Magoosh online GMAT prep course is a great option for self-motivated test takers looking for a 50+ point score improvement. They have several different packages, including a 30-day program, a quantitative and IR-only plan, a verbal-only plan, a full service plan offering six hours of tutoring, and their premium plan with all of the Magoosh GMAT practice tests, video instruction, and problems you can review for up to a year (most popular).
We highly recommend Magoosh’s premium GMAT prep course for its combination of affordability, an impressive score guarantee, and detailed, user-friendly explanations on an intuitive interface.
Please note that Gmat preparation guides from magoosh is one of our affiliate brands, and as such, we receive a small commission at no cost to you if you choose to purchase this prep course. Only use our links if you find this review helpful.
Here are a few pros and cons to the Magoosh GMAT review experience:
1. The Price
The Magoosh GMAT prep course is by far the least expensive among top GMAT test prep providers at $219. As we’ll detail throughout this review, Magoosh offers an extreme amount of value at that pricepoint.
Price is often the first thing that would-be test takers consider, and Magoosh has its competitors beat. That being said, you’re going to get an MBA. If your test prep course doesn’t get you into the right program, the couple hundred dollars you saved won’t matter much, will they?
So, price is important, but the real argument for choosing Magoosh GMAT review starts here:
2. Online Access.
Magoosh GMAT test prep is entirely online. No books or worksheets to lug around. You have the flexibility to study anywhere, anytime, with constant access to practice problems, video instruction, and question review. Anytime you have a free moment, you have access to the material.
The Magoosh GMAT app is available for both iOS and Android, and Magoosh also offers a flash card app, as well. If you’re often on the go, these apps will come in handy.
3. User Friendly.
The Magoosh GMAT review site is incredibly user friendly and geared towards customized learning and flexibility. It is clear that Magoosh takes the user experience as seriously as they take their test prep.
In using the site, there was never a time when I wasn’t sure where to navigate. Each section is clearly displayed in your Dashboard:
From here, you are able to jump to important sections, like practice tests and questions, lessons, and your personalized Review section. Although the aesthetic of their dashboard won’t blow you away, the user experience could not be more thoughtfully and intuitively laid out.
4. More Personalized Study than a Classroom.
The Magoosh GMAT prep video instruction is so valuable. In a classroom, you are forced to go with the set pace of the class, unable to rewind when you don’t understand or skip ahead when you do. You can ask a question or for a review, but you likely can’t ask the teacher to go over something three or four times.
You also can’t skip ahead or watch at faster speeds, which is ideal when you already have a firm understanding of the topic or question.
When putting together your Magoosh GMAT study plan, you can customize your practice problems based on your own specific needs. Choose level of difficulty, number of problems, type of problems, and section. You can even decide if you want “practice mode” (explanations are shown) or “quiz mode” (explanations are not shown).
5. Video Answer Review.
The video answer review may make the Magoosh GMAT prep the best test prep available, especially at its price. Traditional GMAT prep books have short text explanations for every question. Oftentimes the answers are too short to explain the complexity of each problem. With the quantitative questions especially, it is difficult to understand a written explanation.
With Magoosh’s GMAT prep course, you have access to 1-3 minute videos explaining each solution in a much more in depth way. You are able to see the solution worked out in detail, which is much more valuable than reading shallow explanations.
The videos offer so much more than the text explanation. They often answer “why” this works. Personally, I had a lot of “aha! Moments” from the video explanations that I rarely have with a text explanation. The videos are designed to help you further understand the problem, so you can apply the explanation to others like it, rather than just repeat the success on that singular problem.
The videos also remind you of the basics or the rules and equations behind each of the problems.
Also, many of the video explanations are a little different than the text explanation, offering you a more thorough explanation and different ways of solving problems.
If the quantitative section is really where you’re struggling, you may want to consider Target Test Prep, which only offers resources to improve your score on the quantitative section. The great thing about Magoosh and Target Test Prep is that they’re both excellent values, so it’s possible to double up and use materials from both to get the best outcome possible.
6. Endless, Valuable Resources
The Magoosh test prep offers so much more than just an explanation.
Shortcuts:
One of the biggest struggles that GMAT test takers have is timing. We could do much better if we had more time! So, one trick is learning shortcuts to common problems. Many of the problems can be solved with “quick” math, guesstimates, and shortcuts. Most other test prep materials do not give examples of these. Magoosh does. It is a huge time saver, and a great skill.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Along with the explanation describing how to solve the problem, they answer commonly asked questions about the problem, addressing common mistakes and confusions, clearing up critical areas for future questions. Sometimes how to solve isn’t enough, and studiers wonder why their method didn’t work. Well, Magoosh answers it for you, helping you to avoid the same mistake during test day
Related Lessons:
Having trouble with a certain problem? Magoosh gives you related lessons, so you can refer back during practice questions.
Notes Section:
Want to remember something specific to this question? Have a hint for yourself? The Magoosh GMAT review allows you to save notes to yourself that attach to each question, so you’ll never forget that timesaving hint again!
References to other explanations:
In the Text Explanation section, Magoosh often offers a link to one or two blog posts about the particular solution, even further explaining the how and why behind the answer.
7. Smart Review
One of my favorite features is Magoosh’s ability to help you tailor your study time. By analyzing the results from your previous questions, Magoosh details your progress and timeline and gives a score estimate. It also offers a “suggested lessons” section, based on how you’ve answered previous questions.
The Magoosh GMAT practice tests are adaptive, adjusting to your skill level, just like the real test.