Kaplan GMAT Review 2025: Is It Worth Your Money? (TRUTH)

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Kaplan logo

Kaplan GMAT prep delivers a well-rounded and reliable learning experience with expert instruction, adaptive practice tools, and flexible study options, making it an excellent choice for achieving your GMAT goals.

Pros
  • Comprehensive study materials
  • Flexible course formats
  • Adaptive practice tests
  • Expert instructors
Cons
  • Limited in-depth strategy focus
Rating  

Price: Starts from $850

Achieving a top GMAT score is a critical step toward securing a spot in a leading business school. With so much on the line, choosing the right preparation course is one of the most important decisions you’ll make.

Kaplan, a titan in the test prep industry for over 80 years, is often the first name that comes to mind.

But is its long-standing reputation deserved? Does the program deliver real results, or is it just a well-marketed machine?

This in-depth Kaplan GMAT review cuts through the hype. We’ll analyze its course structure, features, pricing, and potential drawbacks to give you an honest answer: Is Kaplan GMAT prep worth your time and money in 2025?

Kaplan GMAT Review 2025: Should You Go For IT??

Kaplan quotes, “Your edge in a competitive world.” This implies that Kaplan wants to provide its best to each student and has been making all the extra efforts to do so.

From helping students apply to different universities to helping them achieve their goals, Kaplan has it all.

It also recognizes that in today’s competitive world, one must think creatively and innovate.

Kaplan

Kaplan has surely justified the statement “Encourage Innovation.” By offering various language learning courses, Kaplan aims to make every student bilingual.

“Invest in your ambition” is what sets Kaplan apart from the rest. It has also ensured that it has altered Kaplan’s traditional dimensions and transformed the lives of its students.

Features Offered By Kaplan:

In this Kaplan GMAT Review, the following are the features being offered by Kaplan for the students-

Kaplan GMAT Review- Features

1. Kaplan Self-Test:

One of Kaplan’s best offerings is self-testing, which enables students to administer and analyze their tests.

This helps students improve their scores and achieve solid results in the actual exam. 

2. The Most Interactive Classes

Kaplan ensures that you have classes that are absolutely free of boredom. It brings you classes in the most alluring and fun way!

Interaction through chat boxes and live sessions keeps the user engaged and focused, ensuring that more work is completed without feeling overwhelmed.

These interactive sessions enhance the user’s productivity. The interaction also ensures that doubts are cleared during the session. And who doesn’t enjoy interacting while learning? 

3. Specially Designed Language Classes

Kaplan has gone to great lengths to provide its users with the best services. They offer special language learning courses in English, Spanish, and German to ensure that their language skills are toned enough.

This not only enhances a person’s personality but also enhances their communication skills. This is a really liked feature because many people enjoy learning new languages.

4. Worldwide

By worldwide, I mean Kaplan sells its courses worldwide. It has classrooms in North America, Mexico, Europe, and Asia.

5. Has the Most Strategized Plan Ever!

With the best teachers, the most progressive technology, and the most efficiently formulated test plans, Kaplan ensures that students put in their best effort to stay determined and focused.

6. Effective Strategy and Content

Kaplan is said to have a very effective strategy for its students, which is tailored to the content.

The content and the strategy must evolve together. Both must work together to achieve the optimum results. 

7. Additional features

Kaplan also offers additional online courses in insurance, finance, securities licensing, architecture, and wealth management.

These add up to the student’s resume, making them more competent by developing their skills and increasing their versatility. 

8. Distance learning

Kaplan offers another cool feature: Distance Learning. If a student can’t attend physical lectures but still wants a degree, this option allows them to pursue it from a distance as well. 

What Modules Does Kaplan Offer?

Kaplan offers students a myriad of modules to choose from. These modules focus on the academic aspect and pay great attention to the overall development of a student.

I will provide you with a brief overview of some modules that you may find constructive and advantageous.

1. Kaplan Leadership and Professional Development

This module is designed to train students in developing a versatile and multifaceted personality.

Their soft skills, communication skills, and leadership qualities are developed so that they can easily face personal interviews and group discussions in the future.

Through this, Kaplan makes sure that they have been meeting the users’ specified needs.

2. Kaplan Financial Education

Kaplan’s financial education is literally a savior! Even during a pandemic, Kaplan has provided all possible aid.

Kaplan Pricing Review

Kaplan Pricing

Kaplan offers several packages tailored to different needs and budgets.

Course OptionPriceBest For
On-Demand (Self-Paced)$850Self-motivated learners who need a flexible schedule.
Live Online Course$1,700Students who want the structure and accountability of a live class.
Advanced Live Online$1,488High scorers aiming to break into the 700+ range, focusing only on the hardest questions.
Private TutoringStarts at $2,465Students needing personalized, one-on-one attention to target specific weaknesses.

