When it comes to prepping for the GMAT Focus, Target Test Prep and Princeton Review are two of the most popular choices on the market. Yet, with a lot of overlap in features and content, it can be hard deciding on which GMAT prep program to go with. In this comprehensive review, we explore which one better fits your needs.
Given that we write long, in-depth reviews, we’ve added jump-to links above so you can quickly navigate this article by section.
In the above video, John breaks down the pros and cons of each GMAT prep course, providing a low down on who each course might be best for. Continue reading for more detail.
In terms of the high level features and study materials that each company provides, the two companies are actually pretty similar. Both provide video lessons, a guided study schedule, practice problems, study notes, full-length practice tests, and more.
Honestly, just looking at the list of stuff you get, these two GMAT courses look fairly close. However, when you dig in to the details and actually use the programs, there are definitely some differences in how these companies deliver their courses.
And I think those are probably best explained by looking at where each company wins over one another, so let’s begin with Princeton Review.
The one biggest difference between Target Test Prep and Princeton Review that must be referenced at the outset is the sheer quantity of study materials and coursework that Princeton provides.
Simply put, the Princeton Review course is much more robust than TTP’s course, and offers more in terms of quantity than Target Test Prep in almost every category (Kaplan does as well). Let us consider the list:
You get the picture. The slate of materials and features you get with Princeton Review is just so much more comprehensive and deep.
My second notable callout for Princeton Review has to do with video content. While Target Test Prep makes a big deal about offering hundreds of short video lessons, the reality is that they are all just problem breakdowns.
Rather than offering video-based instruction that covers content review and teaches you how to attack different GMAT Focus problem types from a strategy perspective, TTP lets their written lessons do the work.
That’s fine, and their problem video breakdowns are useful, but Princeton Review actually has dozens of hours of video lessons that provide content refreshers and test taking strategies. To me, as a visual learner, this is a huge value add for Princeton Review.
The third advantage favoring Princeton Review is practice tests. As noted above, Princeton Review gives you eight computer adaptive practice tests, while Target Test Prep only gives you two.
Yes, you read that correctly. You get four times as many practice tests with Princeton Review, which is huge deal, especially when you’re talking about numbers in the single digits.
But it’s not even just the quantity. We also liked Princeton Reviews’ mock exams themselves better. We found Princeton Reviews’ tests to closely mimic the actual GMAT Focus in terms of interface, as well as question difficulty, length and content (the Kaplan GMAT practice tests do as well).
They are simply a dead ringer for the real thing. So the fact that you get 8 highly realistic practice tests is a big deal.
The last win for Princeton Review here is live instruction. I’m not sure if you’re looking for live classes or not, but if you are, Princeton Review is going to be your better option.
TTP’s live classes are fine, but I want to make clear that Princeton’s classes are very, very good. The instructor I had was great, and the classes added a ton of structure and depth to the course through the regular meetings and custom homework assignments in between. Princeton is a solid option if you’ve considered live classes at all.
👉 Read our full Princeton Review GMAT Prep Course Review
Knowing now the categories where Princeton Review wins, let’s talk about where Target Test Prep wins.
The first big highlight with Target Test Prep is the design of their self-paced course. They structure their GMAT study material into highly streamlined and digestible learning modules which they call “missions.”
Each mission is built around a series of quick reviews from previous modules, lessons (mostly text-based), then a chapter test, and a quick recap. By organizing the course this way, it just feels more structured and provides some serious guidance.
Overall, it has got a great flow and it’s easy to keep track of your progress and performance as you roll through the course.
The other clear highlight for TTP is their performance analytics. They are simply fantastic.
Target Test Prep provides some of the most in-depth and useful performance data that I’ve seen across any prep course. They zero in on your behavioral tendencies, last-second answer changing habits, and specific weak spots.
It’s great analysis, and can make a real impact in terms of improving your GMAT Focus score based on actionable takeaways.
The final factor in Target Test Prep’s corner is their problem explanations. For a massive number of their practice problems, TTP provides a quick video breakdown (Magoosh does as well). Again, this relates back to the video content I discussed above.
Target Test Prep doesn’t provide much in the way of hard content-based videos, but they do have hundreds of short videos showing how to solve problems. For visual learners, I think this is a big advantage as you review practice sets and mock GMAT Focus exams.
Princeton Review has some video breakdowns of problems, but not anywhere near as many as TTP. So while I would like to see Target Test Prep add some more videos as part of their primary instruction, the problem-based videos are awesome for reviewing.
👉 Read our full Target Test Prep GMAT Prep Course Review
In terms of course options, Target Test Prep has several packages to choose from, including a monthly flex package that runs for around $229/month, a few multi-month subscription packages that cost around $600-$700, and a live class package that costs $1,600.
Then on the flip side, you’ve got Princeton Review, which has three primary plans to choose from: a self-paced course that costs $800; a live online package called their “Core Concepts” course which costs $999; and a GMAT 645+ course, which as the name implies, guarantees a score of at least 645. That package costs $1,399.
So clearly Target Test Prep is cheaper by at least $100, and potentially a lot more, depending on which package you go with. Both companies also offer GMAT tutoring packages as well in case you need personal one-on-one tutoring.
However, I will note that those prices are a little deceiving, as those are just the full retail prices on their websites, and both Target Test Prep and Princeton Review regularly run sales and special promotions.
Personally, after using and evaluating both of these GMAT prep courses, I think Princeton Review is the better overall course.
They offer deeper resources; their video lessons are a major advantage; the fact that they offer 8 full-length practice tests is a big deal; their live classes are rock solid; and I actually really like the hardcopy prep books you get with their course as well.
Obviously, Target Test Prep is a solid course in its own right and you have to balance the pros in Princeton Review’s column against Target Test Prep’s cheaper price point, but overall, with all else being equal, I would go with Princeton Review.
👉 Read Next: Our Rankings of the Best GMAT Prep Courses
One of the main differences between Target Test Prep and Princeton Review is that Target Test Prep focuses on text-based lessons, while Princeton Review offers lessons backed with video lectures. Moreover, Princeton Review offers a much greater quantity of coursework.
After thoroughly using and testing out each GMAT prep course, our team feels that Princeton Review’s prep package is superior to TTP’s. True that Target Test Prep offers a more attractive price point, but the Princeton study materials are much more comprehensive.
Target Test Prep’s GMAT courses are more affordable than the packages from Princeton Review. At roughly one-half to two-thirds the cost, Target Test Prep offers the better value.