When prepping for the GMAT, it’s important – as it is with any sort of official test – to get as much practice in as possible before the big day. And it’s important for that practice to mimic the actual test conditions as much as possible, both to lessen any sense of trepidation you might have on the day, and to familiarize you with the various conventions and routines used in the GMAT. The best GMAT practice tests out there do exactly that – but not all are alike.
With that in mind, it’s a good idea to make use of GMAT practice materials that include realistic practice tests. By making judicious use of these, you can ensure that you’re as prepared as possible when it comes time to sit the real thing.
That said, there are a lot of GMAT practice tests out there, and it can be tough figuring out which ones are the real deal, and which ones are unable to follow through on their promises. GMAT practice tests are, after all, relatively expensive – and if you get unlucky and buy the wrong one, you’ll never get the time back that you invested.
During the course of this article, then, we intend to take a close look at the best GMAT practice test simulators on the market. What are their strengths and weaknesses? How long do you gain access to practice materials? And how much can you expect to pay?
Table of Contents
7 Best GMAT Practice Tests 2023
Below is a summary of the best GMAT test simulators on the market. For more information on each one, please refer to its individual entry.
- Longest access to practice tests: Magoosh
- Best Adaptive Tests: Manhattan Prep GMAT CATs (Kaplan)
- Biggest Pool Of Practice Questions: Target Test Prep
- Most Accurate: GMAT Prep Online Starter Kit (GMAC)
- Hardest GMAT Practice Tests: GMAT Club Tests
- Best Value For Money: Experts’ Global 15 Tests
- Best Bundled Tests: eGMAT Mock Tests (SIGmaX)
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Longest Access To Practice Tests: Magoosh
Magoosh have been a player in the GMAT practice game for a long time – and with good reason. They’re the best in the business at offering a budget package that does a great job prepping mid-level candidates for the GMAT. They’re also very generous with the length of time that they grant access to their materials – in comparison to most GMAT course providers, who tend to grant access that can be measured in months, Magoosh gives a whole year’s worth.
Magoosh’s practice test set-up is a little unorthodox compared with the discrete, self-contained tests on offer from competitors. They do not have a dedicated pool of questions that’s set aside for the practice tests; rather, they draw from the practice questions that students have not yet used in order to create a mock test. This does create problems if you’ve been intensively making use of the 1200+ practice questions, as it rather limits the questions available in the practice tests.
Due to this unique way of doing things, Magoosh recommends that users take no more than 2 practice tests, due to the fact that each one is depleting the pool of practice questions. Again, this is an unconventional way of doing things, but it is offset by the quality of Magoosh’s materials and the length of time you’ll have to access the materials.
The practice tests aside, Magoosh offers a very generous complement of lessons and accompanying materials. With blogs, FAQs, forums, and the finest email support you’re like to find with any GMAT practice test provider, you’re virtually guaranteed a fantastic experience with the purchase of a Magoosh course.
If, however, you’re looking for a larger number of unique tests – with questions that are limited to those tests and those tests alone – then you may want to consider other options.
What We Like
- Longest access length to practice materials and tests on the market
- Great supplementary lessons and materials
- Unparalleled customer support
What We Don’t Like
- No dedicated practice tests
Pricing
- 1 year’s access: $249
Best Adaptive Tests: Manhattan Prep GMAT CATs (Kaplan)
One of the GMAT’s more notable features is that it’s computer-adaptive, meaning that the test will respond to your level of aptitude on the fly and adjust the difficulty of questions accordingly. The reason it does this is in order to avoid having an overstuffed upper echelon – not everybody, after all, can be in the 99th percentile. Thus, the better you’re doing, the more difficult the questions you’re likely to face.
Not all tests reflect this, and many offer non-adaptive tests that, while perhaps mimicking the individual questions well, might not provide a test that’s as immersive as the real thing. That isn’t the case with Manhattan Prep’s CATs (computer-adaptive tests).
Manhattan Prep offer one such CAT completely free of charge – you can take the test on their website whenever you like, in fact. The test can also be taken without time constraints (in order to get a feel for it), or using ‘realistic calibration’ (which mimics test conditions as closely as possible). Once you’re comfortable with the format, the latter option provides an excellent facsimile of the kind of thing you can expect on test day.
