GMAT Prep Course

You know what can be a pain in the butt? Snowboarding on slick ice – yes. Taking the dog for a walk in a hailstorm – yes. Eating mushy strawberries – yes. That last one is just plain disgusting, more disgust than a pain in the butt. But something else that is a pain in the butt, something you would never embark on as a hobby but would only do because you want to better yourself and advance in your career – taking the GMAT.

Business school is a popular route for a reason. We live in a capitalistic country, one where businesses generate products and services, and consumers pay for them. When you like a product or service you likely buy more of it and that is what businesses like. The people that manage businesses need to be astute, quick thinkers, problem solvers and in tune with customer preferences. Big companies require this at more refined levels and folks who pursue their master’s degree in business (MBA) are some of the more sought-after graduates on the market year in and year out.

The GMAT is the most widely used test for MBA admissions. In fact, 9 out of 10 enrollments to business school are based principally on their GMAT score. Roughly 200,000 plus folks take the test every year and 7,000 plus MBA and master’s programs swear by the GMAT and its predictive power. A good GMAT score typically translates into a high-performing student, and a high-performing student goes on to great things many times. This reflects well on the school and the circle is complete.

So, the GMAT is one thing, and prepping for the GMAT is the elephant in the room. Back in the early days, folks studied for what they thought might be on the test and then took it. Once the test became more mainstream, people became aware of similar questions, test tactics, etc. Test prep companies caught on fast and now provide GMAT prep courses to the masses. A GMAT prep course is worth its weight in gold. The idea is to strike a killer score which will get you into a killer school. The prep course can get you there.

In no order, we’re going to list some recommended GMAT prep course per online reviews. First up is Manhattan Prep. With an average rating (out of 5) of 4.5, this prep course costs anywhere between $549 to $2,650 per study plan. Another solid choice is Magoosh GMAT, registering a respectable 129 reviews with a 4.6 rating. If you’re looking for sheer numbers of reviewers, look no further than Kaplan Test Prep, an absolute monster in the GMAT testing business with a 4.14 average review and a reasonable $799 entry price point. Although from there Kaplan can ascend to $2,799, so keep those costs in mind.

Options galore, make that jump with your career today, you won’t regret it (but your checking account might in the short-term).