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Magoosh vs Kaplan GRE
A detailed comparison of the Magoosh and Kaplan GRE prep courses
As far as GRE prep courses go, there may not be any two courses more different than Magoosh and Kaplan. Kaplan is the old school, classic test prep company with hardcopy books, while Magoosh is the new age company with low price points and a flexible, digital-first teaching approach. So how do you choose when the two courses you’re considering are as different as Kaplan and Magoosh? We take a close look at both prep packages and give you a side-by-side view so that you can make the right decision as to which prep course is best for you.
Given this is a comprehensive comparison, we’ve added helpful jump-to links above for easy navigation.
Video Review: Kaplan Or Magoosh?
In the video above, John from the Test Prep Insight team breaks down our team’s thoughts on these courses and how they compare in under 10 minutes. For more detail, please continue reading our full written comparison below.
Studying for the GRE requires time and discipline so it’s important you choose the best prep course from the start. Below find the major reasons why Kaplan is the better choice than Magoosh for GRE prep.
Kaplan Course Options And Pricing
Kaplan offers a greater selection of course options as compared to Magoosh. They give you three different GRE prep packages to choose from, as follows:
The differentiating factor among the Kaplan course options is the format. Every student learns differently, so Kaplan gives you a choice as to which way you want to take their prep course.
On that point, the core curriculum across all three prep packages is more or less the same – it is just the delivery format that changes.
You’ll either get the instruction through one-on-one tutoring, via live online lectures, or at your own leisure through self-paced study. The content is the same, it is just the way you consume it that is varied.
In terms of pricing, it’s no secret that Kaplan’s GRE offerings cost more than Magoosh’s. In fact, in some cases, they cost 3x as much, but it should also be stated that Kapan’s offerings are more robust (in terms of volume and level of coursework that they deliver).
Course options and pricing current as of date of publication.
The Kaplan Lessons And Coursework
The Kaplan video lessons are top of the line in terms of both production quality and depth of coverage. While Magoosh’s video lessons consist of a PowerPoint-type slideshow with a voiceover and onscreen notes, the Kaplan video lessons are much more advanced (as are the video lessons from Manhattan Prep).
The Kaplan instructor appears onscreen before a digital whiteboard which follows the teacher’s lesson and updates frequently to visualize concepts, issues and problems.
One of Kaplan’s engaging video lectures
Then, to mix up the instruction, the teacher will grab a marker from time to time and handwrite notes in a luminous ink write in front of them, exemplifying how a concept plays out in the form of a problem or question.
The dynamic and interactive delivery of lessons makes for an incredibly engaging experience. These lessons cover the same topics as Magoosh’s videos, but go into much more depth and the production quality is night and day.
To complement the high-quality lessons, Kaplan provides students access to over 2,500 practice problems through both its in-module quizzes and its QBank. The QBank is a tool very similar to the Magoosh custom practice session and allows users the ability to create personalized practice problem sets.
And accompanying each of the practice problems, you’re given access to a succinct, but highly effective problem explanation. Overall, Kaplan’s lesson instruction and coursework are exceptional and have a clear edge over Magoosh’s materials.
In addition to some superb video lessons and coursework, Kaplan also offers live class instruction and hardcopy prep books (and does both extremely well).
For the record, Magoosh used to offer live classes as well, but no longer does. Therefore, if live classes are important to you, Kaplan is clearly the way to go (Princeton Review also offers live GRE classes).
Plus, the Kaplan instructors are all incredibly knowledgeable with respect to GRE exam concepts and highly trained to deliver that content in an easily understandable fashion.
Another look at Kaplan’s GRE video lessons
In addition, Kaplan’s course books are unparalleled. They provide extraordinary detail on just about every topic covered on the GRE, as well as a host of practice problems and drills.
This is something that you just can’t get with Magoosh. So if you’re a fan of printed textbooks when learning, this is going to be another check in the Kaplan column.
