Facing a GRE exam is a daunting enough task, especially when you need a specific score to get into the graduate school you’ve chosen.
And while there are many different test prep courses available, you want to make sure that you pick one that provides the best results and the most flexibility for your style of learning.
That’s why we’ve reviewed and tested the best GRE prep courses to make it easier for you to pick the most suitable one for your learning style.
Let’s see what these self-paced online courses have to offer.
Top 5 GRE Courses to Consider:
- Magoosh - the extensive has-it-all content available in different formats
- Achievable - the budget-friendly with plenty of practice exams option
- Kaplan - thoughtfully laid-out to give the real exam feel
- PrepScholar - a guarantee of 7 additional points with each new test attempt
- Target Test - great for those struggling with math
Top GRE Prep Courses
1. Magoosh GRE Prep Course
At the top of our list of best GRE prep courses is Magoosh. It’s not just one of the cheaper options available but also delivers great content in different formats.
There’s the obvious text-based content that you can study online, but there are also video lessons for each of the sections so that you can see and hear the content.
Many students find this helps a lot to memorize some of the more complex topics.
You also get access to 3 full-length practice tests, which you take at different stages of the GRE course.
When you combine that with the regular quizzes and the Magoosh AI predictor, you get a regular overview of what kind of a score you might get in the real GRE test.
And with an easy-to-navigate dashboard and mobile app, you’ll be able to study any time and anywhere.
Pros:
- Take the practice tests up to 3 times to see your progress
- Online dashboard makes it easy to see what you’ve completed
- Convenient mobile app gives you access to all materials while on the go
- Score predictor shows you how much you have improved based on quiz and test answers
- Affordable price for students on a budget
- Some students think there could be more practice test questions
2. Achievable GRE Prep Course
The Achievable GRE test prep course is another great budget option that has given students good results.
What makes it stand out from the rest is that you get to go through 10 practice exams, helpful for many students feeling nervous about taking the real test.
The practice tests also cover the largest range of practice questions. Other online GRE prep courses don’t even come close to the 10,000 practice questions.
As you progress through the sections and answer quizzes, the platform will also make suggestions where you need to focus more attention to get the best possible score.
The company has also come up with a good solution for the written essay portion.
While you don’t get a dedicated teacher to grade your practice essay, the service includes an AI grading system that looks at your grammar, spelling, and use of vocabulary to make suggestions for improvement.
Pros:
- Access to 10 practice exams to get a better feeling for the test
- Practice exams cover over 10,000 different practice questions for better preparation
- Essay grading provided by an AI platform to suggest a better use of grammar and vocabulary
- Get recommended study guide depending on your progress and quiz answers
- Unfortunately, there are no video lessons or tutorials
3. Kaplan GRE Prep Course
The Kaplan online GRE prep course is possibly one of the best known, with a major educational brand behind it.
The course content is very well structured and laid out, making it very easy to see what you’ve completed and how much work you still have left, making sure that you’re on target to complete everything in time for the real exam.
Kaplan GRE Prep also has over 7,000 questions that it splits over seven practice tests. That should be enough to get a good idea of how you are improving as you work through the materials.
And if you want to take it one step further, then you could also pay extra to go through a trial test at a real exam center to get a better feeling for the environment.
Some students find that takes away a lot of the pressure.
Kaplan GRE can also provide individual tutoring at an extra fee that might be helpful if you’re struggling with a particular section or topic.
Pros:
- Covers over 7,000 questions across seven practice tests
- The app includes flashcards that you can use to study while on the go
- Optional test exam at a real test center to gain more confidence
- One-on-one tutoring available for students who may need some extra help
- It’s one of the more expensive options
4. PrepScholar GRE Prep Course
The main thing that stood out for us about PrepScholar was that they offer a GRE test score guarantee.
The company is confident enough in their service that they will guarantee that you get at least 7 points more than previous attempts. That might be important for students who need to take another test in order to get into their preferred grad school.
Some students may also want to prepare for several months or even up to a year due to other commitments. And that’s where PrepScholar also stands out by providing up to 12 months of access to the GRE prep program.
We also liked the detailed plans on how to tackle studying for different sections. This is broken down into what you should be doing at different stages and recommends areas where you might have the most room for improvement.
