GRE Prepcourse

The GRE, short for Graduate Record Exam, is an obligatory test for entry into many graduate programs. Some fields such as business require the GMAT, while others like medicine rely on the MCAT. But the GRE is the most frequently taken graduate school exam which essentially tests one’s aptitude for graduate school.

Like the SAT in many ways, the GRE tests quantitative, verbal and analytical writing skills. Exam results are not only important for getting into the school of your choice but if you do exceptionally well then potential funding might be available. There are a several ways to prepare to take the GRE and by far the most popular are prep courses. A GRE prep course will help you to identify your strengths and weaknesses, provide structure and a timetable for studying, will reveal proven strategies for taking the test, one-on-one instruction, and an environment of folks all committed to scoring well.

When choosing a GRE prep course there a several items to keep in mind. First, seek a provider with faculty that have scored in the upper percentiles on their individual GRE tests. A quality provider will also allow students to take multiple exams and offer students a range of studying strategies. One-on-one opportunities are also vital as not everyone studies or performs at the same rate/rhythm.

The following are a handful of leading prep courses:

Magoosh

A great GRE prep course option if you’re on a budget. Magoosh costs much less than the competitors and for $129 per month over 1,000 practice questions coupled with 200 video tutorials are included. Materials can be accessed on everything from a smartphone to a laptop and users can easily track their progress. If you don’t improve your score by at least 5 points Magoosh will return your money.

Kaplan

An undisputed leader in the GRE prep course world, Kaplan has been offering GRE courses for decades. Its program has been copied but their sheer flexibility is hard to replicate. In-person classes will run $1,299 while a self-paced course is offered at $699. An online course costs $999 which can also be adapted to individual student needs.

Princeton Review

While Magoosh is the cheapest and Kaplan the most flexible, Princeton Review continues to receive the best reviews year in and year out. Many of their packages include 24 plus hours of prep instruction, full-length (8 in total) practice tests and roughly 470 quizzes. In fact, if you dislike your course for any reason Princeton will allow you to take it all over again for free. Perks like that generate excellent reviews.  

For even more options, and reviews from REAL Riffbuddy users and GRE test takers, check out: Riffbuddy - GRE Prep Course.