Reviews

PrepSholar GRE Review

By Rachel Shapiro Updated February 01, 2021
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If you’re looking for a self-guided GRE course that’s personalized for every student, PrepScholar is just what you need. If you’re thinking about giving PrepScholar a try, read on to learn all about this online GRE prep course.

PrepSholar GRE at a glance

Criteria
Rating
Ease of use
Value for money
Popularity

PrepScholar uses computer adaptive technology to create a GRE prep course that’s unique for every student. This course is completely online, and it was written by top 1% GRE scorers. There are some downsides to the course, including the fact that it has fewer practice tests and practice questions than many other GRE prep courses. But in general, PrepScholar is great for students looking for a self-guided course.

Recommended for...

PrepScholar is perfect for busy professionals who prefer studying on their own time. It’s also a good choice for those who have hit a wall studying on their own—PrepScholar’s diagnostic test will pinpoint your weaknesses and create a study schedule for you. Plus, if you learn best through watching videos, PrepScholar’s video-based lessons are great for you.

What we love

We love that PrepScholar’s GRE prep course is customized for each student. We also like that their course was written by top 1% GRE scorers, and we like that they have both text and video lessons. Plus, we love PrepScholar’s progress reports and personalized study schedules. We also like that they provide a five-day free trial and that they have a seven-point score guarantee.

Keep in mind

PrepScholar only offers one GRE prep course, and it’s fully online. If you learn best in a classroom or with a tutor, this could be difficult for you. PrepScholar also has fewer practice questions and practice exams than many other GRE prep courses. Plus, they don’t have a mobile app available.

Plans and pricing

Value for money: 9/10

PrepScholar has one of the most affordable GRE prep courses on the market. Their Best-Selling plan costs just $38 for a year of access as of the time of writing. For this price, you’ll get over 2,000 practice questions, two practice tests, 150+ hours of interactive lessons, an individual progress tracker, and a seven-point score increase guarantee.

If you’d like more than a year of access, try PrepScholar’s Lifetime plan. This plan costs $345 and it offers unlimited access. It includes everything in the Best-Selling plan, and you also get personalized scoring of four AWA essays.

PrepScholar accepts payments from most major credit cards, including Visa, Discover, MasterCard, and American Express. Their payments are processed securely through PayPal.

If you’re still unsure about PrepScholar, they have a five-day free trial. During this trial, you’ll get access to everything in the course, including the diagnostic test, customized study plan, and practice questions. To use this trial, you’ll need to put in your credit card information. You’ll then get a hold put on your card, and you’ll be charged after five days. If you find that PrepScholar isn’t for you, email gre@prepscholar.com. They’ll cancel the hold, and you won’t be charged.

While PrepScholar offers less material than some other GRE prep courses, they’re one of the most affordable choices available. If you’re looking for a budget-friendly course, PrepScholar can’t be beat.

Ease of use

Ease of use: 8/10

PrepScholar offers a modern, streamlined online platform. When you log in to your account, you’ll be taken to a page with four tabs: Dashboard, Strategies, Progress, and Incorrect Answers. As you work through the lessons, these pages will start filling in with useful information. You’ll see exactly what lessons you need to do next, and your progress dashboard will show you how close you are mastering different skills. Everything on the online platform is easy to find and understand.

One of the main negatives with PrepScholar is they don’t have a mobile app. Their website also isn’t mobile-responsive, which makes it difficult to navigate on a smartphone. Also, be aware that PrepScholar doesn’t provide any physical study materials, like textbooks or workbooks. Everything in the course is online.

What students think

Popularity: 9/10

PrepScholar has mostly positive reviews from students. Many students liked how flexible PrepScholar was. They were happy they could work on the course on their own schedule. Other students reported that their GRE score increased after using PrepScholar’s course. Some other students praised PrepScholar’s customized study plans. There were also lots of positive comments about PrepScholar’s math section—many students said PrepScholar did a good job at helping them learn relearn fundamental math concepts.

While most reviews were positive, there were a few negative comments about the fact that PrepScholar doesn’t have as many practice questions as other courses. Still, though, from the student response it’s clear that PrepScholar is a popular choice for GRE prep.

Our experience

We found that PrepScholar did what it claimed to do. The online platform was easy to navigate and all the tabs were clearly labeled. We also liked all of the personalized elements in PrepScholar. We liked that PrepScholar asked us questions about our GRE prep needs right after we signed up, and we loved the customized lessons and the useful progress report.

We did wish they had a mobile app or that it was at least easier to use PrepScholar on a smartphone. But overall, PrepScholar offered a simple to use, comprehensive online course.

Why take the PrepSholar GRE prep course

Advanced Course Personalization

One of PrepScholar’s biggest selling points is their course personalization. When you sign up for PrepScholar, the first thing you’ll do is take a survey. This survey asks you about your target score goals, when you’re taking the GRE, the biggest problem you’re having with your GRE prep, your dream graduate programs, and more. After you finish the survey, you’ll take a 60-question diagnostic test. The algorithm for this test uses data from thousands of students to ensure your diagnostic is as accurate as possible.

PrepScholar uses the information from the diagnostic test to create a customized study plan that addresses your strengths and weaknesses. When you log in to your dashboard, you’ll see your lessons for the week. These lessons are presented in the order that PrepScholar feels is best for your learning needs and goals. PrepScholar recommends putting in a minimum of 40 hours of study time before taking the GRE.

