Magoosh is well known for its affordable price tag, but is it really a reliable GMAT test prep program or are you far better off with a more expensive option?
How suitable is it for the GMAT Focus Edition in particular, and what are your chances of getting a great score after studying with Magoosh?
Our thorough Magoosh GMAT review will help put your mind at ease, as we provide an objective look at all that this prep course has to offer.
Slight spoiler though – Magoosh really provides excellent value at a relatively low price point!
Summary Table
Magoosh GMAT Premium | |
Price | From $249 (For 6 Months Access) |
Access Period | 6 or 12 Months |
Delivery | Self-Paced |
Free Trial | 7 Days |
Video Lessons | 200+ |
Full-Length Practice Tests | At Least 2 |
Question Bank | 800+ Qns. |
Flashcards | 580+ (Math & Idioms) |
Study Schedules | Yes 1 and 3-Month Plans |
Score Predictor Tool | Yes |
24/7 Tutor Support | Yes |
Mobile App | Yes 3 Apps |
Score Guarantee | Yes Up to 70-Point Increase Guarantee |
Magoosh GMAT Overview
Magoosh is famed for its budget GMAT course and it is actually a pretty decent, reliable test prep option for those who may be on a tight budget.
The company gives you 3 subscription options: 6 months Premium Plan, 12 months Premium Plan, or the Premium + Admissions Plan.
Magoosh GMAT | |||
Premium 6 Months | Premium 12 Months | Premium + Admissions | |
Price | $249 | $349 | $449 |
Access Period | 6 Months | 12 Months | 12 Months |
Magoosh Premium gives you access to the following:
- 1 and 3-month-long pre-made study schedules.
- Over 200 video lessons covering Math, Verbal, and Data Insights.
- Over 800 practice questions.
- Both video and written answer explanations.
- At least 2 diagnostic tests.
- Accurate score predictor tool.
- Progress tracker & smart feedback.
- Option of pausing your account for later re-activation.
- Ask-an-expert tutor support.
- Up to 70-point score guarantee.
The Premium + Admissions plan additionally gives you access to admissions support comprising:
- Comprehensive weekly tasks customized to your application deadlines.
- Insider advice on building an MBA brand, mitigating weaknesses, writing essays, crafting a resume, and more.
- Over 30 MBA application videos.
- Over 70 applicant profiles, essays, and resumes from real students.
- Step-by-step guided essay writing.
- Ask an MBA expert.
Magoosh GMAT Review For 2025
Curriculum
The Magoosh GMAT curriculum basically revolves around the following study resources:
- Study plans.
- Video Lessons.
- Flashcards.
- Practice work.
a) Study Plans
If you have no idea where to start with your GMAT prep, Magoosh does provide a few suggested study schedules providing guidance on how to work through their GMAT course.
You are given 1-, and 3-month study schedule options which you can pick depending on how much time you have dedicated towards your GMAT preparation.
All study plans are broken down on a day-by-day basis, offering clear guidance on how you should go about your GMAT prep.
The great thing is that their study schedules are integrated with the Magoosh GMAT study materials, so you can just click the quick link to the exact thing you need to be working on and it will lead you there.
b) Video Lessons
Video lessons form the main instructional material within Magoosh’s GMAT course.
There are over 200 bite-sized lessons within the video library, each averaging 3 – 20 minutes long.
Most lectures include guided practice, so you not only get a content refresher, but also receive really useful GMAT test-taking strategies from the qualified team of GMAT instructors at Magoosh.
Their content coverage within Magoosh’s video lessons is spot-on, equipping you with just what you need to know for the GMAT. And the fact that they keep each lesson short and brief is that much more advantageous.
Each topic breakdown is done quickly, getting straight to the point without bogging you down with unnecessary details.
They contain solid teaching points, and actionable takeaways ensuring you fully grasp the concepts being taught.
c) Flashcards
Magoosh gives you 160 Idiom flashcards and 425 math flashcards all geared toward your GMAT practice.
