Compare Reviews for GMAT Prep Courses

One-type-fits-all GMAT test prep courses may not work for all students at all skill levels. Many prep centers have found ways to customize their prep courses based on each student's preferences, current knowledge and skill set in order to enhance the learning experience.

• Course options: GMAT test prep courses run anywhere from a one-day seminar to six months or longer of training to meet the specific demands of each student, with both weekday and weekend classes available to better accommodate the students.
• Adaptive learning: High-quality adaptive learning technology allows test prep centers to test students' basic knowledge and testing skills, allowing the prep center to create a customized GMAT test study plan that is best suited for each individual student.
• Individualized support: In addition to instruction prep training, many test prep centers also offer one-on-one tutoring or online homework support services to help students continue to learn even when they are not in the classroom.

Be sure to look for a GMAT prep course that has experienced teachers that have successfully completed this examination. This will ensure that the correct information and test-taking skills are taught in the course, which will increase your chances of obtaining high quality and useful testing resources.

• Experience teaching: Having previously taken the GMAT examination is not enough. Instructors should also have several years of teaching experience in order to effectively teach core knowledge requirements and test-taking skills.
• Top rank on GMAT: Enrollees should not just look for instructors that have taken the GMAT exam but instructors that have ranked very high on the exam, such as in the 99th percentile.
• Company experience: An instructor is only as good as the company they work for, so enrollees should look for GMAT prep center with a proven track record of success.

With an examination as important as the GMAT test, classroom instruction is not enough - students should also be provided with plenty of resource materials. When it comes to classroom material, it is important for students to determine if the resource material is theirs to keep or if it is only available to them for a limited time, such as until the end of the course or for a one-year period.

• Workbooks: Many GMAT prep centers have several workbooks that are used both in the classroom and for homework, which focus on different sections of the test.
• Resource material: Resource material may include information on the GMAT test, test-taking tips, detailed answers to practice question or other pertinent information.
• GMAT guide book: While students can purchase the official GMAT guidebook on their own, it is an extra benefit to find a prep course the includes the valuable resource guide.

A large portion of the GMAT exam is structured like a standardized test with multiple choice type questions. The remaining portion of the exam is a written test. Students should look for a GMAT prep course that teaches important test-taking strategies.

• Multiple-choice questions: Students can improve their GMAT test score by using a variety of proven test-taking strategies for answering multiple-choice questions.
• Writing tips: GMAT test prep courses often teach valuable writing tips that let the students know what type of writing prompts to expect and how this section of the exam is assessed.
• Text anxiety: Some prep courses provide students with relaxation techniques that can help to reduce test anxiety on examination day.

Practice tests give students a good idea of what the actual GMAT examination is like and should include all major sections, such as analytical writing assessment, verbal, quantitative and integrated reading. Completing several practice tests prior to the official examination date can also help students study better and alleviate test anxiety.

• Practice questions: Most GMAT prep courses include hundreds or thousands of practice questions that are similar to questions that are actually on the exam.
• Computer-generated practice tests: Computer-generated practice tests may or may not be timed and can give the student a general idea of what the GMAT test will involve on examination day.
• Time practice test: Students should look for a GMAT prep course that offers at least one three-hour timed practice test to give them some experience as to what the official test will be like.

Some GMAT test prep centers offer a money-back guarantee or the ability for the student to retake the course at a later date. Sometimes this type of guarantee comes with specific conditions.

• Money-back guarantee: A few prep centers offer a money-back guarantee for students that are completely unsatisfied with the course.
• Grade improvement guarantee: Many test prep centers offer money-back guarantees if the student's test score does not improve by a set amount, such as by 50 or 100 points, on their next examination that is taken within so many days of completing the GMAT prep course.
• Free repeat course: Some companies allow students to retake the GMAT prep course for any reason, but students may be required to take the course by a set deadline, such as within 90 days.