Magoosh GMAT Review: The Affordable GMAT Prep Course

If you are planning to take a Graduate Management Association Test exam but you are busy with work, Magoosh’s prep courses can help you.

Magoosh GMAT can assist you in preparing for your graduate school entrance exam. From its comprehensive video lessons to its student support system, its always available and flexible approach towards learning could aid you.

What is Magoosh?

Founded by Pejman Pour-Moezzi and Vikram Shenoy way back in 2009, Magoosh Inc. is a test preparation course company that provides all kinds of standardized tests available today. It has GMAT, SAT, and TOEFL among other exams.

Magoosh, on the one hand, is essentially known for being an all-digital test prep course provider. From its on-demand video lectures to its diagnostic exams and practice tests, the test prep course company does everything online.  

Moreover, it is one of the cheapest test prep course providers in the market today. In fact, its basic plan for a GMAT prep course costs approximately $219 only. It is also known for its self-study courses, which enables students of all kinds to study at their own pace. 

What does Magoosh GMAT offer?

Magoosh GMAT offers various study materials and features that aspiring graduate school students would surely be thankful for. From its practice tests to its hundreds of video lessons, Magoosh proves that quality education should not burn a hole in your pocket.

That being said, here is a brief overview of what kind of contents Magoosh GMAT has:

  • Two full-length practice tests
  • More than 1, 300 practice questions
  • High-quality lessons for all subjects
  • A library of over 700 video lectures
  • Option to choose your preferred study schedule
  • Score predictor
  • 24/7 email support
  • One-on-one private lessons
  • Score increase guarantee

Who are the ideal users?

Not sure whether the Magoosh GMAT prep course suits you? Below is a list of ideal users I came up with.

1.  Auditory and visual learners. Magoosh’s selling point—besides its cheap price and all-digital approach—is its library of video lectures. Magoosh prepared its GMAT lessons mostly through videos. As such, if you are someone who learns through a visual and auditory approach, then the programs will suit you.

2.  Folks who are on a tight budget. As mentioned, Magoosh offers an affordable GMAT prep program. Hence, I believe its extremely low price of $219 (self-study course) is an absolute steal, especially for those who are struggling financially.

3.  People who prefer self-study. Magoosh seeks to provide a flexible and innovative approach to education. And thus developed courses that allow students to learn things at their own pace.

Its contents and features are created specifically for this type of individual. So, if you belong to the said category, then Magoosh GMAT is an excellent choice.

4.  Busy professional students. The exam prep company understands that most graduate school students are employed and are busy. Hence, they developed a course wherein even busy students can study.

Magoosh’s video lectures are on-demand. Thus, you can access and watch it whenever you want.

What are the pros and cons?

To further deepen your knowledge about the Magoosh GMAT prep program, I created a set of lists of its pros and cons.

The pros

  • Budget-friendly
  • All contents are purely digital
  • Offers self-study programs
  • On-demand video lectures
  • Offers mobile application
  • Offers private lessons
  • It has a 50-point score increase guarantee

The cons

  • No in-person classes
  • No live online classes
  • Fewer practice tests
  • It does not provide physical books

Magoosh GMAT Review: what you need to know

For this section of my Magoosh GMAT review, I will give a more detailed explanation about its study materials, features, as well as other perks. I will also discuss a few aspects that I think the test prep company should and could improve.

Let’s begin.

Magoosh GMAT best features

Powered by its modernized and innovative approach, Magoosh’s GMAT prep course is comprised of individual features that make it unique and competitive. Among these features, on the other hand, are a few ones that I believe are better than the rest and essentially makes Magoosh GMAT stand out if compared to its competitors.

Simply put, these are Magoosh GMAT top features.

1.  Worth-the-price GMAT contents. Magoosh, just like any other standardized test preparation company, has formulated an innovative learning approach based on various aspects. Hence, they come up with contents specifically created to fulfil what their target audience needs.

But do take note that Magoosh’s curriculum is not like the traditional one. In fact, it does not follow one.

That being said, here’s what I think about Magoosh GMAT’s study materials:

  • On-demand video lessons. As part of Magoosh’s selling point, the GMAT prep course provider made sure that its library of lecture videos is rewarding in its way. I say “its way” because, unlike other companies, Magoosh focused on the videos’ contents rather than the delivery and design.

