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I began studying for the GMAT with materials from Manhattan, McGraw Hill, Magoosh, and the Official Guide questions. On my first crack at the real exam, I did not meet my target score. I was considering other very expensive options like the MGMAT in-person course or private tutoring, but a friend recommended Target Test Prep and it ended up being the perfect course for me.
The course overall is very well-designed, both in terms of the actual curriculum and also the UX. It leads you through very methodical coverage and practice of the material, building on the concepts so that you retain all of the earlier chapters. I also really liked the Analytics features that made it easy to keep track of the average amount of time I was spending on each problem, and what kinds of problems I got wrong most often. I really wish I had heard of Target Test Prep before I bothered with other materials because I probably could have gotten sufficient preparation with just this course and the Official Guide - and it's offered at a very reasonable price too. I even found a promo code online so it was definitely a great value!
True to its name, I was able to hit my target score on the actual exam after going through this course. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone looking for a flexible online prep option.
First of all, I want to say how excited I am to be writing this review right now. I looked at the course reviews all the time and told myself that once I finally got the score that I wanted that I would write a review to help calm and motivate other GMAT test-takers. Before I began using Target Test Prep, I had been studying for roughly 2 months and seemed to be stuck around Q44. I've always been pretty good at math so I was a bit shocked when using some of the recommended book series didn't get me to where I wanted to be. I knew that I was capable of better than a Q44 and also knew that I needed at least Q48 to reach the score range that I had set for myself. I began to look around on GMATClub and other GMAT related sites to see if there was product focused solely on the quantitative section of the GMAT and that had consistently good results. After reading the reviews of TTP and learning about the 5 day trial for just $1, I figured it was worth the shot. I was immediately hooked as soon as I began using the platform. It's very intuitive and easy to use. It makes the math simple and easy to understand and includes more practice problems than one could ever possibly need. I did the entire program and answered every problem the course had to offer over the span of about 3 months while simultaneously meeting with Jeff Miller (one of the TTP tutors) once a week. All I can say is that the program works, especially when coupled with Jeff Miller (seriously Jeff is the man and knows how to spot your weaknesses and fix them). If you're willing to put in the time and make the commitment then there is no reason you can't achieve a Q47+ using this program. I'm living proof. Good luck!
For those suffering with solidifying a good quant base, I'd recommend TTP. I mostly stayed true to the study plan they created and painstakingly took notes. There are roughly 22 topics with practice problems. Each chapter took about 2-3 hours to read and do all of the quizzes. The chapter quizzes and practice tests are extremely helpful in testing your understanding. They section questions by Easy, Medium, Hard - which is useful to determine how much time you should be spending on each question and if you've mastered the topic. I definitely would recommend to those of you who have time to dedicate to TTP!
I got waitlisted at Tepper, and I knew my GMAT score was the weak point of my application, so I decided to give it one more try before the final waitlist decisions were made. My previous scores were:
620: 40V/35Q - Nov 2017
550: 38V/27Q - Dec 2016
After 1 month with Target Test Prep:
720: 46V/44Q - June 2018
I wanted a program that focused exclusively on Quant, and started at a fairly basic level with enough practice problems to make me feel comfortable. I found that and more in Target Test Prep. I did spend about 60 hours studying in this time - I took a 2-week vacation and spent several hours studying every day.
Firstly, I loved the "gamified" format of the program. I like tracking my analytics and seeing improvement, as well as seeing the areas of strength and weakness. TTP gives you a ton of useful feedback in the form of data, that really helped me hone in on what I needed to work on. The two real game-changers for me about this program are: 1) you can set the question timing to whatever you want to work on your pacing and 2) every question is tagged by topic. So whenever I got one wrong and felt shaky on the concept, I would review the chapter again. In the past, I've wasted a ton of time trying to find the right lesson to understand what I did wrong.
Timing: I saw my pace improve dramatically over the 4 weeks I was using the program because I was practicing with a 2 minute timer per question, so I felt very comfortable walking into the test that I was able to easily solve most problems in under 2 minutes. Last time I took the GMAT, I was worried about timing and rushed through the first problems, guessing too many times, only to end up with extra time at the end.
The explanations given were in-depth and helpful. Many of them are in the form of a video, Khan Academy style, and are also written out in steps. The program also allows you to create your own custom tests, selecting the topics, the difficulty level, and the time per question. This enabled me to work selectively on topics I was weak on and to test myself on the hardest questions. When I faced easier ones on the real GMAT, I felt very confident in solving them.
This program made all the difference to me. I don't view myself as a "math person" and my background is social science. I was truly worried I would never be able to master the GMAT quant section. But this program boosted me from a 35Q to a 46Q in four weeks.
Within 2 weeks of taking the text, I got accepted to Tepper's part-time program starting this fall. My only regret is that it took me so long to try Target Test Prep. It's very inexpensive for the value - I hope it gains the name recognition it deserves.
I used 3 months of the Flexible Prep package to study for the quant section of the GMAT this year. I am a native English speaker and knew that I was relatively strong at the Verbal section going into my GMAT. However, despite being an engineer, I was relatively unprepared for the quantitative section of the exam. The quant section wants you to think in a very specific way and memorizing certain tricks and formulas can take you very far. I initially started my prep using the Manhattan GMAT books. I went through all of them and realized that I hadn't really retained any of what I read because the practice was not engaging or well structured. It did not force you to review material periodically and didn't provide very many GMAT style problems to practice with. I took a second CAT after reading the books and found that I'd made very little progress.
Enter Target Test Prep. I read the reviews of many online resources before settling on TTP, partially because of the reviews and partially because their price point was MUCH more manageable than other companies. I feel like I got incredible value for money with the package, ultimately boosting my score from 690 (first CAT exam) to 780 (official score).
