Bloomberg Businessweek
Go To Businessweek.com
During the past 20 years, the author has watch China move from being a developing country into an industrial superpower
Money Moves, 5/24: Chocomize Co-Founder Fabian Kaempfer talks with Bloomberg’s Deirdre Bolton about the business of customizing chocolate
The president's campaign has a new rule—no cell phones allowed
In honor of remote control inventor Eugene Polley, we recognize other influential but neglected inventors who have felt the sting of stolen glory
Forget Adderall. Traders now pop chia seeds to stay focused and energized
The Italian automaker and others are adding hybrid technology to elite cars
The storied bridge that links San Francisco and Marin County changed the face of California
Schools cultivate ties with startups before they're big successes
Dave McClure's traveling venture capital show scours the world for promising startups
Getty Images
(Corrects reference to Kaplan’s founding. Kaplan began offering GMAT test prep services more than 40 years ago. Clarifies details of Manhattan Review’s offerings in Asia and online.)
Scoring big on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is usually among the first steps to getting into a top business school. There are almost as many ways to prepare for the GMAT as there are test-takers. Some take a couple of practice tests and ease their way into a 700-plus score with no trouble at all, while others struggle to reach their goal.
Many turn to professional test-prep providers. But how does one decide which, if any, is the right choice? The first step is educating oneself on the books, classes, and practice tests that are available, and how much of an investment they require in both time and money.
What follows is a roundup of some of the most popular GMAT test-prep programs available, with information on prices, offerings, unique features, and the types of students who succeed most with each option. Also listed: each provider’s Beat the GMAT rating (one to five stars), which are based on user reviews at the Beat the GMAT website.
For a more personal evaluation of each provider, visit the Bloomberg Businessweek Business Schools Forum. You’ll find firsthand accounts of how test-takers benefited (or didn’t) from some of the more popular test-prep offerings, as well as the results of an ongoing poll rating each one.
800Score
Cost: $39.95 for this self-study, online program
Beat the GMAT Rating: NA
Basics: Founded in 1999, 800Score provides 600 pages and videos online in an entirely self-study-based program. So far, more than 150,000 students have prepared for the GMAT and GRE with 800Score. The company strives to improve its product every year, says Sean Selinger, chief executive officer and founder of 800Score in New York. His goal, he says, is to create more highly adaptive and interactive software, which he hopes will be ready in fall 2011. Competitors such as Veritas Prep use 800Score’s computer adaptive tests for their courses, says Selinger. Soon the company plans to unveil iPhone and iPad apps for the GMAT that apply what Selinger calls "jaw-dropping" technology.
What makes the company unique, says Selinger, is the convenience factor. "You can take a course without someone looking over your shoulder or having to drive somewhere," he says. The test pacer on the computer adaptive practice tests allows students to get a handle on the timing of the exam and teaches a proper pacing strategy. There are also forum discussions on individual questions, which one can work through with fellow students.
Downside: There are no instructors or experts to guide one through the program or offer advice on GMAT test-taking.
Best Fit: Those who are self-motivated and disciplined will probably do well with the content and computer adaptive practice tests. International students, says Selinger, are drawn to the convenience of having everything online. And few competitors can beat the price. "Our product is a fraction of the price for competitive content," says Selinger. "The trick is you have to be a self-starter."
GMAT Pill
Cost: $347 for complete package
Beat the GMAT Rating: NA
Basics: GMAT Pill takes an entirely different approach to the GMAT. With this test-prep company, students never attend a live course (online or in person), open a book, or even take a course-issued practice exam. Instead, they watch recorded classes online via video. The focus, says Zeke Lee, founder and chief instructor for GMAT Pill in New York, is on thought processes and visualization similar to methods used by pro athletes who want to improve their performance. "It doesn’t matter how many concepts or formulas you have memorized," says Lee. "The GMAT is about how you think."
