Magoosh GRE Prep Review

Getting ready for the GRE (Graduate Record Examination) and weighing up different prep programs, like Magoosh’s GRE prep course? If so, then this Magoosh GRE prep review is for you.

For years I’ve helped students prepare for standardized tests. And I’ve even prepared for the GRE myself. I used that experience to put Magoosh’s GRE prep course to the test. 

Since its founding nearly 90 years ago, the GRE has become a rite of passage for aspiring graduate students, drawing more than 300,000 participants in the past year alone. A strong GRE score can set you apart as you apply to competitive, career-launching graduate programs.  

But the GRE is challenging. Students often sink hundreds of hours into preparing for it. The right GRE prep course can help you study strategically, improve your odds of getting a high score, and put your best foot forward when applying to grad schools. 

There are many GRE prep options out there, but Magoosh stands out as a solid choice. It’s relatively affordable (when compared to similar programs) while maintaining a comprehensive curriculum and holistic, helpful resources. Magoosh offers a number of prep options–a premium plan and admissions counseling–in addition to its basic online GRE prep course. While I’ll be reviewing the latter, I’ll touch on all of their offerings throughout this review. 

Here’s what’s in this Magoosh GRE prep course review:

• About Magoosh
• How does Magoosh’s GRE prep course work?
• How I reviewed Magoosh’s GRE prep course
• Pros, cons, and who it’s for
• Cost and refund policy
• Key features
• Other GRE prep course options
• Conclusion
• FAQs

Let’s get started!

About Magoosh GRE prep

Ready to master the GRE? Magoosh might be for you. Magoosh’s promise to give you the knowledge and prep that you need to succeed begins with their name. “Magush”, in Old Persian, means “one who is learned and wise”. 

Magoosh’s GRE prep course has a well-rounded, thorough curriculum spread across dozens of hours of video lessons, more than 1,600 practice questions, three practice tests, and tailored study plans. All of that is backed by a +5 point score increase guarantee or your money back.

So what’s to lose?

How does Magoosh GRE prep work?

Magoosh’s GRE test prep course is flexible, comprehensive, and affordable, empowering you to prepare at your own pace. The tailored program covers the three main sections that you’ll face on the GRE–quantitative, verbal, and analytical writing–as well as test-taking strategies. Testing your learning along the way, you’ll always have a clear idea of where you stand in the study process. 

Key features:

• Customized study guide to fit your needs
• 1,600+ practice questions
• 3 practice tests
• Dozens of hours of video lessons
• Comprehensive curriculum
• Score guarantee 
• Admissions ad-on option
• Free trial period 

How I reviewed Magoosh

I spent a week going through Magoosh’s GRE prep course, watching video lessons, taking practice tests, answering questions, and following Magoosh’s study guide as I got to know their program.

Right off the bat, I noticed that Magoosh’s GRE prep course is a solid bang for your buck, especially when compared to similar courses, like Kaplan or Princeton Review’s, which cost nearly $500 (as compared to Magoosh’s, which’ll run you $179 for six months of access). While those courses offer more practice questions and tests, I believe there can be diminishing returns when studying. Magoosh’s offerings should be more than enough to adequately prepare you for the exam.

I also appreciated that Magoosh took the time to ask where I was at in the study process, how long I had until the exam, and what my schedule looked like, etc. so they could recommend a plan that’d suit me well. Having a well-tailored learning plan is key when embarking on a study journey that could total into the hundreds of hours.

Pros of Magoosh GRE prep courses

Tailored study guide

Before even beginning the course, Magoosh asks you a series of questions to gauge where you’re at in the study process, probing how much prep you’ve done, how you feel with the content, etc. Afterwards, you’ll take a Score Assessment to give yourself and the program a better sense of your strengths and weaknesses. These responses will help Magoosh recommend a study schedule that works best for you. This guide will help you study smarter, rather than harder, meaning you can confidently prepare for the GRE AND still have a life. 

