OVERALL The quality of each course's teachers, methods and books/material does vary. As such, when choosing a GMAT test prep class, you should first determine what's important for you, then choose which will fit your needs best. TEACHERS What should a good GMAT teacher possess? The two most important things are experience in teaching the test and enthusiasm. When choosing a course, contact each company directly and ask who specifically will teach your course, rather than assuming that all teachers for a company are necessarily the same. In evaluating teachers, many students assume that the higher score, the better the teacher. This is not necessarily true. What's the difference between someone who scored in the 95th percentile and someone who scored in the 99th percentile? Very little. Indeed, above the 95th percentile, a higher score on the GMAT oftentimes simply reflects the speed at which a test-taker reads or completes math problems, not how much knowledge the test-taker has. As such, someone who scored in the 99th percentile probably simply reads slightly faster than someone who scored in the 95th percentile. Or, they were just a little bit luckier. Although a higher score does not necessarily mean a better teacher, you should have a teacher who is capable of scoring at least in the 90th percentile. What about the teacher's experience with business school? This is nice in that the instructor has been through the process, but for teaching the GMAT, it doesn't matter much. The GMAT tests basic reading, critical reasoning, math, and writing. As such, no knowledge of business is required to do well on the exam. If you have questions about business, MBA programs or admissions, go to your school's pre-business counselor or another source. (Many companies listed also provide MBA admissions consulting.) BOOKS/OTHER MATERIALS An essential component of studying for the GMAT is taking practice exams -- both on computer and on paper. Check each company to see what you get in addition to the class. Many classes will probably use the Official Guide for GMAT Review. SHOULD I TAKE AN ON-LINE GMAT COURSE?
On-line GMAT test prep courses provide essentially the same content which you would find in a company's live course. These on-line options have the obvious advantage of great flexibility -- study when and where you want. This flexibility is a great advantage for those who live a great distance from any live courses or have hectic schedules. Of course, the obvious negative is that you don't have a live teacher, although most on-line courses provide an e-mail contact if get really stuck. If you're okay without a teacher but want much more material than found in a GMAT preparation book, then consider on-line options.
WHICH COURSE SHOULD I TAKE? Follow these steps: Step 1- Decide what's important for you -- Flexibility or Structure? Plenty of Classroom Time or Loads of Practice Material? Serious Atmosphere or a Relaxed One? Small Classes? On-line Course? Step 2- Narrow your choices down to two or three GMAT companies. Step 3- Contact the GMAT test prep companies and get specifics on your local teacher's experience and enthusiasm. Step 4- Choose a GMAT course. |
