GRE Classes - Mastering the GRE

Cracking the GRE, like most other exams, is a strategic game that one has to play using the right moves. Since the exam is tough to crack, the student must be willing to employ all the good ways of self-studying/cramming/practicing. This can include attending coaching classes, getting the best prep books, joining online courses, or even keeping a private tutor to create a study schedule and aiding the student in the process.

While all these methods of study are available for the test-takers, there can still be confusion regarding which is the best method one can choose to score the highest while paying the least. Well-structured and tactical plans will assist the student in achieving higher GRE scores and eventually getting placed in better universities or better jobs. The courses that offer similar strategies that can be customized to the needs of the student should then opt for preparation.

Being a competitive exam, classes are available in plenty, especially in the US. A few of the best of these are:

Manhattan Prep

Promising to impart an excellent curriculum with some of the best teachers, Manhattan Prep has something for every student's needs. Be it online courses, private tutoring, complete courses, or aiding in self-study; students can start with Manhattan Prep easily. There are free resources available on the site, and regular seminars are held as well.

Manhattan Prep offers a free first session with no strings attached or credit card requirements for aspirants who wish to know if the prep is suitable for them. They have options where one can take a prep course with an instructor or the self-guided option.

Choosing the course with an instructor includes various sub-sections where one can opt for individual subject-based coaching or a complete guide to the entire exam. Aspirants can opt for a personalized learning experience or get enough guidance through their one-day program. They also have the option of reviewing content at the last minute. The complete course option which has both online and in-person classes for both Verbal and Mathematics costs just $1,599 and is rated as the best option available for test-takers.

Princeton Review GRE Test Preparation

The Princeton Review has been leading the online course portals during the last decade for almost every competitive examination conducted in the US. This is also one of the only online prep courses offering refund policies for dissatisfied customers who enroll for their courses.

They have courses covering just the fundamentals for a price of $1,124 which is available online and in person. They have courses for complete preparation, courses that are self-paced, and also ones with tutoring.

The Princeton Review has titled some courses after the score they intend to make the student achieve and this is always a score above 162 and is there for both their complete course option and the tutoring option. The complete course which costs $2,149 includes 45 hours of live instruction, an additional 20 hours of supplement sessions, over 4400 drills and practice questions along with full-length practice tests, and a 1-on-1 personalized study manager. Self-paced course costs $399.

With their GRE 10+ points course, Princeton Review promises to increase students' overall score by 10 points or to ensure that they score at least 158 on the verbal and quantitative reasoning sections of the exam, or they will refund the money. The length of this course is 30, 60, or 90 days. The cost is $649.

There is an additional course available called GRE 165+ tutoring, which offers a money-back guarantee or a score higher than 165. At $156 per hour, candidates can receive unlimited supplementary sessions and prioritized tutor matching.

Varsity Tutors GRE Prep (Veritas Prep)

Varsity Tutors has demonstrated that they are among the greatest GRE tutorship services, boasting at least 136,000 hours and an average customer satisfaction rating of 97%. Students can arrange a free consultation with Varsity Tutors if they're unsure which course is best for them.

The $149 GRE self-paced on-demand course includes practice exams, study guides tailored to each student's area of interest, more than 90 instructional videos, a digital GRE book with more than 500 pages, and more than 600 practice questions.

GRE on-demand plus tutoring package available for $649. This course includes 8 timed practice tests, 6 hours of one-on-one tutoring, and all other on-demand course features.

Live online GRE classes provide two hours of one-on-one tutoring along with limitless access to the live sessions. practice materials and ready-to-use materials. Additionally, it provides flashcards, strategy guides for every subject, expert-curated practice exams, and quick video lessons with pointers and strategies for self-study.

Additionally, candidates can use Varsity Tutors' free GRE Diagnostic test and practice exams.

Kaplan GRE Test Prep

Kaplan, another well-known name in the test-prep world, offers courses on a timely basis. They focus on how much time the student has left to prepare and offer courses accordingly. But along with this they also have self-paced courses designed for different needs students might have while preparing for the test.

Their courses are generally for students who have more than 3 months to prepare, who have 1 to 3 months to prepare, and for those who have less than a month to prepare. This is ideal since the maximum time recommended by ETS for preparing for GRE is 4 months.

They have online courses starting from $999, an online course plus course for $1,299, and even self-guided courses that can be done based on the speed of the student’s choosing. Their self-guided course can either be a course where the student can entirely rely on the materials provided and prepare for themselves or a course where they can get a tutor who can aid them in places where the self-prep isn’t efficient enough. This model is costlier than the rest but is efficient all the same. Additional course options include an on-demand course priced at $499 and an on-demand plus course priced at $699.

For $1,199, an in-person course consists of 21 hours of core classroom instruction, 40+ hours of special live and recorded lessons, 7 full-length practice essays, access to QBank with over 2,500 questions, and customized homework assignments.

There is also an option of availing question banks and practice test bundles for a price of $199. This will include over 2,500 questions and 4 practice tests with which any student can prepare for the exam by themselves.

Magoosh GRE Prep

Magoosh claims to be the GRE prep everyone is talking about. They offer accessible, relatively cheap, and effective lesson plans with video lessons, over 1400 questions, and full-length tests. They cover GRE topics including Math, Verbal, and AWA. Each of these topics is included in custom-made study schedules similar to the 1-on-1 approach tutors have in person.

They uniquely include not just practice questions but video explanations of answers to every question. This visual presentation of answers helps students learn concepts and formulas easily along with helping them understand where they went wrong while finding the solution.

This prep site offers a 1-month premium for $99, a 6-month premium for $129, and an 12-month premium plus admission with 6-month access to all the features included in their Premium GRE plan for $149 only. It is therefore one of the relatively cheapest options available online. They have a free trial through which aspirants can check if the courses and programs offered by Magoosh suit their needs.

Achievable GRE Test Prep

The course is ideal for practice tests and practice questions. It provides an infinite number of quantitative tests, sophisticated personalization, verbal reasoning, vocabulary development, instant essay grading, an easily navigable online textbook, and videos covering important subjects. For just $199, the course grants access to all of the materials.

With over 200+ GRE quantitative question templates, the course's system creates millions of unique quizzes with randomized text and variables to make sure students are learning the essential concepts rather than just memorizing answers. Candidates will be able to take 10 full-length practice verbal reasoning exams with 200 excellent, hand-crafted GRE verbal reasoning questions. Achievable contains flashcard-style tests covering 250 of the most frequently assessed vocabulary terms on the GRE. The GRE test preparation resources from Achievable are user-friendly, optimized for mobile devices, and feature comprehensive explanations of exemplar questions. One's progress through the GRE prep course material and their present level of proficiency in each area are displayed in progress charts.