In this Kaplan vs PrepScholar GRE review, I’m undertaking a comparative deep-dive into the pros and cons of each of these GRE prep courses as well as my top pick.
Price (On Demand)
$449
$398
Practice Tests
7
2
Practice Questions
2,500
1,500
Hard Copy Books?
Yes
No
Video Instruction
40 hours
50 hours
Content Access Period
6 months
1 year
High Score Guarantee
Yes
Yes (7+ points)
Course Introductions
Before we get too deep in the weeds, I’ll first briefly overview Kaplan and PrepScholar and their respective GRE prep courses.
Kaplan GRE
Kaplan, without a doubt, dominates the test prep industry, boasting millions of customers annually. Its 4.6/5-star rating on TrustPilot bears out its popularity and you’ll find reviews on Test Prep Nerds across all sorts of categories such as the ACT, MCAT, and beyond.
Kaplan GRE pros:
- Fantastic video quality (high production value and engaging content)
- The self-paced course is very well-structured in terms of progression through subject matter
- Way more practice questions and tests than PrepScholar
Kaplan GRE cons:
- Limited focus on testing strategy
- Slightly more expensive than PrepScholar
For more details regarding Kaplan and its GRE prep courses, take a gander at our exclusive Kaplan GRE review.
Kaplan GRE Prep Review
- Simulated GRE practice test in a real testing center
- Complimentary lessons on the GRE Channel
- Higher Score Guarantee allows for full refund of course
- Plus add-on includes 1-on-1 tutoring & 2 self-paced math courses
- Full-length practice tests are not real GRE practice questions
- No disclosed vetting on GRE teachers
PrepScholar GRE
A Harvard grad duo founded PrepScholar to deliver high-end test prep to the masses. It is currently endowed with a 3.6-5-star rating on BestCompany.
PrepScholar GRE pros:
- Heavy emphasis on testing strategy, not just content
- Specific score guarantee (+7)
- Longer course access (one year compared to six months with Kaplan)
PrepScholar GRE cons:
- Fewer practice questions/tests than Kaplan
- Unimpressive video instruction – especially compared to Kaplan
PrepScholar GRE Prep Course
- Heavy emphasis on testing strategy, not just content
- Specific score guarantee (+7)
- Longer course access (one year compared to six months with Kaplan)
- Fewer practice questions/tests
- Unimpressive video instruction
- No live online class component
Features Face to Face
Now that we got the basic overview of these companies out of the way, I want to dive into each of the features of the GRE courses that I tested.
I received free access into both the Kaplan and PrepScholar GRE prep courses for this review and share a bit more of my experience in the quality of the practice questions, course material, and platform.
See other GRE courses that made our top picks.
Price
I like to list out price first, as this is often one of the biggest differentiating factors between prep courses on the market today. Generally, I find that a lot of course content (such as the practice and lesson material) of reputable courses are similar enough that price is the determining factor.
Here you can see that the least expensive on demand course options from PrepScholar and Kaplan are pretty on-par with one another (about $50 difference). Both of these on demand courses have about the same amount of video instruction (Kaplan with 180 hours and PrepScholar with 200), so the difference in quantity is negligible.
Kaplan’s most expensive course (excluding tutoring packages), the Live Online GRE course, will set you back $999 and includes 21 hours of live online instruction.
PrepScholar does not have any live instruction component, so their $898 course is simply for a year’s access to their on demand course. I don’t consider this the best deal for an on-demand course if I can get 21 hours of facetime with a live instructor for the same price.
That said, PrepScholar is frequently running promotions, so this price is certainly subject to change from time of writing.
For those seeking out a live online GRE prep course, Kaplan is clearly the better value for how much you’re paying per hour of instruction but with access to their on demand curriculum as well.
Practice Questions & Tests
Kaplan’s GRE courses come with 7 full-length practice tests and 5,000+ QBank practice questions. If you compare that with PrepScholar’s 2 practice tests and 1,500 practice questions, it’s clear that Kaplan comes out on top in terms of sheer quantity of GRE practice.
When I was testing out the practice tests, Kaplan allowed you to set the parameters and customize them. You can modify the practice question sets by question type, difficulty level, timed/untimed, etc. This is especially helpful when you’ve pinpointed the areas you can improve upon for quick score increases.
Kaplan’s practice test feels like the real GRE interface
Additionally, Kaplan utilizes a testing interface that looks and feels like the GRE so that you are familiar with the test before the big day.
Because of the customizability (if that’s a word) of the Kaplan test prep and practice questions, I recommend Kaplan over PrepScholar for GRE practice.
Quality of Class Material and Instruction
Now we know that Kaplan outpaces PrepScholar in terms of quantity of practice, what about the quality of the content?
PrepScholar’s biggest edge over Kaplan is its laudable emphasis on testing strategy. Via its platform, you can access loads of content specifically devoted to strategy, not content.
Honing your test-taking strategy is important because students who refine their test-taking skills consistently score better than their peers who do not approach standardized tests strategically, as social science research bears out.
Kaplan’s strategy is more focused on teaching students techniques for answering questions – while this is helpful, it doesn’t always give the best understanding of how to approach questions strategically.
Additionally, Kaplan allows only six months of access to its materials, whereas PrepScholar permits yearlong access.
Overall, I think PrepScholar provides a more well-rounded approach to prepping for the GRE due to its strategy-specific content.
