Kaplan GMAT Prep Review

Kaplan GMAT Prep is a high-quality GMAT program that offers different courses and resources including in-class tutoring and self-guided study plans. You can find out if Kaplan is the course for you by checking out my discussion of the course overview, features, pros and cons, prices and plans, course length, and recommendation.

Overview of Kaplan GMAT Prep

One of the most recognizable names in the test prep market is Kaplan. They are an industry pioneer and provide a wide range of preparatory classes. You can find Kaplan training for the GED, AP, the MCAT, LSAT, the GRE, and of course the GMAT. Kaplan has been in the business of test preparation for 80 years and has a globally-recognized name. Kaplan gives you access to over 5,000 practice questions and exclusive features. Some of these features are a test-day simulation, adaptive practice tests, and many instructor-led study plans.

Features of Kaplan GMAT Prep

Quality Instruction

All Kaplan instructors are fully qualified and capable of teaching GMAT subject material. In fact, every Kaplan instructor has scored in the 90th percentile or higher on their own GMAT. This means they are able to answer student questions effectively. Furthermore, students are able to contact their instructors outside the classroom for additional assistance. This feature is a helpful feature to provide students with as they prepare for their exams on their own.

Depth of Resources

Kaplan provides its students with access to an extensive range of resources. These include an online quiz bank, 9 practice tests, 2 course books, and the GMAT Channel. The GMAT Channel offers live online lessons on specific topics. The Channel can be used for additional help on difficult topics and for personalized feedback and guidance from Kaplan’s instructors. Furthermore, with a presence in over 30 countries globally, most students will likely find a classroom within a reasonable distance to them – a major plus point for Kaplan. Also, Kaplan classes strongly emphasize individualized experiences and they maintain a student-teacher ratio of about ten to one.

Another facet of Kaplan’s instruction that helps it beat out a lot of the competition is with private tutoring. This feature gives students, regardless of where they may be, access to private tutors online. Universal access of this type is really a winner with rural or remote students who may otherwise not have access to the training and guidance they need to ace the GMAT, making live, private tutoring a critical decision-point for many students when selecting a GMAT prep option to go with.

Pros of Kaplan GMAT Prep

Kaplan’s GMAT Channel offers interactive lessons and one-on-one teacher support. You also get unlimited access to GMAT faculty and archived material available 24/7. The ability to write comments and interact with and share notes with other students is an added bonus. Overall, we feel Kaplan’s GMAT plans are very enjoyable for most students. The ‘Test Day Experience’ is a unique offering as well. It allows students to take an actual, full-length practice test at an actual testing facility. With these features, Kaplan really helps students with test-day jitters overcome their anxieties. A great teacher-student ration ensures Kaplan is able to maintain quality across all its global classes.

Furthermore, the adaptive quiz bank allows students to create custom quizzes for themselves. These come from Kaplan’s 5,000 test-question repository. It allows you to select questions in areas that you find particularly difficult, which gives you the practice you need before the actual test. This feature even works on mobile devices, so it’s very useful for on-the-go study.

Kaplan GMAT Prep Prices and Plans

Most of Kaplan’s plans cost between about $800 and $1,650. One of the most highly rated plans is the in-person plan. This plan costs about $1,250 and comes with 18 hours of live instruction. It also comes with 30 hours of instruction using the GMAT Channel. It also contains 2 prep books. An MBA admissions guide, practice questions, and sample tests also come as Kaplan standards.

If you upgrade the in-person plan, you can get 3 hours of personal coaching for about $400 more. This upgrade also gives you access to live instructors if there are no Kaplan centers near your place of residence.

Self-study plans start at about $800. These plans include 14 hours of pre-recorded instruction, 30 hours’ worth of archived material from the GMAT Channel. They also provide 2 prep books, an MBA admissions guide, and practice material and tests. You can purchase an additional 30 hours’ worth of selective instruction for about $200 more.

Some plans and packages do not already include these resources. For such plans, you can purchase the quiz bank, additional practice packs, and an official “Test Day Experience” trainer for about $150 each.

Other plans and prices include:

• 15 hours’ in-person or online tutoring for about $2,800
• 25 hours’ in-person or online tutoring for about $3,900
• 35 hours’ in-person or online tutoring for about $5,000

These different tiers are on offer for students who want or need different levels of preparation for their exam and who may want to customize their learning experience across in-person, live, and self-prep modes of study.

Kaplan GMAT Prep Course Length

Kaplan courses generally run for about 6 weeks and have industry average prices. However, the course is somewhat shorter than other options (many of which run for 9 weeks). Consequently, students end up with less in-class and live-instructor time than as compared to other options.

My Recommendation for Kaplan GMAT Prep

With a name as widely known, recognized, and respected as Kaplan, you can’t go wrong. Kaplan offers numerous study options. It also gives students access to all the training and testing material they could possibly need to beat the GMAT. Their global presence attests to their success in training students for the GMAT.

It is true that some of their course offerings and options are a little pricey. However, there are plenty of different plans and packages on offer. This ensures that most students will likely to find a course format that suits their budget and their learning needs. Quality instruction from teachers who themselves have aced the exam is another bonus. Finally, easy access to extensive learning materials in multiple formats is always a plus. You can’t go wrong on the GMAT if you study with Kaplan.