If you like what you get in the free CAT, then you can purchase a further five at a very reasonable price that works out to around $10 per test. Given how accurate they are to the actual tests, this is a great deal.
For GMAT-accurate tests that closely mimic the real deal, it’s hard to beat Manhattan Prep’s GMAT CATs.
What We Like
- Realistic and accurate GMAT test simulations
- One test completely for free
- Free supplementary materials also available
What We Don’t Like
- Scores can be a little inaccurate compared to the real thing
Pricing
- 1 test: free
- 5 additional tests: $49
Biggest Pool Of Practice Questions: Target Test Prep
When it comes to the sheer volume of practice questions on offer, Target Test Prep cannot be beaten. Every course comes with more than 4000 questions to get you ready for the practice tests – and the actual test itself. That’s more than double those of most competitors.
Target Test Prep doesn’t actually offer a GMAT practice test in isolation, however. It comes bundled as part of a course – part of which is the aforementioned 4000 questions. In addition, you’ll also get more than 1200 video lessons, live support throughout (from 700+ scoring mentors) and an impressive score guarantee of 110 points.
But how about the practice tests? For your money, you’ll get two practice tests included. And those tests mirror the real GMAT tests very closely, mimicking them in everything from format to timing. This means that when taking Target’s tests, it will very closely replicate the experience you’ll have on the big day – which makes for the best kind of preparation. There’s also detailed feedback on all of your answers, ensuring that you’ll understand where you went wrong.
Target Test Prep’s course is a little expensive, and it’s not possible to get the practice tests by themselves. However, if you can afford it, it’s well worth considering – if only for the huge volume of practice questions provided.
What We Like About It
- Huge pool of practice questions
- Great supplementary materials
- Extensive library of video lessons
What We Don’t Like About It
- Expensive
- Short access window
Pricing
- 1 month: $149
- 4 months: $449
- 6 months: $499
Most Accurate: GMAT Prep Online Starter Kit (GMAC)
If you want practice tests that mirror the actual tests as much as possible, where else would you go except the creators of the original test?
The GMAT Prep Online Starter Kit contains the most accurate tests out there precisely for this reason. You simply need to register a (free) account with GMAC, and you’ll have unrestricted access to two full-length practice tests. These tests mimic the actual examination closely, down to the format, number of questions, permitted tools, and time allotted.
In addition to the two practice tests, you’ll also have access to a couple of other tools that will assist in your preparations. These include a time management tool that will give you advice on how to tighten up that timing (and make sure you leave sufficient time for subsequent sections), and 90 practice test questions to sharpen your skills before taking the practice tests.
Although it’s not quite as in-depth or comprehensive as some of the other practice courses on the market, when it comes to a realistic simulation of the GMAT itself, it’s hard to go wrong with the GMAT Prep Online Starter Kit.
And the best part of it? It’s completely free.
What We Like About It
- 100% free
- Made by GMAC, creators of the GMAT
- Extremely true to the actual tests
- Useful supplementary questions and tools
What We Don’t Like About It
- A little limited and basic compared to paid competitors
Pricing
- Free
Hardest GMAT Practice Tests: GMAT Club Tests
GMAT Club is, primarily, a popular forum for GMAT candidates to get together and discuss various aspects of the GMAT. Over the years it’s developed into a great GMAT resource center in its own right, and now boasts one of the finest repositories of practice questions and tests that you can find on the internet.
Included in these resources are GMAT Club’s proprietary tests. These are legendary for their toughness, with many of their questions (particularly the Quant ones) being pitched at a 700-plus-score level. Does this make their tests, generally speaking, much more difficult than the real thing? Absolutely. Is this a bad thing? Absolutely not.
By taking practice tests that are tougher than the real thing, you’re teaching yourself to thrive under pressure, and you’re setting the bar extremely high. That means that when you walk into the test center for the real thing, you’re likely to find it much easier than you were expecting. This means that you’ll be much more relaxed, and much more likely to do well.
The tests have been made from scratch by experienced GMAT Club forum moderators, almost all of whom have 700+ scores on the GMAT. This means that you can be assured of the caliber (and the realism) of the questions contained in the practice tests.
