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Manhattan Prep vs Kaplan GRE
See how the GRE prep courses from Manhattan Prep and Kaplan stack up against one another
Although there are many GRE prep options out there today, Kaplan and Manhattan Prep are widely considered two of the best. They also happen to be owned by the same parent company, which can further complicate your decision. Therefore, to help you determine which is the best option for you, we put the GRE prep courses from Manhattan Prep and Kaplan head-to-head to see which one wins.
Since this is a lengthy, detailed GRE comparison, we’ve included jump-to links above for your convenience.
Video Review: Which GRE Prep Course Wins?
In the video above, John from the Test Prep Insight team compares the GRE prep courses from Kaplan and Manhattan Prep. For more detail, be sure to continue reading our full written comparison below.
Now that you have a good idea of what Kaplan has to offer, let’s turn the tables and talk about the highlights of the Manhattan Prep GRE courses.
Manhattan Prep GRE Options & Pricing
Manhattan Prep offers three different options for GRE prep:
The Interact for MBA program is priced from $300 to $600 (depends on content access length of 1-6 months), with 75+ video lessons.
The GRE for MBA Course comes in at roughly $2,000 with 75+ video lessons, 27 live class hours, hardcopy books, and access to materials for the length of the course plus 6 months.
The Private Tutoring package costs starts around $2,900 for private one-on-one tutoring.
👉 If you are looking for a more affordable GRE prep option, you may want to consider Magoosh.
Evaluation of Manhattan Prep GRE Coursework
When it comes to the quality of the coursework, Manhattan Prep is awesome. From the on-demand option to the full classes, you’ll get a variety of modules to complete across progressive levels of difficulty.
They’re structured using a systematic approach that starts with learning, moves to drilling on the knowledge, and ends with a quiz to determine if you’ve learned what you need to know. This systematic approach is covered in more detail below.
Manhattan Prep has over 5,000 practice questions included with each of their GRE course options. This is a large amount practice questions, and is leaps and bounds more than any other company has to offer. In fact, there are so many practice questions that you’ll likely never see them all. It’s expert level GRE prep with top-tier instructors, and Manhattan Prep’s advanced course options are ideal for serious score gains.
Example of quiz question from Manhattan Prep
At first, the crazy amount of material made me a little anxious. I felt overwhelmed, pressuring myself to do more and more.
I pushed to get through as many as possible, but soon realized that sometimes you can have too much of a good thing. Once the overachiever in me gave in to the fact that I did not need to get through all available practice questions in order to perform well on the exam, I was in a much more relaxed frame of mind to continue with my studies.
The pricier GRE for MBA course comes with a set of their fantastic Quant and Verbal hardcopy strategy guides. In addition, you’ll also get one of Manhattan Prep’s signature 5 lb. books of practice problems and ETS’s Official Guide to the GRE. The GRE Interact course only gets you access to their online content.
For some, this might not be a big deal. I would just like to see the inclusion of books with the most affordable course option.
Manhattan Prep has a pretty impressive mobile app that gives you access to practice problems, quizzes, and flashcards on your mobile device. This is a good resource if you have breaks in your day that allow you some quick-hit study time. This is great for anyone looking for a GRE course with live instruction and practice tests too.
Finally, with Manhattan’s GRE prep you will have access to 13 full length, computer adaptive practice tests that are designed to provide you with a real test taking experience prior to exam day.
Personally, I took 6 of these practice exams, and feel that they closely mimic the actual GRE exam.
Video Lessons
Manhattan’s GRE video lessons are taught by instructors who are in the top 1% of all scorers on the exam, and it shows. Not only do they really know their stuff, but they deliver the content and share their knowledge in ways that make you believe that they really want you to succeed.
They also have a knack for making the lessons fun and playful. I liked that often times the instructor would tell funny stories or add humorous anecdotes. When studying difficult topics, I always welcome the humor and the relief in tension that the instructors provided.
Manhattan Prep GRE lecture
The fun factor mentioned above is a big deal, and really what differentiates the Manhattan Prep lessons from competitors. All in all, if you’re more of a visual learner, I think you’ll really enjoy the Manhattan Prep GRE courses.