Each set of flashcards is contained within its own mobile app, so you have a Magoosh GMAT Math Flashcards app, and a Magoosh GMAT Idiom Flashcards app, both available on Android and iOS to conveniently help you study on the go.
Practice Material
The practice offered by Magoosh comprises Lesson quizzes, custom practice sets, and full-length mock tests.
a) Lesson Quizzes
Within the Magoosh GMAT prep course, each content-based lesson is typically followed by a quiz to test and reinforce your grasp of that particular topic.
These short quizzes comprise 5 questions, and each question is even timed, so you know how much time you took to answer it.
At the end of each quiz, you are presented with the Quiz Results, highlighting the difficulty level of each question, as well as your pace/timing for each question.
b) Custom Practice Sets
Magoosh gives you the option of creating practice sets from their pool of over 800 practice problems covering all the GMAT sections i.e. Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Data Insights.
You can customize your practice test by a number of aspects including:
- Question type – eg Data Sufficiency or Integrated Reasoning.
- Subject – eg Probability or Statistics.
- Difficulty level – ie Easy, Medium, Hard, Very Hard, or Adaptive.
- Question pool – eg Incorrect, Unanswered or Flagged practice questions.
- No. of questions – eg 5, 5 or unlimited.
- Time Limits – eg 10 or 45 minutes.
- Mode – i.e. Practice or Quiz mode.
If you do not want to go through the hassle of creating a custom test, you also have the option of taking a quick, untimed pre-made practice exam.
c) Full-Length Practice Exams
Mgoosh gives you at least 2 full-length practice tests and after each test, you get a Score Estimate predicting how well you will do on the actual exam.
One thing I did not like here is that those 2 mock tests are generated from your pool of practice questions, which isn’t ideal because you are bound to encounter the same questions you tackled during your practice sessions.
Answer Explanations
Every practice problem in the Magoosh GMAT course is accompanied by a detailed text and video explanation.
Most traditional test prep companies do not give you explanation videos, so this is one area where Magoosh stands out, particularly if you are looking to improve your Quant score.
Sometimes text explanations just cannot cut it, especially when trying to explain a particularly challenging math concept. This is where the visual video breakdowns truly come in handy, adding a ton of value to the learning process.
Seeing the different strategies and approaches being applied in real-time in the answer explanation videos can really deepen your understanding of the various concepts and test-taking strategies.
This in turn builds your confidence in how to approach the different Focus Edition question types, helping you feel better prepared for the exam and increasing your likelihood of attaining your target GMAT score.
I simply cannot over-emphasize how incredibly helpful Magoosh’s detailed video explanations are.
Underneath the explanations, you are provided with links to the relevant video lessons if you need to have more in-depth knowledge of the content being tested.
There’s also the option of creating your own personalized notes where you can write down important pointers you wish to remember, etc.
Progress Tracking
Magoosh GMAT incorporates various levels of performance tracking throughout its platform.
While working on practice questions, before each answer solution you are presented with a short analysis of your performance on that particular question.
This analysis highlights whether you got the question right or wrong, followed by the question difficulty and your pace in relation to the pace of other test takers on the Magoosh platform.
Aside from these step-by-step performance highlights, you are also given a cumulative summary on your dashboard, summarizing the different metrics in the three GMAT sections.
Additional Features
The inclusion of a whiteboard within their test interface and practice questions as well is quite a nice touch, helping you get acquainted with the GMAT online whiteboard you will encounter on the actual GMAT.
Just as well the Magoosh GMAT Apps allows you to conveniently watch video lessons, work on practice problems or quiz yourself on some flashcards while you are up and about.
This helps to maximize your exam prep period, whether you are on your lunch break at work, or even during your commute.
Another great thing is that Magoosh comes with an ‘Ask-an-expert’ feature which allows for quick email and chat support for when you get stuck or just need some extra help.
If you have a query or need help with a concept you do not quite understand, you can email the Magoosh customer support team or chat with them via the chat button, and you’ll receive a detailed, friendly response in less that 24 hours.
Their swift and insightful support almost helps to make up for the fact that Magoosh neither offers live classes nor GMAT tutoring sessions.
