I was looking to apply to an MBA program, so that meant taking the GMAT. I had narrowed my options down to Princeton Review and Kaplan. I chose Princeton Review because my friend had taken their LSAT course and liked their style over Kaplan's. So since I had taken the Kaplan course for my SAT's I decided to give Princeton Review a try.


The books and methodology behind their GMAT course was in-depth and thorough. It covered all of the material you need to know to take the GMAT. The materials provided helpful shortcuts and techniques to combat the unique difficulties presented by the GMAT.

Another thing I liked about the course is that they provided four different GMAT practice tests online. This is by far the best part of the course. Seeing that ETS only provides the GMAT on the computer, it is pertinent to learn how to take the computer adaptive test version of the GMAT. It truly is a different experience compared to the paper and pencil test.


The problems I encountered were with the instructors teaching the course. I had two instructors, one for Math and another for English.

The English instructor was great. He took his time and taught the subject matter like it was our first time learning it. Realistically, he knew that the last time people in the class had to diagram a sentence was in the eighth grade. He walked us through it step by step, until we knew what a gerund was and how to identify idioms. He also did a fantastic job preparing the class for the two written essays(typed into the computer before the two multiple choice sections). He explained the format of the essays and showed us what the "judges" were looking for. It really isn't a matter of writing a great essay, but writing what the "judges" want to read. As long as you stay on target with the subject matter, you should do fine. This part of the test is truly subjective. They have a computer score the essays for grammar and spelling mistakes. Then a person judges the essays on content. You can score anywhere from 0.0 to 6.0 in .5 increments. They must have been teaching the proper strategies, because I scored a 5.0.

The math instructor was a different story. He rushed us through theorems and other things he thought we should have already known. It wasn't that he was incompetent, he knew his material cold. He just wasn't able to explain the material to people who are mathematically-challenged, like myself. It was hard trying to keep up with him. At almost every class we had to ask him to slow down and go back and re-explain things.


The other big problem with Princeton Review was trying to get answers out of their office. Calling the Princeton Review office was a test of patience and anger management. It was rare that you would be connected to the right person on your first call, so off you went getting passed from person to person.

The classroom we were assigned was tiny. People from the class had tried to call and request a larger space, but most got the reply of "I don't handle those types of complaints." We got a similar response when we requested a instructor change for the math section. Their office procedures were truly a mess. One of the students in the class was even billed twice. At almost $1000 a pop, that's a mistake that should never happen. It just seemed that the people running the program did not do so in a efficient or professional manner.


I don't think the problem with the instructor was avoidable. However, they should have screened these instructors better to see if they not only know the material but are capable of explaining it to people who don't understand it. As for the problems with their home office, there is no excuse for the support (or lack there of) they provided.

If you are a disciplined person you might be better off buying their review book, or if you have the means, I think your best bet may be a private tutor.

Recommended: No