    Magoosh GMAT’s video lessons feature a PowerPoint-like presentation. Rather than watching a teacher explain the lesson, students will find a voiceover—which I believe is the instructor who, additionally, will never appear on the videos—explaining things while making notes on the screen.

    Such an aspect is quite a drawback for some. But to those who value content over delivery, Magoosh’s video lessons are excellent. In fact, it is where it shines. Each lesson has substance and the teacher straightforwardly explains the topic that its 2 to 20 minutes timespan is enough for students to understand the lesson.

    Finally, the GMAT prep course provider’s videos come with a transcript that appears beneath the video. It is not much of a feature but I believe it would be handy for folks with listening problems.
  • Practice questions. To further solidify what students have learned, the test prep company also offers a collection of more than 1, 300 practice questions–but that is if you subscribed to its premium plan.

    On the one hand,  if you choose the basic plan, you will still get the same perks but is only limited to 700 practice problems.

    Magoosh GMAT’s practice question follows the same format as other exam prep providers do. For each question, you will find a short video explanation along with a transcript of it. The videos, however, follow the same PowerPoint-slide format as the video lectures. Nothing fancy.

    But one thing I like about it is that Magoosh’s practice questions are written by GMAT pros. In fact, the questions highly resemble real GMAT problems.
  • Practice tests. When it comes to practice tests, the test prep program offers two full-length exams only. It is kind of unusual for a GMAT course but that is what Magoosh is. Unlike its peers like Kaplan and Veritas Prep, it only provides very short practice tests.

    It is kind of disappointing for those who wish to test themselves many times. But for those who do not, I think it would be enough.

    Another drawback I noticed is that Magoosh does not have a separate or dedicated practice test. Rather, the contents of the exams are based on the unanswered questions from its 1, 300 practice questions.

    As I said, Magoosh’s GMAT prep course is worth the price.
  • Online booklets. As mentioned earlier, Magoosh GMAT, unfortunately, does not have books to offer. So, to compensate for that, it gives its subscribers free online booklets.

    Magoosh’s free digital booklets cover a variety of GMAT-related topics. It is not, however, a workbook. But simply are basic guidelines concerning a particular subject. These materials are downloadable as well.

Having said that, you will receive unlimited access to the following materials:

o   Complete Guide to GMAT

o   Integrated Reasoning Guide

o   GMAT Idiom Book

But do take note that these digital guides are not nearly comprehensive. Nor are substitutes for complete GMAT textbooks just like what Kaplan and Princeton Review offers.

2.  Diagnostic exams. To further optimize and tailor the students’ learning experience, Magoosh GMAT gives at least two free diagnostic tests. The test is a bit short but it does its job, which is to help the students determine what subjects they are good and are weak in.  Unfortunately, it is available for premium plan subscribers only.

Magoosh GMAT guarantees that the algorithm being utilized to process all data from thousands of students to ensure that the test is precise for each student.

3.  Private tutoring. The GMAT prep course provider also offers one-on-one private classes, just like any other exam prep companies. With it, students can avail themselves either a separate plan or as a time-limited inclusion in its Premium + Tutoring plan.

That being said, if you wish to subscribe to a separate plan, Magoosh will charge you $110 per session. It offers discounts too and its price could drop as low as $90 but with one condition: you purchase a package of private lessons.

However, if you want a combination of Magoosh’s Premium plan + tutoring, you will have to pay approximately $800. The plan includes all contents and features from its basic to premium programs and a 6-hour one-on-one private lesson.

But what I find remarkable about Magoosh’s system is that students will have to answer a short exam first. After that, it will provide teachers that match the students based on the result of the exam. Overall, the whole process is very hands-on.

I find its tutoring services budget-friendly too, compared to other test prep companies that offer private GMAT lessons. Veritas Prep and Princeton Review, for example, will have you charged 5x or more.

But, of course, that does not necessarily mean that Magoosh is better than its competitors when it comes to private tutoring. As I mentioned earlier, Magoosh’s contents and features are worthy of its price.

4.  Additional resources. Magoosh comes with several additional GMAT resources for students to use too. And for a cheap GMAT course, the number of its extra resources is quite a surprise.

That being said, you will have access to the following materials and features: 

  • Flashcards
  •  24/7 email support
  • Review feature for past questions
  • Student forum
  • Blog
  • Score predictor
  • Progress 


That is a lot, I believe. On the one hand, if there is one feature that I love the most out of the things I listed above, it would be Magoosh GMAT’s 24/7 free email support.

