Magoosh GMAT Review
Magoosh is our best value winner in online, self-study GMAT prep courses. Though not as polished as some of the industry heavyweights, Magoosh’s GMAT review course delivers highly effective instruction and actionable strategies, in a flexible format, suitable for a wide range of students. On top of that, they are one of the lowest-priced providers within the comprehensive course category. Continue reading on to find out whether Magoosh is the best GMAT prep course for you.
Magoosh GMAT Review Outline
Feel free to use the links below to jump ahead to the most relevant sections for you:
Magoosh GMAT Prep Course Overview
Unlike the other, more traditional test prep companies, Magoosh’s GMAT course does not require students to follow any type of linear, predetermined sequence of instruction. Rather, students are free to browse and select for themselves which topics they would like to review and practice in an order that best suits their own needs and preferences. For many students, this laid-back approach to learning the first principles and primary strategies is a nice benefit of the course. However, for those who would like to follow a more structured method to exam prep, this attribute might be a slight negative. That being said, Magoosh does offer several in-depth study plans for students looking to follow a more linear and systematic approach to GMAT exam prep.
While the instructional content of the video lessons itself is great, the video quality and delivery format feels just a little bit dated. Unlike some of the more expensive courses offered by other major prep providers, Magoosh does not show their instructors on-screen and instead presents PowerPoint-esque lessons with audio voiceover. Personally, I didn’t think this was much of a downside given the budget-friendly nature of the course and the overall quality and efficacy of the lessons themselves. That being said, if you are someone who demands a more premium feel for a prep course with pristine video delivery (or just prefers seeing their instructors appear on the screen), you may want to check out some of the more expensive alternatives. Despite the dated video delivery format, Magoosh does include a dynamic transcript for each lesson, which is great if you missed a key point or phrase and would like to quickly refer back to it.
All in all, Magoosh’s GMAT content lessons are on point and thoroughly cover every fundamental concept and subtopic you might encounter come exam day. Additionally, the more than 1,300 exam-like practice problems further instill confidence in students’ abilities to tackle multiple variants of both the common and infrequent GMAT exam questions. Magoosh really shines in this area with their “Custom Practice” functionality that allows students to drill down at a very granular level of question type, difficulty level, timing, and numerous other factors. This is extremely useful in identifying specific weaknesses, and whether they result from a timing issue or an explicit question type (e.g. powers and roots problems within data sufficiency). Of course, many other providers offer a similar feature. However, I found Magoosh’s to be substantially easier to use. Lastly, the “Review” tool and accompanying analytics are top notch, especially considering Magoosh’s price point, and enable students to effectively measure and manage their improvement throughout the course.
Magoosh GMAT Course Pros
Competitive Price: Magoosh offers exceptionally high value content at a price point several hundred dollars lower than other comparable courses. Their complete flagship Premium course used in conjunction with the exclusive discount they provide on the GMAT Official Practice exams means your all-in cost for an exhaustive GMAT study plan could be right around $300. This price is on average about $200 less than what many students spend.
Full Year of Access: Out of the dozen or so GMAT prep course providers, Magoosh is one of two that offer a full year of access as the standard option. While it’s certainly not recommended that most students spend an entire year studying for the GMAT, it is great to have the flexibility to start studying again with no extra cost if life gets in the way of your original study plans.
Customizable Practice Sessions with Analytics: Magoosh is known across their courses for particularly good practice question customization features. You can slice and dice question types at a very granular level and view analytics to identify weak areas not only in regard to content, but also with timing.
GMAT Online Whiteboard: This is a relatively new feature that resulted from the introduction of the GMAT online format. Scratch paper is not an option for the online GMAT, and students must use either a small, physical dry-erase board or the provided online whiteboard. Working quant problems on the online whiteboard is nowhere near as natural as doing so on scratch paper. It’s great that Magoosh has incorporated a copy of the whiteboard into their platform so that students can gain experience and develop speed with this new requirement.
User Friendly Course Platform: Magoosh’s GMAT prep course syncs across devices so you can study whether you’re at home on your laptop or on your phone during a commute. While the aesthetics aren’t particularly amazing, the course navigation is very user friendly and promotes flexibility for busy students and working professionals.
Magoosh GMAT Course Cons
Lacks Dedicated Structure or Meaningful Guidance: Aside from offering a few suggested study schedules, there’s not a ton of structure or guidance in Magoosh’s course. This isn’t necessarily a con for those who enjoy jumping in and out of study topics in an ad hoc fashion. However, if you’re someone who isn’t super self-motivated, or may just prefer a more linear and structured course, you may want to consider other options.