Kaplan GRE Practice Tests
As anyone who has ever taken a standardized exam before knows, practice tests often serve as the most effective study tool. Kaplan offers students seven full-length, adaptive practice tests, whereas Magoosh only offers three.
Therefore, the fact that Kaplan provides more 2x the practice opportunities is a big deal. Taking and reviewing practice tests are often where students make the biggest gains.
Plus, what’s nice about Kaplan is that they even offer an official test day experience. Essentially, students receive a one-time pass to take one of their practice exams at an actual Prometric testing center. That way you can simulate what test day is really going to feel like from the moment you wake up to the moment you walk out of the testing center.
Bottom line, if you place a high value on practice tests (which you should), Kaplan has a major leg up over Magoosh.
Now that you have a better idea of what Kaplan has to offer, let’s turn the tables and discuss the advantages of using Magoosh for your GRE prep.
Magoosh Course Options And Pricing
The Magoosh GRE course offerings are simple and straightforward. They offer two different packages:
Premium Self-Study GRE Course (1 month or 6 months)
Premium + Admissions
That’s it. Really. While Kaplan and other test prep companies offer 3+ course packages with varying formats, different levels of accessible practice problems, and other features, the two Magoosh prep packages are nearly identical, with the lone difference being that one includes various help and resources as it relates to admissions. Other than that, you are getting the same study material and resources.
The Premium Self-Study GRE Course runs for around $180, while the Premium + Admissions package costs around $250.
In direct comparison with Kaplan’s course pricing, Magoosh is the CLEAR winner. Their self-paced course is less than one-half the cost of the comparable Kaplan self-paced option.
Course options and pricing current as of date of publication.
Magoosh Lessons And Study Materials
Unlike Kaplan’s traditional method of test prep with in-person classes, hardcopy prep books and take-home assignments, Magoosh takes a different approach.
Rather than having a robust core curriculum that is followed in a linear fashion, Magoosh gives you a library of lessons to choose from.
To be clear, they do offer a suggested order of viewing video lessons and taking follow-up quizzes, but it is not as developed as Kaplan’s course in terms of guidance.
One of the Magoosh GRE video lessons
You are free to jump ahead, go back, or just pick your topics at random depending on where you need work. It is a much more laissez-faire approach to studying. However, while the lesson work is more freewheeling, the content is all there.
Every topic necessary for the GRE is covered, and covered well. The video lessons, while short in length and of average production quality, are effective.
The instructors are clearly very knowledgeable and do a great job breaking down even complex subject matter. All in all, we were impressed with the video instruction given the low price point.
In addition to the video lessons, Magoosh offers over 1,400 practice problems and 3 full-length practice tests. Obviously this doesn’t stand up toe-to-toe with Kaplan’s numbers, but these are still respectable amounts nonetheless.
And the quality of these practice questions and tests are clearly not impacted by the budget price – we found the practice work to be right on par Kaplan’s.
For those students not needing as many practice questions, the Magoosh study materials may be all you need.
Customized Practice Sessions
One of Magoosh’s premier features is their custom practice function. You can generate personalized quizzes broken down by question type, difficulty, number of questions, and much more.
This was one of our team’s favorite aspects of the Magoosh course and helped boost it onto our best GRE prep courses list.
It is an extremely beneficial tool that allows students the chance to focus their work on areas where they need improvement.
Sample score report and review from Magoosh
While this type of feature is not unique to Magoosh – in fact, Kaplan has one also – it is worth noting that you get some of the same cool features with Magoosh as you do with Kaplan for a fraction of the price.
Despite the cost difference, you get very similar tools of comparable quality.
The final feature of the Magoosh GRE course worth highlighting in this comparison is their user experience. Although clearly outgunned by Kaplan with respect to resources, Magoosh still manages to put out a digital platform with a surprisingly good user-friendly interface and sleek user experience.
The design around their online content is easy-to-use, aesthetically appealing and very snappy. We were very impressed with their user experience overall given their value pricing.