Pros:
- Provides the longest online access to materials with 12 months
- Comes with a score improvement guarantee of 7 points
- Detailed study plans make it easier to plan out the online GRE course materials
- Very high quality visual materials make it a lot easier to understand complicated concepts
- Some students might find two practice exams aren’t enough
5. Target Test GRE Prep Course
The final GRE prep course that we would recommend is Target Test.
It offers a great selection of practice questions that closely resemble what you’ll find in the real test.
Target test prep GRE also offers online live tutorials where you can engage with a teacher to ask questions and cover topics that you’ve been struggling with. Students have found this helpful in repeat exam situations where they may have fallen short in one particular area.
We’ve also noticed that GRE prep resources are heavily focused on the quantitative side of things, which is one of the more common areas of difficulty. So, if you’ve struggled with your math skills, then this could be the course to boost your GRE scores.
Pros:
- Offers over 3,000 questions for a good view of what the standardized test looks like
- Online tutorials available for a tutor-led approach to some difficult topics
- Popular with students that need an online prep course that focuses on math
- Great choice for video tutorials on all sections
- Doesn’t provide multiple full-length practice exams
How Do You Pick The Right Course?
One thing we would suggest is to always look beyond what GRE prep courses cost.
When your education and future employment potential are on the line, don’t let price be the main factor. Investing in online GRE test prep classes could pay off very quickly once you land your first job.
Here are the areas that you should focus on the most.
Course Style
Most GRE prep courses provide a very similar structure and breakdown of the content. Where they differ is in the style of presentation.
Some courses we have seen (and not added to this list) simply dump a load of content from GRE prep books onto webpages, and that’s it.
When you compare that to the self-paced online GRE prep courses above, you’ll see everything from animated visuals to interactive charts.
Practice Exams
Having the ability to take a few full-length practice tests will make a huge difference when you sit the actual GRE exam.
But there’s no point going through eight practice tests if the practice questions are always the same.
That’s why we’ve picked courses with test-taking strategies that involve thousands of sample questions in many different variations.
Video Lessons
Video lessons can be an important factor in being able to memorize the key concepts of the practice material. Some companies offer a summary video for each topic covered, while others take it a step further with full-length lessons and even live tutorials.
Our recommendation is to generally pick this option if it’s available, as studying with online GRE prep resources can be quite dry and tiring.
Videos offer a great way to engage your hearing, making it easier to retain the details.
Score Guarantee
This won’t be relevant to everyone. It’s mainly designed to give you reassurance if you’ve sat the exam before but didn’t quite get the score you needed.
For example, PrepScholar offers a guarantee that claims you’ll improve your score by at least 7 points or you’ll get your money back.
That could give you the confidence you need to invest in the course, assuming that it fits your style of learning.
GRE Tutor Support
Most people tend to struggle with one or the other topic. And sometimes, studying prep books and online materials just isn’t enough to fully understand certain concepts.
That’s why some GRE courses offer live tutorials and even one-on-one tuition with an experienced teacher. That can be extremely helpful to ask the questions you have rather than having to spend a lot of time and effort searching for answers.
Essay Grading
One part of the graduate record examination is a written essay on a specific topic.
You will receive a score on your spelling, grammar, and use of vocabulary. But not all test prep courses offer feedback on the essays.
Those that do usually fall into two categories.
Some offer an AI-based system that provides feedback on grammar and vocabulary, while others give you feedback from a tutor with additional recommendations to improve your skills.
There are big price differences in these services, and if essay writing has been a struggle for you, then you may want to invest in comprehensive feedback.
Mobile App
If you’re out and about a lot or spend a lot of time commuting, then a GRE prep course with a good mobile app will make a big difference. Time that you’re otherwise idle is ideal for using as study time.
Which One Of The Best Gre Prep Courses Should You Pick?
Out of all the above GRE test prep courses, we have found that Magoosh provides the most comprehensive GRE prep.
The dashboard is easy to understand, and the course is well structured with video summaries on all the topics.
It’s also cheaper than most other test prep companies but doesn’t fall short on what it delivers. The online feedback is also extremely positive, with many students crediting it as being the main reason why they got into their preferred college.
Sign up today and see for yourself how quickly and easily you’ll get through all the GRE preparation and gain the confidence to pass with a great score.
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