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PrepScholar vs Magoosh GRE
Our side-by-side comparison of the PrepScholar and Magoosh GRE prep courses
If you’ve decided to take the GRE, there’s a good chance you may be facing the dilemma of selecting the right prep course to help you study. If affordability is your primary concern, you’ve likely narrowed your course options down to those offered by PrepScholar and Magoosh. But how do you decide which is better for you? In this detailed comparison, we provide a close look at the features of both courses, as well as our team’s thoughts on them, so you can determine which prep option is right for you.
Given that this is a lengthy and detailed comparison, we’ve included a helpful jump-to table of contents for easy navigation.
Video Review: Which GRE Prep Course Is Better?
In the video above, John from the Test Prep Insight team compares the GRE prep courses from PrepScholar and Magoosh. For more detail, be sure to continue reading our full written review below.
Reasons Why Magoosh GRE Is Better Than PrepScholar
In an effort to provide the best comparison of these two 100% online GRE prep courses, we think it is best to discuss the study materials or features in which each company wins over one another.
With that in mind, let’s start with the major reasons to select Magoosh to help you prep for the GRE.
Quality of GRE Coursework
In our team’s opinion, Magoosh delivers the better overall GRE curriculum. Their prep program provides well-crafted lessons that are broken down into modules, with each module supplying video lessons, and a short quiz.
Their customizable practice sets can be taken in practice or quiz mode, and are accompanied by some really great problem explanations.
Sample score report and review from Magoosh
Magoosh also provides checklists to keep you on track, as well as a recommended order to work through the materials, but you can always just plow through the material in whatever order works best for you.
Now don’t get us wrong, it’s not that we don’t like course content from PrepScholar. In fact, we actually really like PrepScholar’s GRE coursework, especially the adaptive nature of their review course.
It’s just that we think the content in Magoosh’s video lessons is first-rate, and the customizable practice sessions were a big hit with our team (same story with the Kaplan GRE course in comparison to PrepScholar).
Magoosh Is More Affordable (MSRP)
Based on full retail prices, Magoosh takes the top spot here, with their courses running from around $180-$200, while PrepScholar’s price is closer to $400.
In other words, the top level course from Magoosh is half the cost of the PrepScholar course, making it a great value.
It should be noted, however, that PrepScholar often offers some seriously steep discounts on their prep packages. In fact, their courses can sometimes be purchased for the same or less than those offered by Magoosh, so make sure to check for discounts.
Unfortunately, for students seeking GRE tutoring, you may have to look elsewhere.
Course options and pricing current as of date of publication.
GRE Video Lessons
With both companies delivering similar, conventional types of video lessons, this one is a close race. Both PrepScholar and Magoosh each offer video instruction with solid content, though neither has the stellar production value that you’ll find with the higher priced prep providers like Princeton Review.
A sample PrepScholar video lesson
That said, we do have a slight preference for Magoosh’s lessons here, generally being a little clearer and using more example problems. The Magoosh instructors have a knack for helping the material sink-in.
One of the Magoosh GRE video lessons
Our team just thinks the Magoosh video lessons have a better flow to them and offer more value to viewers.
Plus, it’s worth mentioning that Magoosh also offers its students access to pre-recorded GRE classes as well, which is a nice bonus.
GRE Practice Tests
PrepScholar and Magoosh both offer practice exams with their GRE curriculums. With PrepScholar, you will get 2 full-length practice exams with questions that are highly realistic in terms of difficulty and length.
On the flip side, Magoosh offers 3 full-length, computer adaptive practice tests that are designed to provide you with the real feel of the actual GRE exam.
The PrepScholar GRE practice interface
And in terms of quantity, neither of these prep providers are in the same wheelhouse as Princeton Review or Achievable, with 8 and 10 practice exams respectively, but many students will find that 2 or 3 practice exams included with these lower-priced courses is enough for their needs.
Beyond quantity though, we really like how closely the practice questions and exams from Magoosh mimic the real test. In fact, with Magoosh, you get access to eight full sections of officially licensed GRE questions from ETS.
That, together with the one additional practice test, are the reasons why we give Magoosh the slight edge here.
Extra Resources
Budget-friendly prep courses most commonly offer decent online videos and practice problems, but not much else in the form of extra resources. That said, both of these companies have some decent extracurriculars.
With both PrepScholar and Magoosh, you will get study schedules to help guide your studies. With Magoosh, you will get suggested study plans based on how much time you can dedicate towards GRE prep, ranging in time from 1 week to 6 months. PrepScholar, on the other hand, customizes a plan specifically for your needs, based on their “Custom Prep” algorithm.
In addition to a study schedule, Magoosh offers a bit more in terms of extras, with a vocabulary builder tool, flashcards (vocabulary and math), and a mobile app.
