The GMAT exam is one of the metrics that is often required to get into the business school of one’s choice. The Economist offers insight into the importance of this standardized test. The GMAT (graduate management admission test) is a window into one’s ability to learn a set of content over a short time. It measures test-taking acumen and whether or not one has a penchant for quick decision-making. U.S. News quotes Lindsay Badeaux, a senior assistant director of admissions at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business, saying that the GMAT exam is “a strong indicator” about one’s readiness for business school. With so much on the line, students are looking for the best online GMAT test prep courses.
The GMAT
The GMAT test takes about three-and-a-half hours. there are four parts to the GMAT exam. One part is a writing assessment that measures critical thinking and communication skills. Another portion involves integrated reasoning. In this section, one analyzes data and interprets information that is illustrated in differing outputs. A third section is quantitative reasoning. This portion of the test asks the question of whether an individual has solid math skills. A final part consists of verbal reasoning. This section determines if the test taker is proficient in reading comprehension, editing, and following written arguments.
Self-study for the GMAT exam requires a lot of discipline. The consensus is that a preparation class or private tutor are more reliable routes, and help one better stay on track for the 80 to 90 hours of study that many put into the test. The following list of the Best online GMAT Prep Courses is a great place to begin to target test prep.
Bloomberg Exam Prep
Bloomberg Exam Prep offers five levels of best gmat prep courses. Each level has an increasing number of tutor questions, sessions, and full-length practice exams. Each tier also guarantees an increased score improvement. Tier one offers a 50+ point guarantee, level two offers a 70+ point guarantee, and level three offers a 90+ point guarantee. Optional extras exist for those who choose to upgrade their plans. For a set fee, one may add more tutor questions, practice test, and extra private tutoring.
Unique post-covid plans are available with less content and without the warranties and at a reduced cost. Bloomberg provides a 100% money-back guarantee for those who complete the course but receive a lower-than-promoted score, and the program has a seven-day free trial for test runs. GMAT Club rates Bloomberg Exam Prep with five stars. Another rating service, Beat the GMAT, awards Bloomberg with 4.5 stars and has 265 posted reviews. The best gmat prep course will have high praise and reviews.
eGMAT
Free online gmat course resources that include over 200 practice questions are available for those using eGMAT. This GMAT service has more reviews than any other provider listed on GMAT Club. Several free resources are available to students using eGMAT. There are Live Weekend Webinars, practice questions, video lessons, and Quant and Verbal Diagnostics. Between its constant assessments at 15-minute intervals and the ability quizzes that provide GMAT score predictions before one even taking the first practice test, this online GMAT course promises to remove the surprises from full-length practice tests and bump up your gmat score.
Three gmat course online offerings are available to students, and they include a comprehensive plan, a verbal only plan, and a quant only plan. Rated by GMAT Club with 4.7 stars, e-GMAT has more reviews on this site than most of the other providers combined. Additionally, the program is highly rated by Beat the GMAT, which gives it 4.8 stars. Re-takers are guaranteed an 80 + point improvement to their scores, and for those who wish to give the program a test before committing, there is a seven-day money-back guarantee on this prep course.
EMPOWERgmat
Considered one of the best GMAT prep courses, EMPOWERgmat offers a 100 point guarantee. Additionally, it has a free trial offer where one only pays if they like the program. Those who wish to try out the services available on EMPOWERgmat have a one-hour window to access all of the content for free. Individuals who decide to sign up may do so monthly or for a discounted quarterly rate. This online GMAT prep class offers a 100 point guarantee. Although the point guarantee scales depending upon the original score, students who don’t see the stated improvement in their scores are entitled to a full month’s refund. As a bonus, if one manages to better his score by at least 100 points, EMPOWERgmat offers a free hour of admissions consulting.
EMPOWERgmat receives a 4.8-star rating from GMAT Club. Additionally, Beat the GMAT assigns the service a perfect five-star rating. According to their website, 164 of its students reported scores last month that were higher than 700. The average increase in scores for those using this prep course service is reported as 89 points
Kaplan
Kaplan offers one of the best GMAT prep courses that include nine practice tests, over 140 hours of instruction and practice, and an official test day experience. A Qbank of more than 5,000 practice questions that adapt based on the test taker’s level is available to access. This algorithm-driven system offers detailed explanations and focuses on the most productive problems and practice questions at one’s learning stage. Students will choose from both live and on-demand classes. The best GMAT prep courses cover three quantitative areas ranging from Algebra to statistics. The courses also include three levels of verbal insight that range from analytical writing tips to identifying commonly tested grammatical issues. Additional practice options and tutoring are available for additional charges.
Kaplan offers a higher score guarantee in its online GMAT courses. If a student does not raise his score, he can either continue course prep for free or receive a refund of program costs. This online GMAT prep course received a GMAT Club and Beat the GMAT rating of 4.4 stars. Kaplan and Manhattan prep course is one of the best GMAT prep courses available.
Magoosh
With more than 236,000 students to its credit, Magoosh is a stellar GMAT prep course. This service claims that the average score improvement is 90 points for those who use its program. Although 90 points is not a guarantee, there is a 50 point guarantee. Those students who don’t achieve this minimum increase receive a full refund. Additionally, this online GMAT prep course is available for what amounts to a seven-day free trial. Those who choose to cancel the service within seven days get their money back. Included with this service are study materials, video lessons, practice questions, two practice tests, and a score predictor. Additional practice tests are available at a 40% discount. Two self-study plans are available at a lower cost, and a guided study with tutoring is also an option. GMAT Club rates Magoosh with 4.6 stars, and Beat the GMAT gives it a nearly perfect 4.9 stars.
