If you’re considering going to grad school, then you have to take the GRE test. For many people, standardized tests are scary, and studying for them can be even worse. GRE prep courses are designed to help alleviate some of those fears and help you score better.
We heard a lot about the PrepScholar GRE prep course, so we decided to give it a try. Keep reading to find out what we thought.
What Is PrepScholar GRE?
PrepScholar is a GRE preparatory course that specializes in on-demand course materials available at a fraction of other GRE companies' cost.
They use machine learning algorithms to tailor the GRE material to each student based on their strengths and weaknesses.
PrepScholar was established in 2013 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, by two Harvard Ph.D. graduates.
They wanted to bring a genuinely customized test prep to the masses and offer a useful test prep program at an affordable price.
| Ranking | 4 |
|---|---|
| STARTING PRICE | $38 |
| PRICE OPTIONS & ACCESSIBILITY |
1 Year Access $38 Lifetime Access $345 |
| FREE TRIAL | 5-day Free Trial |
| # PRACTICE QUESTIONS | 2,000+ |
| PRACTICE EXAMS | 2 |
| SCORE PREDICTOR ACCURACY | 97% |
| ASSIGNED HOMEWORK | |
| GUARANTEE | 7-point Score Increase Guarantee |
| FORMAT | Self-Paced |
| COURSE BOOKS | |
| VIDEO INSTRUCTIONS | 50+ |
| YOUTUBE CHANNEL | 15+ GRE Related Videos |
| COURSE DEMO | |
| STUDY PLAN | |
| PROGRESS TRACKING | |
| FLASHCARDS | |
| MOBILE APP | |
| ESSAY GRADING | |
| LIVE TUTORING | |
| STUDENT SUPPORT |
Benefits And Highlights
The PrepScholar prep course offers online and on-demand courses that you have access to at any time and any place. They provide practice questions, full-length practice tests, a tailored study plan, video lessons, and a higher score guarantee.
PrepScholar has one of the cheapest online GRE prep programs available. Each student will receive personalized content based on their first diagnostic test. All of the lessons after will be adjusted to suit each student’s needs. They offer game-based learning, which helps students stay focused and motivated to succeed.
- 7+ point higher score guarantee
- Personalized lessons
- Unbeatable price
- 1-year or lifetime access
- Less material than other courses
- Limited course options
PrepScholar GRE Course: Need To Know
Course Options
Prep Scholar only offers one type, of course, and it’s an on-demand self-guided course. They offer two different types of access to different prices.
You can get a one year and a lifetime access pass to the course materials. You can review the study materials at any time during your membership. If you’re looking for live online, in-person, or private tutoring courses, then this might not be the best option for you.
More GRE Prep Course Reviews:
Personalization
This seems to be where PrepScholar shines with its GRE prep program. They provide each student with a personalized study plan to target their strengths and weaknesses. Each student will start with a customized, onboarding experience.
You can set your target GRE score, target grad schools, and your preferred studying style. Even if you are not sure of your goals, PrepScholar GRE will help you identify and achieve them.
You will also get personalized reminders by email and phone to keep you on track. Students can receive progress updates, study reminders, and the ideal time to take practice exams. Students will get a customized weekly study plan that will help them reach their target score.
Each student will get a step by step guide for what they should be studying, whether it’s practice questions, essay writing, or video lessons.
Students will follow their study schedule to achieve the best results. You will be able to read over 150+ hours of interactive lessons with dynamic learning texts.
You will have access to simulated practice exams and quizzes with real GRE questions under exam-like time pressure. Your study plan will continuously adapt to how you score on each review. If you do well in a review lesson, then you will be given harder questions.
Every personalized plan includes learning objectives, many hours of lessons, and a practice test when you’re ready. You will also get 20-part GRE vocabulary lessons.
Diagnostic Test
PrepScholar features a diagnostic test once you sign up. You can pinpoint your strengths and weaknesses with PrepScholar’s CustomPrep algorithm.
The 60-question test will start with a few basic questions and progressively get harder based on your results.
It adapts after every question that you answer so that you can review the areas that you need improvement and can plan your GRE preparation time properly.
Pricing
PrepScholar has one of the lowest GRE course prices available. They offer their entire course for only two different prices. The first price includes access to the materials for one year. The second price includes lifetime access to the course.
Unless you have a specific reason for needing lifetime access, we recommend choosing the first one since the lifetime access is more than 8x the cost of one year access.
