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Sunday, June 22nd
Before we go any further, you should know that TestPrep Training's terms of service state they are not responsible for any viruses that your computer receives from their website, and they're not responsible for the accuracy of their materials. This bizarre and disturbing disclaimer automatically puts TestPrep Training at the bottom of our list. If that wasn't enough to dissuade you, TestPrep Training's GMAT services appear mostly abandoned, with little more than supplemental tests on sale. So, with those important caveats out of their way, here is what TestPrep Training offers.
Defunct online classes, practice tests offered
While it seems that at one time TestPrep Training offered online courses to prepare for the GMAT, at this point they are all defunct, and all that remains are their varied GMAT practice tests. Each practice test from TestPrep Training-whether Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative, Integrated Reasoning, or their comprehensive exam-includes 100 questions, and costs $12.99. TestPrep Training offers no details as to the credentials or quality of their exams, merely the amount of questions and their subject matter.
Better materials can be found for free
While potentially useful if you are in need of a practice test, almost every single major (and minor) test prep provider out there already offers free practice tests in addition to their paid products. In other words, it's hard to imagine someone taking so many practice GMAT tests that they run out of the dozens of easily accessible free tests, and turn to TestPrep Training's vaguely defined $12.99 GMAT offerings. While TestPrep Training also offers free "quizzes” for each GMAT section, with 32 questions in each, we recommend you avoid downloading anything from TestPrep Training's website due to their outlandish terms of service.
Not responsible for accuracy or viruses
To reiterate our important notice in the introduction: we found some interesting notes in TestPrep Training's terms of service. Not only do they state that they are not responsible for the accuracy of any of the preparatory materials on their site, but that they are not responsible if their website is hosting any viruses. If the company selling me GMAT preparatory materials states that they do not have to in any way be accurate, and they are not responsible if their service gives me a virus, then we cannot think of a better reason to avoid them.
Please avoid TestPrep Training
We couldn't find any GMAT specific reviews about TestPrep Training. However, we did find a suspicious amount of 5 star reviews on aggregate review sites from suspicious reviewers with only one review under their name. After further digging through customer reviews, we found that critiques of TestPrep Training's materials state that-among other things-their questions are sometimes copied from tests freely available on Google, and are at times written in poor English. Please do yourself a favor, save $12.99 (and potentially your computer) and don't purchase anything from TestPrep Training. In general, we prefer to recommend services that are accurate, up to date, and won't potentially give your computer a virus.
The question is a critical one, because choosing the right study schedule and test prep materials can make-or-break your plans for a good GMAT score, and - subsequently - admittance into a prestigious (or even standard) MBA school. In fact, 9 out of 10 new MBA enrollments are made using a GMAT score, and it's accepted by more than 7,000 programs around the world.
Although it is still widely used, keep in mind that some MBA programs utilized the pandemic to phase out their standardized testing requirements. If you're focusing on one particular school, it might be wise to check their requirements. If they likely still use the GMAT, the materials you'll find here will go a long way towards simplifying your test prep decision making process.
The Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) is meant to assess an applicant's general suitability for graduate study, particularly in regards to business and MBA performance. The GMAT distinguishes itself from the more generalized GRE insofar as its quantitative reasoning assessments are much more in-depth, and it de-emphasizes verbal reasoning assessment.
The GMAT consists of four sections: an Analytical Writing Assignment (AWA) that lasts 30 minutes, a multiple choice Integrated Reasoning (IR) section that consists of 12 questions and lasts 30 minutes, a Quantitative section of 31 questions that lasts 62 minutes, and a Verbal section of 36 questions that lasts 65 minutes. In short the test is extensive, and as such it will pay dividends to make some common sense preparations and study plans beforehand.
In spite of what some of the advertisements might say, there is no magic bullet to an improved GMAT score. While some highly rated test prep materials can certainly help, they are only one half of the equation, the other half being a realistic assessment of your needs, your timeframe, and the work needed to reach your goals. As you search for some appropriate GMAT prep that fits your budget and timeframe, it is important to take a deep breath and remember that - as long as you put in the work - you will in all likelihood improve your score.
In any case, as you start preparing for the GMAT gauntlet, here are some tips we've found for you to keep in mind:
Searching for test preparation materials is often - let's be frank - a terrible experience. The field of GMAT test prep hosts an entire industry sustained by the dangling of higher-test scores in front of often financially-insecure graduates behind huge costs. Even so, there are good companies out there offering reasonably priced and well-supported GMAT materials. Here at Top Consumer Reviews, we've done the legwork to help you find them. So, while searching for GMAT test prep is certainly not fun, we're certain that our curated list of high-quality and well-rounded test prep will help make the process a whole lot easier.
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