Kaplan has owned Manhattan Prep for years, and several years ago folded their own GMAT prep program into Manhattan Prep to create one combined course (with a recent major platform update). In this post, we explore how the this program compares against one of the other most popular courses out there: Target Test Prep.
Given that this is a lengthy, detailed comparison, we’ve included jump-to links above for your convenience.
In the video above, John from the Test Prep Insight team compares the GMAT prep courses from Manhattan Prep and Target Test Prep. For more detail, be sure to continue reading our full written review below.
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In this post I am going to focus on the key areas where I see each company having an advantage over the other (as opposed to a broad overview of each GMAT course). So with that in mind, let’s start with Manhattan Prep. I have them winning in four key categories.
The greatest highlight of the Manhattan Prep course is the video lessons. To put it simply, they’re just better than the video lessons from Target Test Prep.
To be fair, TTP does offer some pretty decent video lessons taught by the company founder himself. But here’s the thing: you only get access to these videos if you’re on one of the costlier plans, like the OnDemand or LiveTeach package.
If you’re trying to save some money on the basic Self-Study plan, then the only videos you get are their problem explanations. Otherwise, you’re getting all of your instruction from written lessons, with no video content review available.
The videos from Manhattan Prep, on the other hand, are actual lessons, not just short problem explanations. The Manhattan lessons are in-depth and engaging, and they offer tons of useful content review.
The content in the Manhattan videos is on point, and the production quality is first rate. Thus, if you’re more of a visual learner, take note.
Manhattan Prep also wins when it comes to live classes. With their live online, you get nine, three-hour classes for a total of 27 hours of live instruction.
I was personally very impressed by the Manhattan GMAT instructors. They are some of the best in the business. Not only do they know their stuff inside and out, but they also do a really good job of keeping the live sessions engaging and fun too.
Manhattan Prep also beats Target Test Prep when it comes to prep books. Frankly, this is another easy win for Manhattan as Target Test Prep does not offer its students any hard-copy prep books whatsoever.
Now, to be fair, Target Test Prep does offer a digital eBook, but really this doesn’t even compare to Manhattan – they provide their students with a bundle of comprehensive prep books packed with substantive instruction, test taking strategies, practice problems, and more. (Note: you have to pay a small fee if you want the print versions, but the eBooks are included free).
In my opinion, these prep books together make for a very powerful prep resource, especially if you’re more of an old-school type of learner like me that likes to read through actual physical books, highlight key points, and dog-ear pages to revisit later.
Lastly, Manhattan Prep beats Target Test Prep when it comes to practice tests. Manhattan offers six full-length simulated exams, whereas Target Test Prep only offers two. Not to mention, the Manhattan exams are official exams from past administrations of the GMAT.
Therefore, Manhattan Prep effectively offers 3x as much opportunity to practice under exam-like conditions, and considering the fact that students often make the biggest gains by taking and reviewing practice tests, this is pretty big advantage for Manhattan.
👉 Read Also: Manhattan Prep vs Princeton Review GMAT
Now that you have a better understanding of what Manhattan has to offer, let’s discuss Target Test Prep. I have them beating Manhattan Prep in three categories.
The first area in which Target Test Prep beats Manhattan Prep is extremely important: cost.
Target Test Prep offers several different plans, ranging from about $300 per month to about $1,800 for the live online course. However, the package I’ll focus on here is their month-to-month Self-Study plan.
At about $300/month, this is a killer value. Given that it only takes 60-90 days to effectively prep for the GMAT (when you can dedicate the time), your all-in cost will be somewhere between $600 to $900. This is a great value.
Compared to Manhattan Prep, you’re looking at saving up to $300 by opting to go with Target Test Prep.
👉 Side Note: If you are working with a limited budget, you may also want to consider the GMAT course from Magoosh.
Next, Target Test Prep does a really good job with performance data and analytics. I was very impressed with the level of detail included in their reports.
The company’s tech is able to identify your behavioral tendencies, answer habits, and subject area weaknesses so that you know what topic areas to focus on and how to tweak your test taking strategies moving forward in order to keep improving.
That’s in addition to their 24/7 AI support, which serves as a GMAT tutor answering your questions and streamlining your experience. You always know exactly where you stand and what you need to do next in order to keep making progress.
Another win for Target Test Prep is pure volume. TTP offers over 4,000 practice problems , nearly double the ~2,300 questions available with Manhattan Prep (which includes their official guide problems and instructor bank). If you are the type of learner who improves by drilling endless problem sets to build muscle memory, TTP gives you a lot more problems to draw from.
👉 Also Worth Reading: Target Test Prep vs Magoosh GMAT
Although there’s a lot to like about the GMAT course from Target Test Prep (namely its affordable price, volume of practice problems and performance insights), I ultimately have to give the win to Manhattan Prep here.
Overall, I just think that their program is far more comprehensive and effective. Manhattan Prep pretty much beats Target Test Prep in every category that truly matters: practice tests, course structure, live classes, prep books, and more.
Therefore, if you’re serious about scoring high on the GMAT, our team recommends Manhattan Prep.
👉 Next: Best GMAT Prep Courses Guide
Target Test Prep takes a streamlined, digital approach to GMAT prep that revolves around practice problems and a heavy focus on quant, while the Manhattan Prep GMAT courses are more comprehensive in terms of features and study materials (e.g. live classes and prep books).
After testing and evaluating the GMAT study materials from both companies, Manhattan Prep offers the more complete and effective GMAT course from top to bottom.
Both companies offer live GMAT classes. After using both courses, we found the Manhattan Prep classes to be more insightful and useful.