There are a lot of GMAT prep courses out there! So many, in fact, that it can be hard to tell which of them can actually improve your scores. Here are the pros and cons of some of the most popular choices. Remember, people learn in different ways, so you have to find a course that fits your learning style if you’re truly serious about improving your score. There are no bad options here, just different ones.  If you are looking for what students had to say, we just posted our 2018/19 Best GMAT Prep Courses according to user reviews.

Veritas Prep

Benefits

Veritas Prep is one of the largest GMAT course providers in the country and with good reason. The instructors they hire are required to score in the 99th percentile on the exam. The sample GMAT questions Veritas Prep designs are created by writers with over 10,000 hours of course and development experience. You can use Veritas Prep resources for up to one year–including repeating the course with no added charge.

Things to Consider

Veritas Prep tends to run pricey as GMAT prep courses go. Currently, the “preferred option” course that includes both classroom and office hours is priced at $1,650. While instructors provide office hours to students, their time is limited to two hours per day which can be inconvenient if you do most of your studying in longer sessions. Of course, you can always spend a little more money on top of that for extra help.

The Princeton Review

Benefits

The Princeton Review has much more opportunity for individual instruction. Their online classes are typically smaller than other GMAT prep courses, with usually less than 15 students in each class. Sometimes, there are as little as 4 students. With ten full practice tests spaced throughout the course of the program, you may find it much easier to get used to the GMAT exam process. Still unsure? Students are welcome to attend a class before they enroll to ensure whether The Princeton Review is the right fit for them.

Things to Consider

The Princeton Review does not have a large library of additional materials students can study. There is no blog and only a few sample practice questions for students to review. On top of that, there are few opportunities to interact with other students. While this may not matter to you, many students prefer to have as much engagement as possible.

PowerScore

Benefits

Powerscore is a highly affordable, comprehensive GMAT prep courses with class packages costing less than $1,000. Each of their GMAT instructors are required to score in the 99th percentile. Rather than including additional tutoring hours as a part of their larger packages, Powerscore offers these hours on an as-needed basis. You can choose the course that best complements your schedule such as a five-week course or an intensive weekend course.

Things to Consider

While Powerscore may be the best option for your budget, they offer no online courses. Students must find a school in their area or purchase individual tutoring. If you live in a major city, this shouldn’t be too discouraging. However, for more rural areas or students with limited schedules, there is less flexibility to get the help you need.

Kaplan

Benefits

Kaplan always ensures that students get enough attention from the instructors of their class, with a strict 10-to-1 ratio. Their sample question bank has over 5,000 sample questions, an invaluable resource. Students take nine full practice tests during their course, best preparing them for the rigor of the actual GMAT exam. Kaplan is also known to partner with Pearson/ VUE–the company that actually runs the GMAT exam. Kaplan offers both online and on-site instruction.

Things to Consider

While Kaplan offers excellent instruction and resources, they do not have hourly tutoring options available. Students may be forced into a more expensive tutoring plan even when they only need a little extra help. Not all of their prices are listed on their website, and the ones they do tend to run relatively expensive.

Manhattan Review

Benefits

Manhattan Review offers variable timeframes for courses to give students the option to choose the best schedule for their needs. These range from an 8-Week Classic Course, a 1-Week Bootcamp Course, and even a 2-Day Weekend Course. Their large video library can be used to supplement basic instructions. Though, keep in mind that students in the shorter courses will not have as much time to make use of the library.

Things to Consider

With only five practice tests, Manhattan Prep offers significantly fewer practice tests than most of their competition. They do not have a sample question bank for students to use as a resource and there is no money-back guarantee if your scores do not improve. With larger class sizes, students have fewer opportunities for individual instruction.

Have a GMAT course in mind that we didn’t mention? Check out MBAInsight.com’s GMAT Test Reviews for a more comprehensive look on what students are taking to improve their scores. Happy studying!