Target Test Prep Review [2024]

Anyone who has taken or studied for the GMAT knows what a challenge it can be. But scoring well on the exam can help make or break your ability to get into the best graduate schools.

A prep course can be a huge help in improving your test performance. So while the average GMAT score is 565, those who prepare with a test prep course could see a dramatically improved performance.

Target Test Prep is a GMAT prep course specifically designed to help test-takers prepare for certain parts of the exam.

But is it the right course for you?

In this Target Test Prep review, you’ll learn all of the features that make it an attractive option for preparing for the GMAT, so you can decide if it’s the right prep course for you.

What is Target Test Prep?

Target Test Prep is a GMAT (short for Graduate Management Admission Test) prep course specifically designed to help students prepare for the quantitative reasoning (aka quant) section of the exam. 

The company was founded in 2008 by educators who combined their knowledge of the GMAT with their passion for teaching.

Because Target Test Prep is intended to help students prepare for the quant section of the GMAT exam, it has a heavy emphasis on math and quantitative reasoning. 

The prep course has many features to offer, including a personalized study plan, GMAT practice test questions, and analytics to help you identify where you need the most help.

According to Target Test Prep’s website, its customers report overall positive results on the GMAT:

• Average GMAT score of customers: 720
• Average GMAT quant score of customers: Q48
• Percentage of customers who score 700 or higher on the GMAT: 84%
• Average number of points customers report scoring above the average GMAT score: 157 points

Target Test Prep features

Target Test Prep comes with a suite of features designed to help students prepare for the quant section of the GMAT. Some of its most standout features include:

• More than 800 instructor-led videos: Target Test Prep offers hundreds of videos that span every GMAT quant topic. Videos come with written chapters and realistic practice problems. 
• Realistic GMAT practice questions: Target Test Prep has a library of more than 2,500 practice quant questions to help students apply and test out the knowledge they learned in the video lessons.
• A personalized study plan: Target Test Prep provides each student with a GMAT quant study plan personalized to them. It gives students a schedule, so they know what to do each day, and helps them gradually improve over time.

• Smart analytics and error trackers: Target Test Prep’s analytics feature an error tracker that helps students identify which areas they struggle in the most, how their practice question performance compares to their peers, and what steps they can take to improve.

• Custom practice sets: Target Test Prep offers a variety of practice sets that focus on areas where each student needs a little extra help. They help break score plateaus and continue to drill into a weak area until the student sees improvement.
• Live support: Target Test Prep customers can use the website’s live chat feature to reach out to the company at any time. Students can ask questions about the content, get opinions on their study plan, and help identify solutions for areas they don’t understand.

Target Test Prep Plans and Pricing

Target Test Prep offers three different plans to choose from. The three are remarkably similar — the primary difference is when it comes to the cost and how customers are billed.

All Target Test Prep plans come with the same basic features, which include:

• Detailed explanations of each topic
• Instructor-led videos
• Practice GMAT questions
• Personalized study plans
• Intelligent metrics and error analysis
• Custom practice test engine
• Live support
• Guaranteed increase in your GMAT quant score

Flexible Preparation is the most popular Target Test Prep plan. Billed monthly, this plan comes with total flexibility so students can use the program for as long or short a time as they need it. This plan is normally priced at $149 per month but is currently discounted at $99 per month.

Dedicated Study is a four-month plan that allows for full access to all Target Test Prep features. Normally priced at $449, the plan is currently discounted at $299.

Maximum Learning is a six-month plan designed for those students for whom four months isn’t quite enough. Normally priced at $499, the plan is currently discounted at $399. As far as cost per month, the Maximum Learning plan is the best deal, if you think you’ll need the course for more than four months.

All three Target Test Prep plans allow for a 5-day, $1 trial — just long enough for prospective customers to test-drive the features and decide if it’s the right prep course for them.

When you’re choosing between the three plans, keep in mind that the monthly billing plan is the only one that allows students to cancel at any time. 

If you buy the four or six-month program, you pay upfront and can’t get a refund if you change your mind or take the GMAT early.

Target Test Prep Pros and Cons

Target Test Prep is a popular GMAT prep course for those who need extra help with the quant section of the exam. The program has both pros and cons that students should consider before signing up.

Pros

• Discounts available: Target Test Prep plans normally cost anywhere from $83 for the six-month plan to $149 per month for the month-to-month plan. But the company often offers discounts so students can save up to $50 per month.
• Instructor-led video lessons: Target Test Prep offers more than 800 instructor-led videos to help explain quant topics. Everyone learns differently, and this feature is especially beneficial for students who learn best by hearing a concept explained by someone else.

• Expert live support: Target Test Prep is a self-paced program that students go through on their own, but the live support guarantees they aren’t really going it alone. Customers can reach out any time with questions or concerns, either about their study plan or specific material within the course.