The feature is similar to a customer support system which enables students to reach out to any of Magoosh’s representatives and make GMAT-related inquiries. However, instead of product-related questions, students can ask questions concerning a specific subject.

You can use, for example, if you are having a hard time understanding a math problem. A representative—and not just an agent but an expert—will then assist you for free. The response time is not quick but not slow either. It takes not more than 24 hours typically.

Overall, it is a useful feature that could somehow be an alternative to private tutoring.

5. 50-point score increase guarantee. The GMAT prep course provider also offers a score guarantee policy to its students. Essentially, it allows students to ask for a payment refund if their test results did not increase by 50 points compared to their previous exam.

It is a cool feature, I believe. However, it is only applicable to Premium course subscribers. The policy follows a set of rules that students need to meet as well. To learn more about it, check its website at Magoosh GMAT.

Plans and pricing

Magoosh GMAT plans and pricing is straightforward, as it only offers three prep courses: self-study basic, self-study premium, and premium + tutoring. To put things in perspective, here’s an overview of each program.

1.  Basic self-study course. As its name suggests, Magoosh GMAT’s basic plan contains materials and resources that cover GMAT’s fundamental subjects.

Specifically, it gives you access to its IR and Math contents. It also comes with a library of more than 175 video lectures and over 720 practice questions. Its features, on the one hand, include a 3-point Math score increase, unlimited access to Magoosh’s “ask an expert, and fixed study schedules.

When it comes to its price, the plan is fairly cheap. It costs around $219 for a one-time payment and gives a whole year round of access. The only catch is that the basic plan is extremely limited.

Thus, if you prefer a comprehensive program, you should opt for its premium plan instead.

2.  Premium self-study course. The premium plan is a much more comprehensive GMAT course. For a price one-time payment of $249, you will get whole year-round access to all its contents and features.

The course contains the same contents the basic plan has. The quantity, on the one hand, is higher. The video lecture, for example, is over 340 while the practice questions are more than 1, 300.

Aside from that, it has additional features and materials too like diagnostic exams, a 50-point score increase guarantee, and a score predictor.

3.  Premium (guided study) GMAT course. Magoosh is not only about self-study courses. It does offer a course with a guide to help you too.

Essentially, this plan is a combination of Magoosh GMAT’s premium plan + private tutoring. For a one-time payment of $799, subscribers will receive one-year of access to all study contents and features included in the premium course plan.

Additionally, you will get approximately 6 hours of private lessons and one-on-one video chat sessions. Your study schedule is flexible too unlike the first two programs. But do take note that this guided study plan is not necessarily as comprehensive as other GMAT courses with in-person classes.

Furthermore, the test prep company has a refund policy as well in case customers want to withdraw their subscription. Simply check its website at Magoosh GMAT for terms and conditions.

Things to take note of

Magoosh GMAT is not all roses. It shares a few drawbacks too that I think the test prep provider should improve or change.

That being said, here are some aspects students should take note of before purchasing one of its courses.

1.  No in-person or live online classes. Being developed as an all-digital test prep program provider, Magoosh GMAT does not offer live online lectures and in-person classes. Although it is being only true to its aim, I think it would have been great if they integrated an online class.

2.  Fewer practice tests. Unfortunately, Magoosh GMAT provides two full-length practice tests only compared to some of its competitors that typically offer more than five practice exams. The Princeton Review, for example, gives eight full-length practice tests.

On the flip side, unfortunately, the quality is not that great if compared to other practice tests developed by other test prep companies.

Magoosh GMAT practice tests are created based on a pool of unanswered questions from its over 1, 300 practice questions. In other words, it is sort of a recycled exam.

The verdict

Is Magoosh GMAT worthy of its price? I would say yes.

But would I recommend it?

My answer is still yes. However, that is if you meet the criteria of why it was developed in the first place. What I mean is if you are a busy professional who is planning to enter graduate school, then Magoosh GMAT could help you/

I find its flexible and very accessible approach to studying fits the said category of students. It gives students the freedom to study at their own pace, especially the absence of cramming before deadlines.

I find it cost-effective too. Thus, it is an excellent option for individuals who wish to save money yet at the same time want a handy GMAT prep course.