Some of the aspects that I liked most about the Target Test Prep software were its plethora of examples and practice problems, the periodic reviews of past material, and the similarity of the problems to the questions in the GMAT official practice exams and actual exam. The software has 2500 practice problems, testing you on every quant subject imaginable. I finished every practice problem, including re-doing some of them when I felt that I wasn't as solid on a topic. Every few chapters or so, the programs prompts you to review the latest material. This kept me accountable and forced me to build knowledge instead of just memorizing a technique for a few days to forget it several chapters later. I used the written study guides and made note-cards in addition to following the online progression.
After completing the studying, I took the 2 practice exams from GMAC and 4 practice exams from Manhattan Prep. The way questions were worded or structured in the GMAC exams was extremely similar to the way TTP had taught me. On the other hand, Manhattan Prep seemed like it was purposely trying to trick you. On the test day, I saw several problems that were structured in a that was almost identical to what I had studied with TTP.
As my final test score obviously demonstrates, TTP prepared me extremely well for the quantitative section of the exam. I would highly recommend it to anyone who really needs to focus hard on quant and may be stronger or more confident in verbal.
When selecting a course, I was looking for one that would allow me to study at my own pace rather than having to attend a class. I needed the flexibility to move as quickly as possible rather than waiting around for a class session once a week.
There were a number of things I particularly enjoyed about TTP, including the learning analytics, which allowed me to review my studies at a higher level to see where I had gaps. I also found the end of chapter quizzes to be helpful in determining what I needed to review or didn't understand in the first pass of study.
Overall, it was really nicely organized and was really helpful in improving my quant score efficiently.
After studying using on my own and using other resources, my quant score was topping out around Q45/46. While I had heard of TTP through various online forums, it wasn't until a friend of mine told me her success that I decided to take the plunge.
Scott, Jeff, and team have done an amazing job creating this quant course. Target Test Prep breaks down the quant section into very small and digestible topics with detailed explanations and examples. TTP also does a great job highlighting the traps that you are likely to run into on the actual GMAT.
Additionally, there are quizzes of varying difficulty (easy, medium, hard) for each topic to test your understanding. The platform provides detailed summary statistics for these quizzes, which I found very helpful in identifying where my weaknesses were.
In the end, TTP helped me raise my score to Q49 on the actual GMAT. Highly recommend!
If you If you want a prep service/ course that helps you drill inn the basics and fundamentals of GMAT Quant, TTP is the best out there! I used Magoosh and MGMAT in preparation for my first GMAT (700, Q46, V40) and although they are good i did not feel that i mastered the fundamentals at a level that enabled me to fully tackle the hardest problems with confidence. After an intensive month of TTP and 1700 practice questions (!) later i knew that the only thing between me and a high score in quant was seeing the "2min" solution and fully understanding the question, not silly arithmetic mistakes, poor formulation of my algebraic equations or uncertainty when tackling inequalities and scientific notations. It was no longer a question about basic skills, but actual knowledge and fully understanding the question. The second time around i felt confident in the quant section and quickly realized that i did OK just based on the difficulty of the questions in front of me, i screwed up pacing a bit (my inability to quit and give up haunts me) but still managed to secure a Q49 for a 740 total (V42). I would recommend TTP to anyone just starting their prep and who wants to do Quant the right way! A special thank you to Scott at TTP for providing friendly and enthusiastic customer service!
My first attempt at the GMAT resulted in a 640 with a strong verbal score and a low quant score. I was waitlisted from my graduate school of choice and was told I needed to raise my GMAT score to at least 700 to be near my program's average score. I stumbled upon TTP through GMATclub and was immediately attracted by the clean website design and the methodical way in how each topic area of GMAT quant was covered by Scott & team. I was diligent to follow the TTP course calendar exactly as it was laid out; although TTP covers only quant, the course trains you and helps you to develop the analytical mindset that is necessary to score high in verbal as well. After three months of studying intensively with TTP and using only OG Verbal materials, I raised my score from 640 to 730 (and also achieved a significant bump in verbal!). If you are careful to follow TTP as prescribed, and take the time to watch the videos and do ALL the practice problems (as well as do significant work with OG problems), there is a good chance you will see score improvement as I did.
Target Test Prep made a major difference to my GMAT quant score. Before the course, I was mainly scoring around Q40 and was maxing out at Q45, but I knew that if I was to improve in Quant, I would have to find a logical way to understand Quant topics and have a systematic approach to attack problems. I had taken a classroom course and then also completed Quant books of another reputed test prep company, however I could never cross Q45 in any mocks. My goal was to reach at least Q49.
I had checked several other courses but they either focused mostly on conceptual depth without application or direct problem solving using techniques (i.e. smart numbers, testing answers). What works in Quant is knowing the concept well and ability to apply in a structured manner.
TTP does the following to deserve a big “Thank You”:
1. Builds excellent conceptual base for every topic. Furthermore, they have covered all possible concepts & Q types in a topic.
2. It provides a logical approach to solve any Question. Each Q has a video as well as text solution.
3. Provides excellent practice by having Chapter Quizzes of varying difficulty level (Easy, Medium & Difficult). Furthermore, there are review Quizzes before beginning every chapter to help in revising the concepts of the previous chapters. Additionally, there are Review Quizzes after a few chapters to solidify concepts in a cluster of chapters. Finally, there are the Global Review to test our entire Quant Ability.
4. The Quiz solutions also help to identify which concept we are lacking and provides an easy reference link to review the pertaining concept.
5. Provides the best dashboard to pinpoint what topics is our weak link area and focus on the same in terms of accuracy, pacing.
Overall, I recommend going through each module at least once and completing all the Quizzes.
I scored a Q49 in my 1st attempt at GMAT.