You’ll also be asked to create a weekly study schedule. Input the times and days you plan to study, and PrepScholar will send you email reminders when it’s time to study.

As you go through your study plan, it will continuously adapt. If you ace a lesson, the next lesson on the subject will be harder. Or, if you struggle with one subject, the next lesson will be a bit easier.

PrepScholar’s course is perfect for students who don’t want a one-size-fits-all approach to learning. With PrepScholar’s algorithm, you’ll be presented with lessons in a way that’s unique for you.

A Course Written by GRE Experts

PrepScholar’s course was developed and written by GRE top-scorers. Many of PrepScholar’s instructors are top 1% GRE scorers from Ivy League universities. Because of this, you can be assured that the lessons are top-notch and relevant to what you’ll find on the actual GRE.

Video Lessons

PrepScholar provides both text and videos with many of their lessons. This is particularly true for lessons that tackle difficult concepts. These video lessons feature an instructor talking in a voiceover. On the screen, they’ll show you notes or practice problems and walk you through how to solve the problems. If you have trouble focusing while reading long text explanations, these video lessons are perfect for you.

Strategies Lessons

PrepScholar has lessons on a wide variety of Verbal and Quantitative concepts. Plus, along with these lessons, they also offer a set of lessons on strategies for acing the GRE. This includes everything from spotting answer traps to dealing with time pressure to avoiding careless mistakes. These strategies lessons will help you avoid common pitfalls on test day.

Quizzes with Computer Adaptive Questions

When it comes to their drill quiz questions, PrepScholar takes a game-based approach. The quiz questions are all computer adaptive, just like the real GRE. When you begin your GRE prep, you’ll start on the ‘easy’ level with your quizzes. To pass the quizzes, you’ll need to get a 90% or higher. As you pass quizzes, you’ll ‘level up’ and start receiving harder questions. The levels range from ‘core’ to ‘advanced’ to ‘mastery.’

In total, PrepScholar has 72 adaptive drill quizzes with 2,000 practice questions. They’ll also sometimes give you repeat questions since they believe re-doing questions is one of the ways to achieve mastery of a subject.

Progress Reports

After you begin taking quizzes, you’ll see weekly progress reports on your dashboard. These progress reports show what you’ve learned and what you still need to work on. They’ll also track your progress against the goals you created. Plus, you’ll get to see how you’re progressing skill by skill. This comprehensive progress report shows you exactly where you are in your GRE prep journey.

Five-Day Free Trial and Free Content

Want to test out PrepScholar before you buy the course? Sign up for their five-day free trial. During this trial, you can take PrepScholar’s signature 60-question diagnostic test. You’ll also be able to go through as many of PrepScholar’s lessons as you’d like, and you’ll get a study plan. Plus, you’ll be sent the Ultimate GRE Strategy and Grad School Admission Guides. By the end of your free trial, you’re sure to know if PrepScholar is right for you.

Along with their free trial, PrepScholar also offers a good amount of free content on their website. This includes a blog filled with GRE tips and tricks. On the blog, you’ll find articles on everything from the best prep books to the ultimate GRE vocabulary guide.

In addition, PrepScholar often hosts free hourlong GRE math workshops. These workshops are taught by their expert instructors. They’re all online, allowing you to log in from anywhere in the world.

Seven-Point Score Guarantee

PrepScholar offers a generous score guarantee. If your GRE score doesn’t increase by at least seven points after taking their course, you’ll get your money back.

To use this score guarantee, you’ll need to have taken the GRE at least once before using PrepScholar. You’ll also have to send PrepScholar your ‘before’ GRE score report when you start the course. This score can’t be more than four years old.

You’ll then need to complete every lesson in PrepScholar’s course before taking the GRE again. If you do this and your score doesn’t go up by at least seven points, send PrepScholar your ‘after’ score report. They’ll give you a full refund.

Long Access Period

PrepScholar offers one of the longest access periods of any GRE prep course. If you choose their Best-Selling plan, you’ll get a year of access to the course. Or, you can choose the Lifetime plan and get unlimited access. PrepScholar is one of the only prep courses to offer unlimited access.

Keep in mind

Fewer Practice Questions Than Other Courses

PrepScholar offers 2,000 practice questions in their course, which is far fewer than many other major courses. For example, Target Test Prep has over 3,000 practice questions, and Kaplan has over 5,000.

Only Two Practice Tests

PrepScholar also only provides two full GRE practice tests. In comparison, Princeton Review provides seven tests, and Kaplan has eight tests.

No Mobile App

PrepScholar doesn’t offer a mobile app, and it’s also difficult to navigate their website on a smartphone. Because of this, you can really only use PrepScholar’s GRE prep course on your computer.

Only One Course Format

PrepScholar just has one course format: their online course. This course is entirely self-directed. If you’re someone who likes learning with an instructor in a classroom, this could be difficult for you.

The final grade

Overall: 3.5/5

If you’re looking for a self-guided GRE prep course, PrepScholar is a good choice. Their course features more personalization than many other GRE prep courses, and they offer tons of helpful lessons and practice questions. There are some negatives to the course, including the fact that they only have two practice tests and just one course format. But by and large, PrepScholar’s course is a good budget-friendly option for anyone looking for an online GRE prep course.

Frequently asked questions

Is PrepScholar good for the GRE?

Is PrepScholar harder than the GRE?

Does PrepScholar offer in-person courses?

Will my score increase with PrepScholar?

How much does Prep Scholar cost?