Hands down, the best thing about Manhattan’s GRE prep is their systematic approach to learning. Labeled “Learn It, Drill It, Prove It”, this three-step method applies to every level of your prep work, no matter which course you choose.
The core of the lessons, of course, is the “Learn It” section. It starts with diagnostics to determine where you are in your learning process. Once this baseline for your prep work is established you will go through a series of interactive video lessons on the topic at hand.
The lessons include your teacher breaking down problems over a whiteboard, quizzes to test your comprehension of the concepts, and an occasional cartoon or joke to provide a break in the tension of studying.
A look inside the Manhattan Prep GRE course
Next, you move into the “Drill It” portion of the class. In this step, you use drills similar to virtual flashcards to test what you’ve learned. You’ll work out a set of given problems and check each answer to see if it is correct or incorrect.
After working through a succession of these drills, you’ll be ready to move on to the final element in this 3-step approach.
In rounding out Manhattan Prep’s learning approach, your last step is “Prove It”. Here, you will take a quiz to determine if you satisfactorily learned the material presented in the first two steps.
I really like this 3-tier concept. Basically, you learn the material through high quality, interactive video lessons taught by engaging instructors. Next you revisit the information you learned by drilling important topics.
Finally, you test your knowledge to determine if you’ve mastered the topic at hand. As simple as it sounds, it is highly effective should not be overlooked as the highlight to Manhattan Prep’s GRE course.
Ideal For MBA Hopefuls
If you’ve chosen to go with the GRE over the GMAT, Manhattan Prep makes a lot of sense. They built their reputation around GMAT prep since that was the traditional business school test. But now their MBA course is designed specifically for folks taking the GRE to apply to business school.
You get 9 live sessions that really drill down on advanced math, which happens to be both the toughest section of the GRE and the part that carries the most weight for MBA programs.
Whether you’re shooting for a top-tier business school score or just struggling with the quantitative stuff for any graduate program, this GRE for MBA course is worth considering. That heavy math focus works well whether you’re trying to ace it or simply need extra help getting your quant skills up to speed.
To best understand how the GRE prep courses from Kaplan and Manhattan Prep stack up, let’s discuss the study materials and features that both companies offer, first starting with Kaplan.
Kaplan GRE Prep Courses And Pricing
Kaplan gives you only three different course options to choose from, which cover a wide range of study types, from self-guided studies to live instruction sessions. The different options include:
On Demand – costing about $600 for 6-months of access, with over 30 hours of video instruction, access to over 4,000 practice questions, and a hardcopy book (also cheaper 1 or 3 month options available). This is priced similar to Manhattan Prep.
Live Online – priced around $1,100, with over 30 hours of video instruction, access to over 4,000 practice questions, hardcopy book, and 21 hours of live online class hours. This is nearly half the cost of Manhattan Prep.
Tutoring + Live Course – priced just under $2,500, students gets everything included in the On Demand course plus personalized one-on-one tutoring with a GRE expert. Starts at a few hundred cheaper than Manhattan Prep.
Kaplan is a known leader in the test prep industry, and rightfully so. With their proven methods to prepare their students for success, it’s no surprise that their GRE course offers stellar resources and highly effective tools to help students gear up for the exam.
The high-quality video lessons are taught by excellent and engaging instructors who go out of their way to ensure that you understand the content being delivered. They never hesitate to revisit questions if the class doesn’t seem to understand the topic.
I really like that the instructors share test taking tips and strategies in addition to their lectures and problem-solving lessons.
One of Kaplan’s engaging video lectures
It is obvious that Kaplan has spared no expense on the video lessons, as they are of high production quality with modern digital effects (similar to Manhattan Prep and Princeton Review). Each video is followed by a quiz to assess your knowledge on the material just covered.
The quizzes are followed by detailed explanations of the answers so you can easily identify areas where you need to focus more of your attention.
The QBank feature that is included with Kaplan’s GRE course is an invaluable tool when it comes to your test prep. In fact, if their book wasn’t so darn good, this QBank would be my favorite component of Kaplan’s course.
When combined with practice questions from the various resources, including the QBank, you have over 4,000 at your fingertips, soyou can customize practice tests based on your own specific needs. I love the personalization that the QBank offers, and often found myself using it to build quizzes to attack my weakest areas.