The Kaplan Higher Score Guarantee

This is a critical feature that justifies the premium price for many. Kaplan guarantees that you will score higher on the GMAT after taking their course. If you don’t, you have two options:

  1. Repeat the course for free.
  2. Get your money back.
    This guarantee significantly reduces the financial risk of your investment. (Terms and conditions apply, so be sure to read the details).

Why Choose Kaplan Over Other Platforms?

Below are some of the Pros of Kaplan that make it better than the rest-

Why Choose Kaplan Over Other Platforms?

1. Live Online!

I doubt whether any other online platform than Kaplan provides students with Live Online lectures.

Classes with 100% live facilities, an interactive chat box making it easy for the students and the tutor to interact, an option to record the whole video so it is easy to playback later, or good for anyone who misses it.

These features make online life one of the best parts of Kaplan. 

2. A Super Cool Online Interface

Kaplan has a very user-friendly interface. Its users don’t have to spend a lot of time navigating, and all the tabs and their functions are easy to find.

This results in less time being wasted on finding out or “correctly” using the website or the app.

3. A large Variety of Questions

Kaplan provides a comprehensive range of practice questions — more than 1,000, whereas the other competitors tend to provide around 800.

This makes more room for extra practice and ensures safety, just in case. Kaplan has also ensured that the students have plenty of questions to work on.

4. Helps You Prepare For a Whole Range of Exams

Kaplan helps students prepare for not only the GMAT but also a wide array of exams, including the GRE, IELTS, SAT, PSAT, and TOEFL.

5. Proper Access to Six Full-length Tests

Kaplan has it sorted for your students. It grants full-time access to six tests with questions similar to the original GMAT exams so that students have a basic and generalized idea of how the exams really function. Kaplan is prepping you already!

6. Variety Of Course Formats to Choose From

Kaplan offers a range of formats from which to choose. These formats are designed to suit the different yet specific needs of the customers. The three formats that Kaplan provides are:

  • Self-paced 
  • Live Online
  • In-Person

These formats allow users to learn at their own pace and in their comfort zones. Many users have also highly complimented these features!

7. Physical Textbooks

Another great feature of Kaplan is that it provides physical study material. It provides not only two extensive, comprehensive, and knowledge-rich textbooks but also an extremely resourceful GMAT prep guide.

These guides or textbooks contain all the essential details one needs to know about the MBA process. Users have also commented on how this guide is helpful when navigating the admission procedures.

8. Flexibility and Guidance

Kaplan is very high on flexibility and guidance. This is because they operate 24/7 and have experts working with the students at all times.

This makes working hours very flexible for students and attracts more of them. The guidance provided by Kaplan is undoubtedly the best.

They have the most prepared teachers to serve the students, ensuring that they are guided in the best way possible for their exams and future. 

9. Score Boosting Strategies

It is vital to have a properly planned and formulated strategy for boosting a score that leads students to good MBA colleges. An average score would lie between 300 and 600, but to get into a good-graded college, the score must be above 700.

For this, constant and rigorous practice with optimum time utilization is necessary. A proper strategy is required to achieve this.

And guess what? Kaplan does it all for its users, from developing a proper strategy actually to helping students achieve good scores. 

10. Experience

Experience matters a lot! Kaplan has been in the field of education for over 82 years and has consistently served with the utmost quality. During these years, Kaplan has been aware of what the exams require.

This really benefits the students in umpteen ways. Kaplan, as a platform, now knows what questions are asked in the exams and what the examiners really want the students to know.

This also helps Kaplan strategize effectively and create practice questions accordingly. It has now trained more than one million students worldwide, so you know you’re on the right track.

11. Material Advantage

With more than 5,000 questions, test papers, live sessions, CDs, textbooks, and an overall preparation guide, Kaplan has the best study material. Its students have consistently given great reviews about how accurate the material is.

This is a great advantage to Kaplan as most of its students trust the material.

This material advantage also gives you access to the six full-length GMAT tests, which are computer-adaptive, and makes sure the student is prepared for the actual test.

Why are you waiting? Go take advantage of the material for yourself!

12. Free Classes for Trial

Sometimes, students are unsure of which online platform to trust and invest in. Kaplan completely understands this notion of students, and so it provides free lessons.

These lessons help students determine whether they find these courses beneficial. You can, too, go and try them for yourselves!  

13. Has a Great Logical Reasoning Section

To anyone who wants to achieve a great sectional score in Logical Reasoning or Data Interpretation, Kaplan has your back! They have a great range of questions for LR.

A properly well-formulated sheet with questions of all difficulty levels is created. So, anyone looking for a master’s in logical reasoning, here’s your savior!

