Getting In August 10, 2009, 4:46PM EST

GMAT Test Prep: A User's Guide

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Since Kaplan offers test prep for a wide variety of standardized tests, it already has a Graduate Record Examination prep class in place for those who are interested in taking this test, which is now accepted by many business schools as an alternative to the GMAT. The classroom and live online course each cost $1,449. The price for 35 hours of private tutoring is $4,649, and Kaplan books can cost as little as $17.

Matthew McCloskey recently took the advanced course and raised his score from a 680 to a 740. Although he thinks the instructors spent too much time on the verbal portion of the test, he was pleased with the results. "Most folks in the advanced class already had a strong grasp of what the test is about and could correctly answer the easy/medium questions within the time limits," writes McCloskey in an e-mail. "Given that, my instructor was able to drill down on the more challenging/tricky questions and explain alternate routes to the correct answer if the usual approach didn't work."

But there are some people who are critical of Kaplan for being the fast-food chain of test-prep services with a quantity-over-quality mentality because of the sheer size of the company and its offerings. You can study everything from the SAT to the LSAT with Kaplan, and the company has no specialty per se. Some students think that makes for a generic curriculum and instruction. "Although I scored well on the exam, I honestly don't think it was directly attributable to most of the [Kaplan Premium Online course] itself," writes student Andy Johnson in an e-mail. "For the most part, the 'tips and tricks' and course work itself weren't thoroughly original, and most of which I abandoned as being simply too much to think about and plan for during the actual test."

Bottom Line: Kaplan is conveniently located for most people and has more experience with standardized tests in general, and the GMAT in particular, than most of the other test-prep services available. If you don't mind that it does not specialize in the GMAT, then it could be the right place for you.

KNEWTON

The creators of this relatively new program—it's been less than a year since its December 2008 launch—come from Kaplan. Knewton, unlike its competitors, offers only online courses for the GMAT. Saying good riddance to traditional test prep, Knewton says hello to technology-driven coursework. "There's no reason to spend a lot of money to prop up a failing business model," says Jose Ferreira, founder and CEO of Knewton. "The money you spend on our course goes directly to improving your course and learning experience."

Using adaptive learning software and live video, Knewton delivers a full-length online course to students. There are several instructors, including one on camera and others to answer questions. For $690, students participate in 40 hours of live classes and can repeat the course by viewing the recordings online as much as they would like for up to a year. Knewton also offers some workshops in particular areas if you'd like extra help improving specific skills. The full course comes with a guarantee: increase your score by fewer than 50 points and the course is free.

Anyone can take the Knewton course from anywhere, and about 20% of students are international. One student, says Ferreira, took the class from a beach in the Cayman Islands. An on-demand course that will cost less than the full course offered now is in the pipeline, as is a "get ready for business school" course that will include basics such as an introduction to financial modeling, Excel, and a sample case study taught by a Harvard Business School (Harvard Full-Time MBA Profile) professor.

Some members of the traditional test prep community say Knewton is the wave of the future. A big differentiator: Knewton's adaptive learning software, which customizes content to reflect each student's progress, delivering what the company calls a "supercharged" test-prep experience.