Score Guarantee
Magoosh stands firmly behind its GMAT course, guaranteeing its users a better score, failure to which will result in you getting your money back.
Their score increase guarantee depends on your starting score prior to using the Magoosh course, as follows:
Your Original GMAT Focus Score Prior To Using Magoosh | Magoosh’s Score Increase Guarantee |
Up to 575 | 70-point Increase |
585 | 60-point Increase |
595 | 50-point Increase |
605 | 40-point Increase |
615 | 30-point Increase |
625 | 20-point Increase |
635 to 655 | 10-point Increase |
Of course, there are certain score improvement guarantee requirements you need to meet in order to be eligible for Magoosh’s score guarantee.
Magoosh GMAT Pros & Cons
– Very affordably priced.
– Comprehensive content coverage, including detailed video lessons and explanations for every question.
– Bite-sized lectures that get straight to the point.
– Offers customizable practice enabling targeted study.
– Up to 70-point score increase guarantee.
– Limited number of practice questions.
Verdict
Students who took the GMAT after studying with Magoosh had really great things to say about this GMAT course.
First off, Magoosh’s price point really is hard to beat, and that’s one major highlight of this test prep program.
Considering you can get a full year of access to a ton of helpful study resources, at a fraction of the price of other prep courses, it gives you quite a great deal and excellent value for money.
The video explanations are another area where Magoosh stands heads and shoulders above the competition.
These well-done videos are brief, but they are super helpful, especially for the quant section where certain concepts are best explained via video instead of just written material.
Yes, the program does have its shortcomings.
For starters, the quality of their videos certainly could use some improvement including featuring more graphics and illustrations to appeal more to the visual learners.
Another downside is the limited number of practice questions. Magoosh provides around 800 practice questions, which isn’t much to go by. Those seeking extensive practice tests, or highly advanced question sets might need to complement Magoosh with additional resources.
Nevertheless, overall, Magoosh GMAT is highly recommended for self-motivated students looking for an affordable, flexible, and comprehensive prep course that’s especially strong in verbal and quantitative fundamentals.
This well-structured course gives you all the resources to self-study at your own pace and without bogging you down with unnecessary details and information.
Magoosh GMAT FAQs
Is Magoosh Sufficient For My GMAT Prep?
Yes, if you are working with a tight budget, Magoosh could be absolutely sufficient for your GMAT prep.
Just make sure you fully utilize the course by watching all the video lessons and video explanations and completing all the practice questions on the platform.
That being said, while using Magoosh, the only additional course materials you might need are perhaps more full-length mock exams.
Is Magoosh Premium Worth It For GMAT?
Yes, Magoosh Premium is worth it for GMAT.
The program has made great efforts to align its content to the Focus Edition GMAT, and the quality of its practice problems is actually quite commendable.
Their video quality could use some improvement, but as far as relevance goes, the Magoosh videos are incredible nuggets packed with helpful information, excellent explanations of concepts, and great test-taking tips as well.
How Long Should I Study With Magoosh GMAT?
With the Magoosh GMAT one-month study plan, you should expect to study between 1.5 and 2.5 hours per day, 6 days a week, taking a practice test every week.
On the other hand, with the Magoosh GMAT three-month study plan, you should expect to study between 1 and 2 hours per day, 5-6 days a week, taking a practice test every 3 weeks.
Does Magoosh Offer Any Score Guarantees?
Yes, Magoosh offers an up to 70-point score increase guarantee, failure to which will result in you getting your money back.
The one catch here is that their score guarantee only applies to repeat students who have sat for the official GMAT Focus before and have an official score from their first attempt.
Are Magoosh Practice Tests Harder Than The GMAT?
No, Magoosh practice tests aren’t exactly harder than the real GMAT.
Magoosh provides questions with varying difficulty levels, from easy, to very hard. The difficulty level of each question will be perfectly displayed after you have tackled the entire test.
Overall, these practice tests do a good job of simulating the actual test in terms of content tested, difficulty level, and how the GMAT is worded, structured, and formatted.