Video Content
Kaplan video lessons are short and engaging
On Kaplan’s GRE channel, you can access both live instruction (if you purchase the Live Online course) plus recorded video lessons for a combined total of 40+ hours of live and recorded lessons.
When selecting the Kaplan GRE video content, you can filter by preferred instructor
PrepScholar comes with 50 videos in total. Their production value is poor compared to Kaplan, and they are less engaging.
Given that, especially for the on demand courses, the bulk of class content is consumed via video lessons, this is an incredibly important factor to consider when purchasing your GRE prep course.
Learning Experience/Platform
In my opinion, Kaplan’s platform and user experience exceed that of PrepScholar.
In the KapTest portal, where the self-paced portion of the courses are conducted, it’s super easy to customize your practice materials and focus on the areas of improvement to optimize your study time. Their portal is clean and easy to maneuver, which takes a bit of work off of the student.
That said, PrepScholar’s GRE course does a very good job in guiding you through your prep based on your performance: core, advanced, and mastery.
Once you’ve proven your ability in a given domain and earned the “mastery” label, PrepScholar will no longer cover these areas so that you can focus exclusively on subjects that you haven’t yet “mastered.” In my experience, this was a huge benefit because it cut down on redundant prep for the areas I already felt confident to ace on the exam.
Overall, Kaplan has a superior learning experience and student platform.
Score Guarantees and Refunds
As it does with most of its prep courses, Kaplan’s Higher Score Guarantee (HSG) comes standard. The basic pledge is that you’ll score higher on the GRE after the course than you did before the course, as assessed using either a previous actual GRE test or a mock test administered at the beginning of the course as a baseline.
PrepScholar gets notably more explicit with its guarantee, pledging that you’ll boost your score by at least 7 points or qualify for a refund.
The 7 point score guarantee is pretty bold and impressive and doesn’t seem to have a lot of red tape around how to “prove” not raising your score 7 points or more. It’s intriguing to me, as I’ve never seen a score guarantee without some sort of catch or qualifier.
Standout features
To further assist in your decision-making process, here are a few standout features of Kaplan and PrepScholar’s GRE courses in a head-to-head analysis.
Free Trials
PrepScholar has a generous, no-pressure 5-day trial program that features a diagnostic exam, access to the on-demand online materials, and a progress tracker. Also, check out a handful of other free PrepScholar resources.
Kaplan offers on its website a free GRE practice test and regularly hosts free online events such as online trial classes.
Student Support
Kaplan has an array of contact methods offered on its contact page. This includes phone, email, and various social media platforms. The staff is generally quite responsive to queries.
PrepScholar can be contacted by email (gre@prepscholar.com) or by phone (1-800-578-1328). They also respond pretty quickly to any tech issues, generally speaking.
Prep Apps
Unfortunately, unlike many rival prep companies, neither Kaplan nor PrepScholar has a mobile application. This is a huge drawback that hopefully will be remedied soon to complete the Kaplan GRE package.
If having a ready-to-use GRE prep app is a sticking point for you, then I suggest that you look into Magoosh’s GRE prep course, which includes a mobile prep app.
GRE Online Test Prep & Live Classes | Magoosh
- GRE Vocabulary Flashcard App is free and the content is surprisingly entertaining
- Their 6-month subscription is the cheapest we’ve seen
- Video explanations for every question show tutor work through them
- There is now a tutor add-on for subscription members (at a cost, of course)
- There isn’t a live component
- If you need an answer to a question, it can be hours until you get a response
- Their Writing portion doesn’t actually include scoring
The Bottom Line on PrepScholar vs Kaplan GRE
Use Kaplan GRE course if:
- You want more structure to a self-paced course to help keep you on track
- Practice test and practice question volume/quality is paramount
- You’re a visual learner (Kaplan’s video quality is top-shelf)
- You’d benefit from in class instruction or tutoring
Use PrepScholar GRE course if:
- You want a specific score increase guarantee (+7 points)
- You need longer course access (up to one year vs Kaplan’s six months)
- You need help with test-taking strategy (for example, if you have test anxiety)
Kaplan vs PrepScholar GRE Prep FAQs
Let us briefly answer a few of the most frequently asked questions (FAQs) that students often have about each company’s respective GRE courses.
Which is a better GRE prep course – Kaplan or PrepScholar?
Kaplan is superior to PrepScholar due to its easy-to-use platform, realistic GRE practice tests and questions, and high quality video library.
What’s the difference between Kaplan and PrepScholar GRE?
There are many differences – but the most important are: Kaplan is slightly more expensive but has more practice questions, tests, and live instruction hours.
Do PrepScholar and Kaplan GRE courses come with prep books?
Kaplan offers GRE prep books with some course options. PrepScholar does not.
My Verdict
If you’ve made it through this full review on Kaplan vs Prepscholar GRE courses, you’re probably wondering which course I would buy or that I recommend you to buy for your GRE prep.
Overall, I find the Kaplan GRE prep course to be superior due to its platform, realistic GRE simulation, and high quality video content. If you’re still on the fence, then this is your sign to go with Kaplan.
Kaplan GRE Prep Review
- Simulated GRE practice test in a real testing center
- Complimentary lessons on the GRE Channel
- Higher Score Guarantee allows for full refund of course
- Plus add-on includes 1-on-1 tutoring & 2 self-paced math courses
- Full-length practice tests are not real GRE practice questions
- No disclosed vetting on GRE teachers