In addition to the practice tests, you’ll unlock access to more than 1600 practice questions, a number of quant- or verbal-only tests, and an enhanced score report. And throughout, you’ll be able to draw upon GMAT Club’s legendary forums for encouragement and support.
What We Like
- The toughest GMAT questions available anywhere
- Great selection of practice questions
- Excellent forum support
What We Don’t Like
- Not suitable if you’re not aiming for a 700+ score
Pricing
- $79.95 (classic – no full tests)
- $99.95 (pro – 7 full tests)
- $129.95 (elite – 7 full tests + extra practice questions)
- All packages grant 3-month access
Best Value For Money: Experts’ Global 15 Tests
This package offered by Experts’ Global couldn’t be more straightforward – it’s 15 practice GMAT tests that are perfect for getting in a lot of GMAT-style practice before the big day. It doesn’t pretend to be anything it’s not – it’s simply a whole lot of practice tests. And all at a very reasonable price.
Experts’ Global do not use official GMAT questions, and they have no relationship with GMAC themselves. So how can you be assured of the quality of their practice tests?
Simply put: Experts’ Global are very meticulous in their writing of GMAT-style questions. Each one uses an original GMAC question as a point of reference, and then carefully recreates the question using the same format and tone as the original. Experts’ Global are careful to include any original ‘traps’ that might have appeared in the original question – but they do not overcomplicate things by adding further traps.
The algorithm used to calculate scores is also, while proprietary, generally reflective of the scores you’d get on the real thing. Experts’ Global routinely and meticulously recalibrates the algorithm, using the scores of candidates who’ve already taken the test to benchmark their own test results. This makes for an experience that, while not quite as 1:1 as the official GMAC materials, is very close.
One of the best things about Experts’ Global 15 tests is the pricing — $50 for 15 tests. On a cost-per-test basis, then, they quite simply cannot be beaten. And in addition, you’ll get a bunch of explanatory videos, insightful analytics on completed tests, and detailed answer explanations.
If you want value for money, then, look no further than Experts’ Global’s fantastic test package.
What We Like
- Excellent value for money
- Solid supplementary materials
- Great selection of tests
What We Don’t Like
- Questions aren’t quite as authentic as official ones
Best Bundled Tests: eGMAT Mock Tests (SIGmaX)
Some tests are not sold separately, but come as part of a bundled package. This is the case with SIGmaX’s eGMAT Mocks, which provide you with an entire course that revolves around preparing you for the GMAT – with a number of mock tests included, naturally.
One area in which the SIGmaX Mocks shine is in the accuracy of their predictions. A great number of GMAT candidates have noted that the mock tests offered had a great degree of precision when it came to predicting the kind of score they’d get on the actual test.
In addition to the practice tests, SIGmaX also provides you with a fully personalized study plan to ensure that you’re getting the most out of your course. This is complemented by weekly onboarding sessions, which serve to focus students and make sure that they’re paying attention to the areas that need the most improvement.
In order to ensure that students are getting to grips with the various concepts that will appear in the GMAT, the course features 150 hours of ‘application files’, wherein you’ll put the things you’ve learned to practical use. This helps cement the ideas in your mind, ensuring that you’ll be able to use them to best effect in the actual test.
And as for the mock tests themselves – they’re fully adaptive, meaning that they function in a similar way to the real thing. You’ll also be assessed according to five separate areas of ability – separating verbal and quant into three and two separate scores each, respectively – ensuring that you’ll be given a more accurate breakdown of your strengths and weaknesses than with some other competitors.
There are five mock tests in total included with a SIGmaX course, though one can be accessed if you sign up for the trial. The course itself is not the cheapest, and it may not suit those who are looking for practice tests only, but it’s good value for what you get.
What We Like
- 5 full-length adaptive tests
- Excellent course and supplementary materials
- Feedback on five score areas rather than just two
What We Don’t Like
- A little expensive
- Not suitable if you’re not looking for a comprehensive GMAT course
Pricing
- 2 months’ access: $199
- 4 months’ access: $299
- 6 months’ access: $399
Conclusion
Whether you’re looking for a practice test bundled with great supplementary materials or you simply want as many realistic GMAT simulations as possible before the big day, the options outlined on this list will not leave you wanting. Just remember to get in as much practice as you can before test day, and you’ll soon be heading out of that test room confident that you aced the GMAT!