• Private tutoring available: For those students who find they need a little extra help, Target Test Prep offers the option of private tutoring. The private tutoring isn’t cheap — it comes with a price tag of $300 per hour. But students who are really struggling with a particular concept can sign up for extra help in that area. 

And the private tutoring isn’t limited to just the quant section. Students can also get tutoring for the verbal and integrated reasoning sections of the GMAT. Tutoring is done via video conferencing; there’s no option for in-person tutoring.

• $1 trial period: There’s no doubt that Target Test Prep is an investment, and students might feel unsure about taking on that huge cost. Luckily, the company offers a 5-day, $1 trial to test out the features before committing. And they don’t automatically charge your card on file once the trial period ends. You decide whether to continue the program.
• Analytics and trackers: The intelligent analytics and error tracker are a huge benefit for students working through the prep course. Customers can see where their strengths and weaknesses lie. The program tracks their most common mistakes and helps them improve in those particular areas.
• Personalized study plan: The personalized study plan is a huge selling point for those who struggle with organization or prioritization. Rather than looking at the whole program and having to figure out how to pace yourself, Target Test Prep will give you a personalized study plan, so you know exactly what to work on each day.

Cons

• No practice exams: Target Test Prep offers many practice questions, but it doesn’t actually have a full practice exam. This is a huge downside for people who struggle with test-taking since it doesn’t give them the opportunity to practice taking the full exam at once. 

Plus, a mock test can help give students a better understanding of the exam format. As a result, some people might prefer a prep course that comes with a full practice exam.

• No adaptive material: The GMAT exam is computer-adaptive, which means that as one takes it, it adapts to their skill level. How well someone is doing on the exam and which sections they’re doing well on will determine what questions they see next. Target Test Prep doesn’t offer computer-adaptive questions, meaning students aren’t getting a real taste of the actual test.

• Focus only on the quant section of GMAT: Target Test Prep isn’t a thorough GMAT prep course. It only focuses on the quant section. It might be ideal for those who are prepared for other parts of the exam but struggle with the quant questions, but it’s not going to be the right choice for everyone.
• No mobile app: Students who want to learn on the go may find Target Test Prep to be inconvenient to use. While the company offers a user-friendly website, it’s not designed for mobile learning the same way that other prep courses are.

Target Test Prep Alternatives

Target Test Prep is just one of many GMAT prep courses available. Before committing to one, it’s worth exploring the other options available to you. Here are a few of the most popular alternatives:

The Princeton Review GMAT Prep

The Princeton Review is a popular test prep company that helps students prepare for a wide variety of exams, including the ACT, SAT, GRE, MCAT, and GMAT. 

The Princeton Review GMAT Prep course is more expensive but also more comprehensive than Target Test Prep. It has options for both self-paced and instructor-taught. Rather than focusing on just one section of the exam, The Princeton Review helps students prepare for all sections, making it a better option for those who want a more well-rounded prep-course. 

The company also offers several full-length practice exams, which is a feature that Target Test Prep doesn’t offer at all.

Kaplan GMAT Prep 

Kaplan provides a comprehensive GMAT prep course for all sections of the exam. The company offers both self-paced and instructor-led programs and has a higher price point than Target Test Prep. 

A standout feature of Kaplan is its adaptive practice format, which helps students to level up in difficulty as their knowledge grows and mimics the computer-adaptive nature of the GMAT.

Magoosh GMAT Prep 

Magoosh offers a highly-rated GMAT prep course with an attractive price point. Though it’s slightly more expensive than Target Test Prep, it helps students prepare for all sections of the exam. 

Magoosh offers a 7-day free trial and is extremely user-friendly. Plus, Magoosh has both a website and mobile app that make it easy for students to learn from and practice anywhere. 

Unfortunately, it doesn’t come with live support, so students can’t ask questions when they run into roadblocks.

Should You Purchase Target Test Prep?

Now that we’ve covered all of the features, pros, and cons of Target Test Prep, there’s just one final question:

Should you buy Target Test Prep?

The answer is: It depends. 

This prep course is specifically designed to help students prepare for the quant section of the GMAT. Because of its heavy emphasis on math and quant reasoning, it’s well-suited for students who are struggling in that area but feel prepared to tackle the verbal section of the exam.

Unlike many of its competitors, Target Test Prep isn’t a well-rounded GMAT prep course. Students who need help preparing for other parts of the exam should opt for a different prep course.

The bottom line:

• Who should take this prep course: Students who only need help with the quantitative section of the GMAT
• Who shouldn’t take this prep course: Students who want a comprehensive prep course to prepare for every section of the GMAT.

Conclusion

Signing up for a test prep course is an excellent way to help you prepare for the GMAT, especially if you’re struggling in a particular area.

Target Test Prep offers many excellent features, including its instructor-led video lessons and the option of private tutoring, but those perks do come at a price.

Target Test Prep isn’t right for everyone. It was specifically designed to help test-takers prepare for the quantitative section of the exam, making it an ideal choice for those struggling in this particular area.