Good value

Magoosh's GRE preparation program is a fantastic bang for your buck, especially when compared to similar courses. Kaplan and Princeton Review’s GRE prep courses, both similar to Magoosh’s, cost upwards of $500. While Magoosh’s offerings are a bit slimmer, they’re more than enough to prepare you well for the test, and well-worth the discounted price tag ($179 for six months of access!).

Helpful video lessons

Magoosh has dozens of hours of video lessons that’ll walk you through the ins and outs of every concept that you’ll come across on the GRE. And throughout the recorded classes, you’ll practice what you learn in real-time to hammer the material home. And the videos don’t just cover content on the GRE’s three main sections. They also touch on test-taking strategies, study planning, and stress management to help you go assuredly into the test. 

Practice problems + explanations

One of my favorite elements of Magoosh’s GRE prep course is their practice problems. Magoosh lets you customize practice sets based on problem type, difficulty, timing, etc., enabling you to hone in on specific concepts as you study. Additionally, Magoosh offers clear and exhaustive explanations (in both written and video form) as well as study recommendations for every practice question you answer. While some services, like Kaplan and Princeton Review, offer more practice questions, the explanations that Magoosh provides are, in my experience, unparalleled. 

Score guarantee & trial period

Unlike some other prep programs, Magoosh gives you a week of free access to its GRE course to decide if it’s for you. During this time, you can take lessons, answer practice questions, etc. to familiarize yourself with the program’s offerings. And if you ultimately decide to go with Magoosh but your score doesn’t increase by more than five points, you’ll get your money back. 

Cons of Magoosh GRE prep courses

No live learning (but Ask an Expert support)

Magoosh, unfortunately, doesn’t offer live learning options, which, for you more independent learners, might even be a positive; that helps Magoosh keep their prices relatively low. But for those of you who prefer to interface with a human, fret not! Magoosh’s GRE prep course sports an email or chat function. You can use it as you study to seek help from expert GRE tutors.

Videos are helpful, but not the most engaging

While Magoosh’s video lessons are helpful, they aren’t the most engaging. Other services’ videos include dynamic visuals and an actual teacher, which make the lessons more accessible and entertaining. Regardless, Magoosh breaks up their videos into digestible bits, and their lessons are chock-full of high quality content that’ll get you ready to master the GRE. 

Who Magoosh GRE prep is for

Magoosh’s GRE prep course is for you if you’re:

• Driven to get a competitive score on the GRE
• Determined to get into your dream grad program
• Keen to master the GRE’s material
• A motivated, independent learner 

How much does Magoosh GRE prep cost?

Course	Price	Features
One Month	$149	As reviewed in this article
Premium | Six Months	$179	As the One Month program but with 6 months of access. The best bang for your buck
Premium + Admissions	$199	Premium offerings plus comprehensive support throughout the grad school application process.

Magoosh Refund

Magoosh offers a free, seven-day trial period, letting you get to know their program before you buy. If you enroll only to decide that Magoosh isn’t for you, they’ll give you a full refund within seven days of purchasing. And the program is covered by their score guarantee. If your GRE score doesn’t increase by five points relative to your baseline, Magoosh will give you your money back. 

Features of Magoosh

Magoosh’s GRE prep course offers tons of great features. Some of my favorites are:

• Customized study guide to fit your needs
• 1,600+ practice questions
• Practice tests
• Dozens of hours of video lessons
• Comprehensive curriculum
• Score guarantee, free trial period
• Admissions help option

Customized study guide to fit your needs

As soon as you begin the program, Magoosh assesses your level of preparedness for the GRE. Asking you questions that probe your familiarity with the GRE content, how much you’ve prepared, etc., Magoosh will identify where you’re at in the study process, spotlighting your strengths and weaknesses. Magoosh will use this assessment to recommend a study schedule that suits your needs, empowering you to study more efficiently and effectively. 

