6 Best GMAT Prep Courses & Classes (2025)

If you're applying to a Master of Business Administration (MBA) program, you're familiar with the GMAT or Graduate Management Admission Test. This challenging business school entrance exam measures your reasoning, critical thinking, and problem-solving capabilities.

Choosing the best GMAT prep course is essential to help you succeed and pass the exam. But when it comes to creating your GMAT study plans, there are so many options to choose from. You'll want to make sure that you can take practice exams with question banks, quizzes, answer explanations, and more to help you ace the test.

What matters most is finding a prep option that works best for you. That's why we've spelled out the six best GMAT prep courses and classes for you to browse and decide which one works best for your learning style and your wallet. You can compare price points, practice tests, private tutoring, and study plans to find your ideal path to GMAT preparation.

1. GMAT Official Starter Kit

The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) offers many prep materials through its website, MBA.com. While we'll explore various test prep companies in this article, if you're looking to start studying quickly and don't have extra cash flow, the best thing to do is order your free Official GMAT Starter Kit.

Even if you choose one of the GMAT test prep providers below, you can still get ready for test day with this official GMAC resource, which includes:

• 70 real GMAT questions
• Two full-length practice exams
• Detailed answers and tips from the test creators
• Actual GMAT test-taking simulations

The Starter Kit is an excellent foundation, giving you direct access to official questions and materials designed by the test makers themselves.

2. Princeton Review

Highly rated for its in-depth learning, the Princeton Review GMAT is a comprehensive prep course that has over 4,400 practice GMAT drills and features one of the best practice exams, with 10 full-length computer-adaptive practice tests. From live instruction to high-quality personalized study, The Princeton Review offers four months of course access for you to prep at your own pace.

• Price: $799 (look out for available discounts!)
• Score improvement: A higher GMAT score guarantee or refund is given. If you're not 100% satisfied with your course, they also allow you to repeat the program for free.
• Course options: Self-paced online, live online, and in-person
• Standout factor: Ten full-length adaptive practice tests with a quantitative report after each one and expert feedback on your analytical writing assignment essay

3. Manhattan Prep (by Kaplan)

Manhattan Prep (Kaplan's GMAT option) offers a range of prep options that accommodate different learning styles, schedules, and score goals - from self-paced video lessons to intensive bootcamps and private tutoring. While their courses tend to be on the higher end of the price spectrum, they offer flexible financing through Affirm and regular promotional discounts. 

Here's a detailed breakdown of Manhattan Prep's GMAT course offerings:

Live Course

• Live, interactive instruction from 99th-percentile teachers
• Price: $1,999

On-Demand Course

• Self-paced video lessons from 99th-percentile teachers
• Learn and practice at your own pace
• Price: $850

GMAT Bootcamp

• Accelerated 3-week preparation program
• Designed for short preparation windows
• Regular price: $2,899

Private Tutoring

• One-on-one instruction with 99th-percentile teachers
• Targeted for 655+ score achievement
• Option to upgrade to 20 or 30 hours
• Price: $2,900

GMAT Advanced Course

• Exclusively for students scoring 595+ (new GMAT) or 650+ (classic GMAT)
• Price: $1,750

4. Magoosh

Magoosh offers one of the most budget-friendly GMAT prep solutions on the market, with comprehensive study materials available through their online platform. Their subscription-based model provides flexible study options, and they're known for their user-friendly interface and high-quality video content. 

Here are Magoosh's GMAT course offerings:

Premium 6-Month Plan

• Access to complete Math, Verbal, and Data Insights content
• Over 200 video lessons
• More than 800 practice questions
• Includes 2+ diagnostic tests
• GMAT Focus ready with up to 70-point score guarantee
• Price: $249

Premium 12-Month Plan

• Identical features to the 6-month plan
• Extended access period of 12 months
• Over 200 video lessons
• More than 800 practice questions
• Includes 2+ diagnostic tests
• Price: $349

Premium + Admissions Package

• Full Premium GMAT course access for 12 months
• Comprehensive weekly tasks for application deadlines
• Over 30 MBA application videos
• Access to 70+ real student application materials
• Step-by-step guided essay writing support
• MBA expert consultation available
• Price: $449

5. PrepScholar

PrepScholar differentiates itself with an adaptive online program that customizes study plans based on individual student abilities and offers a 60+ point improvement guarantee. Their platform uses diagnostic assessments to identify strengths and weaknesses, allowing for more targeted preparation. 