Guarantee
Along with its low pricing, PrepScholar offers one of the best guarantees in the business. They offer you a full refund if you do not score 7+ points on your GRE test.
The difference of 7 points could mean that you go from the 50th percentile up to the upper 25th percentile. That is quite a great improvement.
Free Trial
Like many other GRE prep courses, PrepScholar has a free trial for 5 days for full access to their course materials. That means you will receive all of the test prep materials for the free trial. You will even be able to use their personalized study plans and lessons to review before you pay.
Game-Based Learning
PrepScholar uses a game-based learning approach that is proven to work. Their curriculum program will start with a series of easy questions in each category.
If you get those questions right, then you level up and start receiving harder GRE questions every time.
If any of you have ever been addicted to a mobile game, then you know how this works.
Weekly Progress Reports
It is nice to see progress when you are learning new things. Research has shown that students who see a visual representation of their progress will likely continue learning at the same pace. PrepScholar provides these weekly progress reports, so you can see how you’re doing and when you are ready to take the GRE.
What Are The Downsides?
While most of the PrepScholar features are impressive, there might be a couple of potential downsides. They don’t offer as many test materials as other courses. You will receive 2 full-length practice exams. You only receive one course option as well, which may be a problem for some students.
Real Student Results from Taking the PrepScholar GRE Prep Course
We wanted to find out whether students who took the PrepScholar GRE prep course saw a real improvement in their GRE test scores.
Accordingly, we had students take a GRE prep test before and after taking the PrepScholar GRE prep course. We obtained each student’s Quantitative Reasoning and Verbal Reasoning results from each test and compared them to determine a percentage improvement.
Although students saw their GRE test scores increase after completing the PrepScholar GRE prep course, their percentage improvement was small. For example, one student achieved only a 15.3% improvement in score, while another only saw a 12% improvement.
How Accurate Is The PrepScholar GRE?
To test the accuracy of the PrepScholar GRE, we decided to take both the prep test and the actual GRE.
Our PrepScholar scores came back at 170 for the Verbal and 168 for the Quant.
We then took the actual GRE and received a score of 168 for the Verbal and 167 for the Quant.
(Test score
predictor)
GRE Test
Score
(Test score
predictor)
GRE Test
Score
All in all, the prep test is quite accurate. However, we feel like the questions could do with updating.
What Are Other People Saying?
We found many positive customer reviews for the PrepScholar GRE test prep course. PrepScholar scored a 4.9 out of 5 stars on their Facebook page.
“They have a really good program, especially if you are someone who is working and preparing for the exam at the same time.”
- Lousa Sheenaz, Facebook Review [1]
FAQs
Do students need to buy additional PrepScholar learning materials?
No, you do not need to purchase any additional GRE books. All of the materials that you need are included in the price of your learning plan once you sign up.
Is there a need to take the GRE before signing up for PrepScholar?
No, many of their students are first time GRE testers. Your learning plan will start exactly where you need it the first time you take the GRE diagnostic exam.
Who is PrepScholar ideal for?
PrepScholar is best for students who are looking to make a point increase on their GRE exam score. PrepScholar is also great for people who are busy and may not adhere to normal study hours. We know that many people are busy, which is why we made this GRE prep program.
Do they also teach essay writing?
Yes. They provide grading assistance on essays if you purchase the PrepScholar lifetime membership.
Do you teach test-taking strategies?
Yes, PrepScholar GRE will teach you how to actually take the GRE. They provide hours of video instruction on timing, pacing, and other strategies.
What are the payment methods?
PrepScholar accepts all major credit cards. They process payment information through PayPal, so you know that it’s secure.
Do they offer section-specific courses?
No, PrepScholar has an all-inclusive approach to the GRE. Whether you want to increase your score on one section or both, PrepScholar covers all.
Is This GRE Prep Course Right For You?
After our review of the PrepScholar test prep program for the GRE, we think it is a good option for students who want to save a ton of money on GRE prep. We like PrepScholar because they offer individualized courses, lessons, and free bonus features. We also like that they offer a 7-point score increase guarantee.
One possible downside is that they only have one-course option and fewer materials and lessons than other course options. We still trust Magoosh to deliver the best lessons for all students who want a full GRE prep experience.
Our #1 Recommendation
Magoosh GRE
- The dashboard is easy to use with recommendations for study focus points
- Easy to follow written and video instruction
- Offers a score predictor to help you assess your progress
- Good for both comprehensive and last-minute study
- Structured with clear and flexible lesson plans
- Get the BEST PRICE until the end of October
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