The 7 Best Online GRE Prep Courses

• GRE prep providers offer various course lengths and packages to accommodate all timelines.
• Online GRE prep courses use technology to tailor study questions to individual needs.
• The best GRE prep courses guarantee improved scores or give you your money back.
• Some GRE test-takers complete the test online from home with a proctor's help.

The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) evaluates quantitative and verbal reasoning abilities and is a common grad school admissions requirement. Many competitive graduate schools expect applicants to submit high GRE scores.

Prospective test-takers who seek a structured study approach that yields guaranteed results often invest in GRE classes. The seven best GRE prep course providers offer multiple course packages, including on-demand and live GRE online classes. Many online GRE prep courses also guarantee at least six-point improvement on GRE scores.

Here are the top seven GRE prep courses you can enroll in.

1. Magoosh

This online test prep company provides video lessons, live online GRE classes, and full-length tests that simulate the real GRE. Users can read detailed text explanations, watch video tutorials for challenging questions, and track their progress.

Other features include the ability to create customized practice sessions, take notes, and provide feedback. You can choose from among 11 study schedules that accommodate various test-taking timelines and learning preferences.

Magoosh users report median scores six points higher than the averages for both verbal and math. A seven-day trial period with a money-back guarantee is available.

Course Options:

• Premium (1 Month): $149
• Premium (6 Months): $179
• Premium + Classes (6 Months): $179

2. The Princeton Review

In business since 1981, The Princeton Review offers on-demand GRE courses, tutoring, and live GRE online classes. Learners benefit from adaptive technologies that simulate the real GRE. Adaptive drills also allow you to adjust the difficulty level to meet your individual needs.

Learners choose from among five GRE prep packages, including a self-paced option. The test prep company guarantees a minimum GRE score of 162 and refunds tuition to test-takers who score lower.

Course Options:

• GRE 10 Points+ Tutoring: $699
• GRE 162+: $1,999
• Fundamentals: $1,099 (also available in person)
• GRE 165+ Tutoring: $156/hr (also available in person)
• Self-Paced: $399

3. Kaplan

Founded in 1938, Kaplan guarantees higher test scores for program participants. Test-takers who do not achieve higher GRE scores can receive their money back or reactivate their Kaplan study access for 12 weeks.

GRE test-takers choose from one-month, one-to-three-month, and three-month prep timelines. Users may take live online GRE courses or on-demand GRE courses with or without one-on-one tutoring add-ons.

Interested learners may attend free sample GRE classes to see whether they like Kaplan's approach. Cheaper options include practice-test and question-bank packages.

Course Options:

• Live Online Course: $999
• Live Online Course Plus: $1,299
• On-Demand Course: $449
• On-Demand Course Plus: $699
• Tutoring + On-Demand Course: $2,299
• QBANK & Practice Test Bundle: $199
• Practice Test 4-Pack: $149
• QBANK: $69

4. Manhattan Prep

This New York-based test prep company offers both comprehensive and targeted GRE prep options. Participants choose from live prep courses or on-demand GRE prep courses that include interactive video components. Manhattan Prep also offers a Foundations of Math GRE course and a GRE for MBA course, which focus on the GRE's quantitative sections.

Experienced instructors create and update curricula, basing their lessons on real GRE questions. Manhattan Prep also keeps class sizes small to promote individualized attention.

Course Options:

• GRE for MBA (Live Online): $1,599-$1,899
• GRE Complete Course (Live Test Prep): $1,399-$1,599
• Interact for GRE On-Demand Prep (1 Month): $299
• Interact for GRE On-Demand Prep (3 Months): $399
• Interact for GRE On-Demand Prep (6 Months): $499
• Foundations of GRE Math: $200
• GRE Practice Exams (6 Months): $49

5. PrepScholar

This company provides affordable test prep courses and resources, including easily digestible tutorials. New users enjoy a free, five-day, full-access trial. After taking a diagnostic test, you'll receive a personalized study plan that targets your weak areas. Users can also access GRE practice questions at various difficulty levels.

PrepScholar tracks students' improvement over time, notifying users of strengths and improvement needs. Interactive lessons include quizzes and practice testing. You'll also complete a 20-part vocabulary course and gain access to graduate school admissions guidelines.

Enrollees in PrepScholar's GRE prep courses are guaranteed to score seven points higher on their GRE or they get their money back.

Course Options:

• PrepScholar's Best-Selling Prep Course (1 year): $38
• PrepScholar's Lifetime Access Prep Course: $345

6. The Economist

The Economist runs GRE Tutor, an online test prep platform that adapts to individual learning styles and patterns. The platform runs six-week, three-month, and six-month GRE prep courses.

Interested students can try GRE Tutor's prep classes for free for seven days. Study services include tutoring, essay reviews, and practice testing. Enrollees who complete the three-month or six-month learning plan but don't score at least six or seven points higher on their GRE qualify for refunds.

Course Options:

• Express (6 weeks): $349
• Premium (3 months): $489
• Genius (6 months): $699

7. Achievable

Achievable's learning engine optimizes study time by tailoring its GRE practice questions to learners' individual issues and progress. The site creates a personalized memory model that tracks users' retention and mastery of GRE learning objectives.

Achievable's GRE prep classes generate unlimited quantitative questions and use artificial intelligence to score GRE essays. You'll also build up your vocabulary by learning words in clusters with related meanings.

Course Options:

• Achievable GRE Test Prep: $199

Can You Take the GRE Online?

The Educational Testing Service — the only official GRE provider — administers the GRE General Test throughout the year at Prometric test centers. Additional testing locations outside the Prometric network provide in-person GRE testing on certain dates.

Most students qualify to take the proctored GRE online at home, provided they can meet equipment and test space requirements. At-home testing requirements include a desktop or laptop computer (no Chromebooks or tablets) with a licensed, approved operating system and a Firefox or Chrome browser. Computers must also have working cameras, microphones, and speakers.

Test-takers must take their GRE alone, at a desk, and in a room with doors closed. You're also required to dress appropriately and keep your ears and face visible during the test.

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