GRE Admissions Help
If you do opt for Magoosh’s Premium + Admissions package, here’s what it comes with:
Application walkthroughs
Application workshops
Personal statement samples
Resume templates
Q&A with Magoosh admission experts
While these resources may not appear important while you’re studying, they certainty will be after you take the exam and receive your score. And the nice thing is that these resources come with 12 months of access.
Magoosh and Kaplan are very different prep courses, but in the end, we have to give Kaplan the win. Their prep courses are just more comprehensive in terms of both volume and quality of study materials. This especially holds true if you’re looking for live classes or hardcopy prep books.
With that said, if money is tight and you can’t afford any of the Kaplan courses, Magoosh is an excellent choice as well. Their prep courses are nothing to sneeze at and offer tremendous bang for your buck.
If you still need a bit more info to help you make the final decision one way or the other, here is our quick and dirty summary:
Study Materials: Between these two test prep rivals, Kaplan takes the cake when it comes to quality and quantity of study material. Their video lessons, practice problems and explanations, live classes, drills, books and other resources simply can’t be matched. Kaplan delivers a mountain of high-quality GRE study content. That said, Magoosh does hold its own. While obviously offering less study material in terms of quantity, Magoosh still provides students with excellent video lessons covering all the necessary topics, as well as 1,400+ practice problems with top end video explanations, and some cool resources to boot.
Price: This category also has a clear winner – Magoosh. At a fraction of Kaplan’s course cost, Magoosh is the obvious value pick in terms of pricing. With their mainstay prep package coming in at around $180, that price point can’t be beaten.
GRE Prep Books: If you’re looking for printed study books, your only choice is to go with Kaplan, as Magoosh doesn’t offer such. But assuming you’re looking for a course with online only content, both Magoosh and Kaplan each offer formidable digital lessons and coursework.
GRE Practice Tests:Edge: Kaplan. Though there is absolutely nothing wrong with Magoosh’s practice tests or their testing platform, we have to give the edge to Kaplan based on quantity alone. It’s as simple as 7 beats 3.
User Experience: Despite the disparity in price, we rate this as a tie between the two courses, and even had internal disagreement over which companies’ interface was better. That is probably telling that user experience and interface is a pretty subjective facet of any course, but we can say with certainty that both of these courses pass muster on this front.
Extra Resources: While both prep courses offer a fairly standard suite of resources, Kaplan likely gets the edge here for its “test day experience” feature. This exclusive add-on gives each Kaplan student the opportunity to sit for one of their seven practice exams at a Prometric test center, just like they will on test day. This is a very valuable resource that you just don’t get with Magoosh.
Online Content Access Period: You will get the same duration of user access across both prep courses. Kaplan and Magoosh each give you 6 months of access to their online content, which is plenty of time to study for the GRE.
Refund Policy and Score Guarantees:Both companies provide score increase guarantees and a general refund policy. Read the fine print for the technical details on the score increase guarantee, as each varies slightly, but the main difference here is that Magoosh gives you 7 days to kick the tires on their course, while Kaplan only gives you 3 days to get 100% of your money back. Apart from that small difference in refund window, both companies have generous money back policies.
FAQ
Which GRE prep course costs more – Kaplan or Magoosh?
The Kaplan GRE prep courses cost more than the Magoosh prep courses. Looking at the closest comparable prep packages (Magoosh’s Self-Study Premium course and Kaplan’s Self-Paced course), Kaplan costs roughly 2.5x as much at around $450. That said, Kaplan offers more in-depth study material than Magoosh.
What’s the main difference between Magoosh and Kaplan GRE prep courses?
The primary difference between the Magoosh and Kaplan GRE prep courses is that Kaplan offers live classes and hardcopy prep books, as well as more practice material, while Magoosh makes its name with pre-recorded video lessons, quality practice material, and an awesome price point.
Which company provides more study material, Kaplan or Magoosh?
Kaplan offers more study material than Magoosh. While Magoosh provides students a respectable 1,600 practice problems and 3 full-length practice tests, Kaplan offers 2,500+ questions and 7 practice tests.