The mobile app is a fantastic supplement to the Magoosh course, giving students exactly what they need for GRE practice on-the-go. It is not designed for standalone study, but it is a very convenient feature for modern students, and the definite tiebreaker in this category.
Not to mention my favorite Magoosh feature: 24/7 email support from GRE tutors. That’s right, if you ever get stuck on a question or you’re having trouble understanding a specific concept or testing strategy, you can simply email one of Magoosh’s expert GRE tutors, and they’ll get back to you within a few hours with a detailed response.
Reasons Why PrepScholar Is Better Than Magoosh For GRE Prep
Now that you have a better understanding of what Magoosh brings to the table, let’s flip the script and talk about the advnatges of using PrepScholar to help you prepare for the GRE exam.
Content Access Period
Content access with Magoosh is either 1-month or 6-months. That’s as simple as it gets. And to be honest, 6 months is likely enough for most students to get ready for the exam.
Prepscholar offers a long access period
With that being said, with PrepScholar’s top package, content access is a full year.
We aren’t too sure how important it would be to have longer access to GRE prep materials, but nonetheless, PrepScholar is the clear winner here.
GRE Score Guarantees
Another cut and dry category here. PrepScholar is so confident in their GRE prep product that they offer a full money back guarantee if your score does not increase by 7+ points.
PrepScholar puts their money where their mouth is, and we think this is a very impressive guarantee.
On the other hand, Magoosh puts forward a money back guarantee with a 5+ point score increase, which is also impressive; however, it just doesn’t match the 7+ points of PrepScholar.
To qualify for either guarantee, you must have previously taken and received a score on the GRE (as well as some other fine print requirements).
Magoosh and PrepScholar tie in this category. The GRE prep courses offered by both PrepScholar and Magoosh are 100% online. Everything you need will be accessed from your computer or mobile device.
As such, you won’t have to worry about a comparison here, since neither comes with prep books. If you are looking for a course with a fantastic, interactive digital textbook, you might want to consider the GRE prep course from Achievable. Otherwise, you can study anytime, anywhere with both PrepScholar and Magoosh.
Live GRE Classes
With the course curriculums of both courses being 100% online, it shouldn’t be a surprise that we have another tie in this category.
After all, both Magoosh and PrepScholar are budget friendly courses, and both take pride in their courses being perfect for students seeking flexibility in their GRE prep. If you want the structure and accountability that comes with live class instruction, Kaplan and Princeton Review offer some excellent options.
Digital Platform & User Experience
The digital portals of both PrepScholar and Magoosh are sleek, clean, and easy to use.
Overall, the functionality of both is equal in terms of navigation. With Magoosh, you can easily get to the “Quick Practice” problem sets from the dashboard.
With PrepScholar, getting to your dashboard, strategies and progress tracking is as easy as clicking a tab at the top of your screen. The performance trackers of both are equipped with everything you need to know to stay on top of your progress.
Magoosh’s clean and easy-to-use dashboard
Colorful pie charts from Magoosh provide you with a clear picture of your performance as you work your way through the materials. PrepScholar provides the same analytics, but in the form of color-coded bars.
All in all, we found the platforms of both courses to be modern and easy to navigate, making it difficult to choose here.
To sum up this comparison of two value GRE prep courses, Magoosh stands out in most categories, primarily for their impressive study lessons, customizable practice sets, and practice tests that mirror the real exam.
That, coupled with extra resources, such as flashcards, 24/7 email support, and a mobile app, are ultimately what puts Magoosh over the top.
PrepScholar’s untouchable content access period and crazy score guarantee are great, and their customized study plans are spot on, but in our team’s opinion, these features just aren’t enough to place them above Magoosh in our comparison.
Ultimately, we believe that students must choose the prep course that best fits their needs. If you are worried about needing to retake the exam or if the 7-point score guarantee is important for you, PrepScholar, in all probability, will be a reliable and sound option.
Both Magoosh and PrepScholar offer flexible, affordable GRE prep courses designed to help self-motivated students get ready for the GRE.
But when looking at the overall picture, our team gives Magoosh the edge in the end, finding them to offer the better all-around GRE course.
Which GRE prep course is better, Magoosh or PrepScholar?
After testing and evaluating the GRE study materials and features from both companies, our team thinks Magoosh offers the more well-rounded and effective GRE prep course.
What is the difference between Magoosh and PrepScholar GRE?
While PrepScholar offers a study plan customized specifically towards your needs, Magoosh includes flashcards, a vocabulary building tool, 24/7 email support, and a mobile app in their inventory of extra resources.
Do PrepScholar and Magoosh offer score increase guarantees?
Yes. Both PrepScholar and Magoosh have money back guarantees if you don’t increase your score after using their GRE prep courses.
Do Magoosh or PrepScholar offer students access to GRE tutors?
Yes, with Magoosh, students can email one the company’s GRE tutors if they ever get stuck on a problem or don’t understand a particular concept or topic.