Practice Tests: Unfortunately, Magoosh does not maintain a dedicated group of practice tests for their GMAT review course students. Instead, they recycle questions from their question bank to create their “practice exams”. Because of this, Magoosh recommends students only take 2 practice exams from their course platform so as not to deplete the question bank. Fortunately, a large number of high-quality practice questions are included (over 1,300). Additionally, to help make up for the lack of dedicated practice exam questions, Magoosh offers students an exclusive discount to the GMAT official practice exam package.
What Do Other Students Say About Magoosh GMAT?
Students love Magoosh’s GMAT review course for its comprehensiveness and affordability. See below for what some students have had to say about the course.
Magoosh GMAT Prep Course Pricing
Magoosh offers the best value GMAT review course package among those in the $100-$300 range (and likely at any price range for a comprehensive online course). Their flagship offering, and most popular course option, Premium Self-study, is available for $249 and includes a 50-point score increase guarantee along with 12 months of access. Additionally, students may choose from two other course options:
- Math + IR (no Verbal or AWA) is available for $219, though we don’t necessarily recommend that option since you only save $30 compared to the comprehensive Premium course. Also, you don’t receive the 50+ total GMAT score increase guarantee (just a 3+ improvement on the Quant section). Nonetheless, it may be worth it if you are highly confident in your verbal skills.
- Tutoring + Premium (includes 6 hours of 1-on-1 video chat sessions) for $799. This is a great option for those who may want additional and individualized instruction without sacrificing the convenience of a digital course platform.
Also, as an added bonus, Magoosh course enrollees get an exclusive 40% discount on the GMAT Official Practice Exams. The first two are available for free to those registered for the GMAT while practice exams 3-6 require payment. This discount will save you $36 dollars if you’re planning to take more than just the two free ones (most GMAT tutors encourage students to take at least 5-6 official practice exams).
Final Verdict: Is Magoosh the Best GMAT Prep Course for You?
Without question, Magoosh’s GMAT prep course delivers exceptional value for students and professionals looking for a flexible review course that can adapt to their busy schedules. Although the video lessons lack the premium, polished feel found among the high-end prep companies, the content itself is effective at delivering the concepts, tips, and strategies needed for students to meaningfully improve their scores on the GMAT. The custom practice functionality, question review analytics, and detailed video explanations are all top notch. If you are looking for a comprehensive, highly trusted course, at a very competitive price, Magoosh just may be the best GMAT prep course for you.
Frequently Asked Questions: Magoosh GMAT Review
How does the Magoosh Free Trial Work?
Sign up by simply creating an account with Magoosh via email. No payment information is required. The 1-week free trial includes access to more than 20 GMAT video lessons from across the course along with 30 practice questions.
Are there any live classes with Magoosh GMAT?
No. Magoosh is a strictly digital prep course provider. However, they do offer live tutoring via skype or phone.
Does Magoosh have a GMAT App for mobile devices?
Magoosh’s GMAT review course offerings are accessible from any device. Additionally, Magoosh provides a decent mobile app that works in tandem with their online course. Although the Magoosh GMAT app isn’t comprehensive, it does contain over 200 instructional videos and more than 700 practice problems. Of course, if that isn’t enough material for you, simply log in to the online course via your mobile browser and bookmark the page to your device’s home screen.
Does Magoosh offer a refund policy on their GMAT review course?
Yes, Magoosh offers students a complete refund for any reason via email request within 7 days of purchase.
Is there a GMAT score increase guarantee?
Yes indeed. Magoosh will offer a full refund to anyone unable to raise their score by 50 points after taking the Premium course. For the GMAT Math + IR review course, Magoosh guarantees a 3-point score increase on the Quantitative Reasoning section. To meet the requirements, students must have a prior valid GMAT score. Additionally, Magoosh asks students to email them a copy (screenshot is fine) of their prior score report when they sign up.
What is Magoosh’s test prep philosophy?
I think Magoosh sums it up well when they state, “We believe we can level the playing field by giving every student access to effective, affordable, and engaging test prep tools.” So, is Magoosh worth it? I’d say so, given their low price and exceptional quality.
How much does the Magoosh GMAT review course cost?
Magoosh currently offers three different review course offerings (two self-study and one guided study):
- GMAT Math + IR Self-study – $219
- GMAT Premium Self-study – $249 (Access to Math, Verbal, IR, and AWA)
- GMAT Tutoring + Premium – $799 (Includes 6 hours of 1-on-1 video tutoring – $660 value)
All three options include 1 year of online access.
What is a Magoosh?
A magush is a wise person, or one who is highly educated and generous with their knowledge.
Improve your GMAT Score, Guaranteed!
Exam Strategist is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. Learn more.