You can customize your practice by topic and difficulty level, as well as if you want to be timed or not. The QBank is super easy to navigate and a highly effective study tool.
Kaplan GRE Channel
This might be my favorite thing about Kaplan’s GRE course. Beyond the standard curriculum, they throw in these on-demand video sessions through something they call the GRE Channel. You’ll find them as optional “Dig Deeper” modules scattered throughout the course.
The instructors running these are legitimately some of Kaplan’s best, and they really break down the trickier question formats, key concepts, and test-taking approaches that actually work. There are also some supplementary readings if you want to dive deeper. Jump in when you have time and get the help you need without drowning in extra work.
Dig Deeper module with extra videos and readings
Honestly, the GRE Channel really impressed us. I’d say it’s easily one of the strongest tools in the entire GRE prep landscape, particularly when you’re stuck on a specific concept or need help mastering a certain strategy.
Additional Resources
Another great feature here is Kaplan’s “Official Test Day Experience.” It’s exactly what it sounds like: you can take one of your practice tests either at an actual Prometric testing center or at home with a live virtual proctor watching. It’s a real dry run of test day.
This is huge for settling your nerves and knowing exactly what to expect. Kaplan recommends doing this about two weeks out from your actual exam, which makes sense.
Kaplan test interface is just like the real GRE
Beyond that, Kaplan gives you a solid resource tab where you can quickly find and filter through all your study materials, plus a progress tracker to see how you’re performing. Both are really helpful for staying organized and making sure you’re on pace to hit your score goal.
What sets Kaplan apart from all other services is their incredible print prep book. For me and others on our review team, having this is crucial, and I think Kaplan’s textbook is the cream of the crop.
The hardcopy book that, for the most part, easily track with the live and online courses. This makes it very easy to follow along as you maneuver through your lessons.
The book is well written and incredibly detailed. In fact, it is so painstakingly thorough and comprehensive that there is probably more material than you will ever be able to digest.
It should be noted that Kaplan’s book is also available as a PDF for those who prefer that format. For me, it is refreshing to find a prep course that still provides you the opportunity to learn with old school textbooks in a time when so many others relying on digital eBook content.
It is also worth noting that Kaplan includes the hardcopy prep book with all of their course options, including their On Demand course, whereas Manhattan Prep does not.
GRE Score Guarantee
Kaplan offers a higher score guarantee, meaning if you complete one of the Kaplan GRE courses, and your score does not improve, you get your money back. Whereas Manhattan Prep, on the other hand, does not offer any sort of score guarantee for their on demand course.
Both Kaplan and Manhattan Prep are heavyweights in the GRE space, but if we had to pick one, we give the slight edge to Manhattan Prep.
Kaplan’s textbooks and official test day experience are great, and if you opt for the live course, it’s a lot cheaper than Manhattan Prep.
However, Manhattan Prep offers a deeper level of practice that is hard to beat. You get more practice questions and we also prefer their systemic teaching style. And if you are applying to business school, we found their quantitive prep to be unmatched. Overall, Manhattan Prep delivers, especially for serious test takers.
Which GRE prep course costs more - Manhattan Prep or Kaplan?
Kaplan’s live courses are more affordable. For example, the prices for Kaplan’s Live Online course and Manhattan Prep’s equivalent course cost around $1,100 and $2,000, respectively. That said, their on-demand course are priced the same.
What’s the biggest difference between the Manhattan Prep and Kaplan GRE prep courses?
Both courses have similar offerings. Their differences lie in the delivery of their instructional material. Manhattan Prep has a systematic approach to learning with their “Learn It, Drill It, Prove It” process, while Kaplan’s highlights include their prep books.
Do Manhattan Prep and Kaplan include prep books with their GRE courses?
Yes. Both Manhattan Prep and Kaplan include high-quality, helpful prep books with their GRE courses.
Is Manhattan Prep better than Kaplan for GRE?
If you’re aiming for a high GRE score, Manhattan Prep may have the edge, especially for quant-heavy learners or those wanting deeper conceptual instruction. It offers more advanced materials, elite instructors, and better live class options. Kaplan is still a great choice for flexibility and beginner-friendly structure, but serious test-takers often prefer Manhattan’s rigour.
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