Optimus Prep
Optimus Prep offers a one-hour free trial online course for prospective customers to get a feel for its program. This service claims that the average score improvement of its students is 110 points. Students are guaranteed a 50 point increase on their GMAT score and will receive a full refund if that doesn’t happen.
The program is adaptable, offers practice questions, and it doesn’t force one to study areas in which they are already proficient continually. Students of this program have the option, depending on their plan selection, to learn from experts who scored in the top 1% on the GMAT. The online tutoring experience models itself to be just like traditional in-person tutoring. Distinguished as Silver, Gold, and Platinum, several packages are available to prospective students. The most significant distinguishing feature between the plans is the inclusion of hours of tutoring. Beat the GMAT gives Optimus Prep a perfect five-star rating.
PrepScholar
Beat the GMAT assigns a perfect score of five-stars to the PrepScholar online course. The online GMAT prep course begins with students taking a diagnostic assessment covering both verbal and quant areas relevant to the test. This assessment is available for free when students sign up for the five-day free trial. Following this, an algorithm builds a custom curriculum for the student to best focus on potential opportunities for improvement. Lastly, progress tracking tools offer constant feedback to aid students in staying on track. This prep class provides a guarantee of 60 points or a return of cost.
PrepScholar also offers various levels of tutoring led by instructors who scored in the 99th percentile and made it through a vigorous process that hires one out of one hundred applicants. The average student shows a score increase of 65 points, and a quarter of the students improve by 70 or more points. PrepScholar offers Admission Counseling to aid prospective students in getting into their ideal MBA program.
Princeton Review
The Princeton Review gmat course offers GMAT courses that approaches its guarantee differently from previously mentioned programs. This online GMAT prep course provides a 700 score assurance. However, there is a caveat in that students must begin with a minimum score of 620 to qualify for this promise; otherwise, the program will provide an 80 point increase.
Awarded 4.9 stars by Beat the GMAT, this online GMAT prep class offers 47 total hours of instruction and a gmat practice test. This GMAT advanced course includes four hours of one-on-one student instruction, more than ten hours of study on advanced GMAT questions, and more than ten hours of explanation sessions concerning both verbal and math. The program’s goal is to help students secure a spot at a top 25 MBA program. Free full-length practice tests and strategy sessions are available for those potential students who would like a feel for what this program has to offer.
Check it out here >> Princeton Review GMAT prep course
Target Test Prep
This effective program is highly rated by both the GMAT Club and Beat the GMAT. Both rating services assign a perfect five-star rating to this online GMAT prep class. Students are encouraged to participate in a five-day trial for the cost of one dollar, to get a feel for what this class has to offer.
The average score of students taking this online GMAT prep course is 720, and more than 84% of students have scores of 700 or higher. Students can sign up for a month to month plan, a four-month program, or a six-month plan. Part of this online GMAT prep class includes loads of practice questions, intelligent analysis of mistakes, and personalized study plans. Students will avail themselves of intense Quant preparation and a Beta section on Verbal study that includes many of the same features. Additionally, Target Test Prep offers a guaranteed increase in Quant scores.
Veritas Prep
Veritas Prep provides three structures for students interested in improving their GMAT scores. These programs consist of self-study, live class, and private tutoring. The first program is an independent study program. It consists of more than 5,000 practice questions, twelve GMAT practice tests, and one year of access. Veritas claims an average increase of 140 points among students in this program. The next program has everything from the first, but it is live online or in person. The third option builds upon the previous two and includes private tutoring. Students who choose this option see an average score improvement of 154 points. Customizable options are also available. Students who don’t improve their scores by 50 points may retake the course for free or receive a full refund. Potential students can attend the first lesson of the GMAT class from this online GMAT prep course for free. GMAT Club rates Veritas Prep with 4.9 stars, and Beat the GMAT gives them 4.8 stars.
Next Steps
The GMAT test consists of analytical writing, verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and integrated reasoning. All of these test aspects are combined into a test that takes more than three hours. Additionally, there is a limit imposed on the number of times that one can take the test. Currently, according to The Economist, one has the option to take the test up to eight times. Self Study is a viable option, and there are many resources available to students who choose this route due to time constraints or financial reasons. A GMAT fundamentals course, self-paced course, or online prep course can help. Practice exams and video lessons are an excellent first step, allowing one to access areas of strength and weakness. Practice on the analytical writing assessment may be more difficult. Classic study guides from sources like the “GMAT Grail” series by Aristotle Prep are another alternative based on the actual GMAT exam.
Additionally, free resources are available throughout the internet and at the graduate management admission council. GMAT Club points out that while self-study is a viable option, distance GMAT prep courses offer distinct advantages. They have many GMAT prep courses listed. These GMAT classes are led by experts who have experience and excellent results on the GMAT. They save time by directing students on what to study for full-length practice exams and practice questions with their diagnostic tests. There is a confidence that the best gmat course covers every area that is needed, and doesn’t miss anything. Also, for those who may need it, there is a schedule to provide the drive to get everything done. Many distant GMAT prep courses offer guarantees on score improvement through their GMAT practice exams. So, a wise option might be to do a bit of both. Most GMAT prep courses cost quite a bit, but assuming that one has the time and can afford the cost of a prep course to build GMAT skills, what harm can be done when there is a refund available?