Here's a list of PrepScholar's various GMAT course offerings:

GMAT Online Prep

• 3-month access to the platform
• 750 real practice questions
• Diagnostic assessment included
• 30+ GMAT skill lessons
• 5 GMAT strategy lessons
• Price: $139

Complete GMAT Online Prep

• 4-month access to the platform
• 1,000+ real practice questions
• Diagnostic assessment included
• Custom study plan
• 60-point score improvement guarantee
• 10 GMAT strategy lessons
• Price: $259

1-1 Tutoring + Complete GMAT Online Prep

• Up to 20 hours of private tutoring
• Full access to Complete GMAT Online Prep course
• Personal support from an expert GMAT tutor
• Customized learning experience
• One-on-one expert tutoring support
• Price: $779

6. Target Test Prep

Target Test Prep offers a comprehensive GMAT preparation platform known for its extensive video content and detailed analytics. TTP stands out with its 130-point score improvement guarantee and AI-driven learning assistance. They offer flexible study options ranging from monthly self-study access to live instruction packages. Here's a detailed breakdown of Target Test Prep's GMAT course offerings:

Flexible Preparation

• Monthly self-study access
• 2,000+ video solutions
• 4,000+ practice questions
• 1,500+ comprehensive lessons
• 1,200+ digital flashcards
• 24/7 live support
• TTP AI Assist included
• Price: $229/month

Dedicated Study

• 4-month self-study access
• 130-point score improvement guarantee
• All Flexible Preparation features included
• Personalized study plan
• Custom practice test builder
• Price: $649

Maximum Learning

• 6-month self-study access
• All Dedicated Study features included
• Intelligent performance analytics
• Price: $699

TTP OnDemand

• All Maximum Learning features
• 400 hours of masterclass videos
• Weekly office hours with instructors
• 715+ (99th percentile) score target
• Price: $999

Live Instruction + TTP OnDemand

• All TTP OnDemand features
• 40 hours of live online classes
• Personalized homework for each class
• Exclusive Slack channel access
• Price: $1,599

How long should you study for the GMAT?

The amount of study time varies for each student, but anywhere from one to four months is average when it comes to prepping for the GMAT exam. Try to spend time on where you think you need the most prep, and go at your own pace - prepping for both the quizzes and the GMAT verbal portion of the exam.

When you feel ready, you should try to take a GMAT diagnostic test, which is a practice exam that will help you assess how prepared you are for the actual GMAT exam.

Whether you decide to prep for one month or many months before your GMAT exam, one of the six best GMAT prep courses above is guaranteed to help you improve your GMAT score.

Is a GMAT prep course worth it?

When it comes to GMAT preparation, an online GMAT prep course can be the best time and money you'll ever spend.

It will definitely aid you in studying for the GMAT exam and help you review test material in an organized manner. Prep options prove to be very valuable for many students through self-study online courses, video lessons, and live classes.

What's the difference between the GMAT and the GMAT Focus Edition?

The GMAT Focus Edition, launched in late 2023, is a streamlined version of the traditional GMAT. It aligns better with current MBA admissions needs. 

While both exams measure English language skills, reading comprehension, quantitative reasoning, and data analysis capabilities, the Focus Edition is shorter and more concise. Test-takers now complete the exam in about 2 hours and 15 minutes instead of 3 hours and 7 minutes.

Easily find the best school for you with College Rover

After you've found the best GMAT prep course for you, it's time to solidify the best business schools with MBA programs. With College Rover, you can research schools, programs, and more. It's the easiest way to find the best school for you. You can take your passing GMAT score, thanks to the awesome GMAT prep option you chose, and embrace this next exciting chapter!

College Rover gets the majority of its data directly from the U.S. Department of Education (DOE). The DOE publishing schedule "lags" the most current data which some colleges post on their official websites. This may cause there to be a difference in the data you see on College Rover and an individual college website. College Rover's website is updated as the DOE data becomes available and is configured for the College Rover website.