14. Allows You to Register and Buy Books

Kaplan offers a variety of books online. These books provide more in-depth preparation for the exam.

Registration of these books can be done online through their official website or on Amazon. Kaplan has surely ensured that its students receive all the benefits. Grab your book now!

15. K+ Learning System

The Kaplan+ learning system is a specially designed learning system for learning English. It is like an additional course that adds value. English is considered a global language.

Knowing English is essential for effective communication. This indicates that Kaplan aims to provide students with not only knowledge about the exam but also to enhance their personal and soft skills.

Being able to communicate well in English also helps the students do well in their personal interviews and group discussions. I hope you now understand why Kaplan is the market leader.

16. A Refund is Available Too

If any of Kaplan’s users find issues after subscribing and paying for the course, Kaplan allows refunds. If the requirements are not met, the user can demand a refund within a stipulated period.

If the user believes that his/her needs are not being met, the refund option helps them. 

17. Some Free Resources Too!

Kaplan does not charge for everything, and I mean it. Kaplan offers free resources, but you need to sign up for them.

What Improvements Does Kaplan Need?

Why Choose Kaplan Over Other Platforms?

No prep course is perfect. Here are some of the common criticisms leveled against Kaplan that you should consider.

  • Shallow Question Explanations: While the Qbank is extensive, some students report that the text explanations for answers can be brief. They tell you the correct answer but sometimes fail to provide a deep, conceptual breakdown of why it’s correct.
  • Customer Service Responsiveness: A recurring complaint is that customer service can be slow to respond, which can be frustrating if you’re facing a technical issue or have an urgent question.
  • Depth for Elite Scorers: For students already scoring in the 700s, Kaplan’s curriculum might feel too focused on foundational and intermediate concepts. A more specialized prep provider might be better for pushing from a 720 to a 760.
  • Occasional Errors: With thousands of questions and video lessons, occasional typos or errors have been reported in the material. While not widespread, it’s something to be aware of.

Kaplan GMAT Review- Should You Buy It Or Not?

It’s now time for me to give an honest verdict on Kaplan. I feel it is an exceptional platform. In my opinion, anyone, from a beginner to a pro-level student, can use Kaplan.

It has an easy-to-use interface, and a commendable range of questions is undoubtedly unbeatable.

They also offer additional facilities, depending on the region. In India, they provide their students with “Kaplan International Pathways,” “Kaplan Schweser,” and “Kaplan Test Prep.”

These are like the extra benefits a user may not have expected. After analyzing its pricing scheme and weighing its pros and cons, I would surely recommend Kaplan!

Pros and Cons of Kaplan GMAT Prep:

Pros

  • Comprehensive course materials and realistic practice questions
  • Adaptive learning technology personalizes your study plan
  • Expert instructors with deep GMAT test insights
  • Full-length practice tests simulate real exam conditions
  • Includes both live classes and on-demand content

Cons

  • Higher price compared to some competitors
  • Limited flexibility in customizing study schedule

FAQs

What does Kaplan GMAT offer?

Kaplan gives practice tests, video lessons, books, and tutoring for GMAT prep. It’s built to help you study smart.

Is Kaplan good for beginners?

Yes, it’s easy to start with clear lessons. But some find it tough without basic math skills.

Will Kaplan help me pass the GMAT?

Many boost scores with its real practice tests. Some say questions don’t always match the exam.

Are Kaplan’s materials up to date?

Mostly yes, they use real GMAT questions now. A few users spotted older stuff still.

Is Kaplan worth my money?

It’s worth it for practice and structure. Cheaper options exist if you’re on a budget.

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Conclusion: Kaplan GMAT Review 2025– Is it Really Worth Your Money?

Kaplan is a solid option that students must choose. However, they can use other guides in conjunction to achieve a better score.

Using other guides in conjunction with Kaplan will ensure everything aligns and yields better results.

Other supplements, such as official practice tests and in-depth guides, can make the learning process more effective.

Therefore, in conclusion, it is suggested that other supplements be used with Kaplan to achieve better results and a solid GMAT score.

Kaplan Online Course for GMAT is surely a great platform. However, like every digital platform, it has its own set of advantages and shortcomings, which can be ignored with some meticulous practices.

Kaplan provides all the necessary tools for adhering to ethical practices and dedicating all efforts to the success of its students. 

Hopefully, this Kaplan GMAT Review will help guide you in choosing the right GMAT course.

Reena Rk

Reena Raj is a seasoned education technology reviewer with over six years of experience analyzing and evaluating online learning platforms. With a strong background in digital education and a commitment to in-depth research, she provides comprehensive, unbiased reviews to help learners make informed decisions. Reena Raj specializes in assessing course quality, instructional methodologies, and platform usability, offering valuable insights for individuals seeking to enhance their personal and professional development through online education.

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