prepping across all GMAT sections at a reasonable cost.

Pros:

• Free trial available
• Affordable yearlong subscription
• Training can be paused if needed

Cons:

• Essays aren’t graded
• Limited full practice tests available

Magoosh offers the best overall package for those looking to get prepared for the GMAT. Not only does it have a relatively affordable annual subscription at $249, but it also offers an extensive library of study material, practice questions and more. The company is so confident in its study courses that it promises up to a 70-point score improvement guarantee—or it refunds you.

This package includes all four of the GMAT sections, which not all of them do for a single price. It has at least two practice tests (and you can take more for an additional fee), more than 1,300 practice questions and over 340 video lessons to help you understand the materials the best you can. There’s a built-in score predictor, which helps you gauge where you are and track your progress to make sure you stay on target for the score you want. If you don’t need access to all four sections, Magoosh also has some courses that are a bit more specialized, so be sure to check them all out and see which one best meets your needs.

Best for: Customizing your needs, whether you’re looking to study a certain subject or just take a few practice tests.

Pros

• Pay for courses as you need them
• Easily accessible from anywhere using the mobile app

Cons

• Only the first two exams are free
• Can get expensive with the pay-as-you-go approach

It’s hard to beat a free option, and in this case, the official GMAT Focus Prep Course makes our list because the first two exams are free to access. While this won’t be sufficient enough to prepare you for the whole exam, it’s a great way to test the platform and see how its courses and teaching style work for you. Once you’ve taken those tests, you can customize your study prep to your needs. If you only need one study test, you can take that, or you can take two or buy the entire package. This customizability is great for a tester who may excel in one subject but wants to improve their stats in another area.

For those who have a longer timeline before the test, this is a great way to buy what you need and spread out the cost. You can also buy a verbal review prep, extra practice questions and more on their own. Besides the low, customizable cost, another standout feature is the mobile app. You can use it to access your study materials from anywhere, so you can prep while you’re on your subway commute home, as an example.

Best for: Getting an all-in-one package without breaking the bank.

Pros:

• Affordable
• Comes with a 5-day free trial

Cons:

• Online experience isn’t as polished as others
• Course access time frame is not as long on cheaper plans

Preparing for the GMAT exam can be expensive, as some of these courses cost over $1,000. If you’re on a budget or just need to be a bit smarter with your money, Prepscholar is a great option. With packages starting at under $100, you can get 750 real practice questions, multiple GMAT strategy lessons and more—as long as you’re able to deal with a couple of quirks along the way (for one thing, the user interface isn’t quite as sophisticated to use as other options on this list).

There are different packages that you can pick from, and pricing goes up to $779 for the completely customized online GMAT prep course with eight hours of personalized tutoring included. A more affordable $260 package also includes four months of access to the prep materials and includes 100 hours of content, over 1,000 practice questions and a test exam. Prepscholar stands behind its product and offers a 60 point improvement guarantee.

Best for: Digital nomads who want live test prep and online learning from anywhere.

Pros:

• Six practice exams
• Online options for self-paced or live instruction

Cons:

• Expensive compared to other options
• No score improvement guarantee

Live online learning isn’t for everyone, but if you’re able to stay motivated and dedicate the time, it can be great. The flexibility that it provides allows you to learn at your own pace, which is ideal for people who have schedules that pull them in lots of directions. Manhattan Prep is the best online-based GMAT prep for a few key reasons.

In addition to being able to learn at your own pace, you can attend live online classes to strategize, ask questions and more. You can mix and match the sessions throughout your learning time, so there’s no need to pick one option or the other, too. It offers six practice exams to help you monitor your progress along the course, though it’s important to note that the company doesn’t guarantee any score improvement.

Best for: Studying in a classroom with other test-takers.

Pros:

• Optional 700+ score guarantee available
• 10 practice tests and 60+ online drills

Cons:

• Can get quite expensive, depending on your selection

Prefer to learn in person instead of online? The Princeton Review offers multiple in-person learning options, from classroom-style sessions to private tutoring. While significantly more expensive than others on this list, The Princeton Review offers some key features that make it worth paying the extra.

For those who start with a score of 620 or more, Princeton Review will guarantee that you will score a 700 or higher on the exam after going through its course. With more than 10 practice tests and 60 online drills, there’s a ton of great content available that you can also access online from anywhere when you aren’t at class. This exam prep course includes 47 hours of material, and also includes 27 hours of classroom instruction, 10 hours focused on GMAT questions and 10 hours of verbal and math explanation sessions.