1,600+ practice questions

While Magoosh doesn’t have as many practice questions as some other providers, what they do offer is of the highest quality. For starters, having the ability to customize your practice sets to focus on specific concepts, difficulty levels, and timing will quickly help you shore up any lingering doubts or conceptual difficulties you might face.I also like that Magoosh provides detailed explanations for every practice question, both in written and video form. This is really helpful for understanding the concepts and learning from your mistakes. And lastly, as you move through their practice questions, Magoosh helps you track how you’re doing on particular subjects, giving you the information you need to prepare smarter. Tracking things like pace (and setting them relative to other peoples’ scores) can help you set and meet achievable study goals. 

Practice tests

Magoosh does a good job of focusing on both content and test-taking practice. In addition to their 1,600+ practice questions, Magoosh offers up to three practice tests. Taking a full-length test is a crucial component of the prep experience, and doing so will enable you to go into the GRE with poise, knowing exactly what to expect. 

Dozens of hours of video lessons

Magoosh’s GRE prep course includes dozens of hours of on demand video lessons. Broken into digestible bits (most videos are less than 10 minutes long), Magoosh’s recorded lessons will teach you all the content you need to know. What’s more, they’ll test you concurrently, reinforcing what you’ve learned and ensuring that it stays with you when you’re sitting for the GRE. And Magoosh’s video classes are available 24/7, so you can learn at a pace that feels comfortable for you. 

Holistic curriculum

Many prep programs focus extensively on the GRE’s quantitative, verbal, and analytical writing sections, hammering you with content. Magoosh’s holistic curriculum doesn’t just focus on the GRE’s three main sections. Though it extensively covers content, you’ll find plenty of videos on test-taking strategies, stress management, and study tactics. 

Score guarantee, free trial period

Unlike some other services, Magoosh gives you a seven-day free trial to explore their GRE course and see if it’s right for you. If for whatever reason you sign on and decide that it’s not the right fit, you can cancel within a week of purchase to get a full refund. And, ultimately, you’re covered by their score guarantee–if you complete the program but your score doesn’t increase by more than five points relative to your baseline (assuming you scored below a 320 on your initial assessment), they’ll give you your money back. With such a solid promise, what’s to lose? 

Admissions help option

Magoosh’s admissions add-on is a feature that I haven’t seen offered by many other services. For an additional $20 on your premium purchase, you can access exclusive Magoosh content on writing personal statements, requesting letters of recommendation, formatting a CV, and applying to grad school more generally. You can even confer with their admissions experts via email. To me, that seems like a lot of added value for just $20 extra.

Magoosh Alternatives

While Magoosh is one of the best GRE prep services out there, some others include:

• Princeton review
• Kaplan
• Varsity tutors
• Manhattan prep
• Prep scholar

Kaplan, Princeton Review, Magoosh, Varsity Tutors, and Prep Scholar all have similar offerings. Varsity Tutors is similar in price to Magoosh, roughly $150, while Prep Scholar, Kaplan, and Princeton Review cost $398, $449, and $499, respectively. Varsity Tutors offers lots of free resources, including practice tests, as well as private one-on-one tutoring, as does Manhattan Prep.

Conclusion: Is Magoosh GRE prep worth it?

Magoosh’s GRE prep program gives you a lot for a little. Their comprehensive bank of practice questions, backed by thorough explanations, clear video lessons, tailored study guides, and focus on progress tracking, all for a relatively low price tag, make it one of the best GRE prep programs I’ve come across in terms of value for your money. 

The grad school application process can be frustrating and confusing. I appreciate that Magoosh recognizes this and offers, for only $20 more on your premium subscription, holistic admissions counseling to help you make sense of an opaque process. 

With their seven-day free trial PLUS their score guarantee, why not give them a look? What do you have to lose? If you’re bent on getting a high GRE score and putting your best foot forward when applying to grad programs, consider prepping with Magoosh. 

Good luck and happy studying!

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