GMAT Course Best Promo Code 2024 & Verified Reviews!
EMPOWERgmat is a subscription-based Test Preparation service for the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), created by GMAT experts Rich Cohen and Max Peterson. The service trains clients in easy-to-use tactics to answer GMAT Test questions in the most efficient ways possible, without restricting clients to a set period of study time. The EMPOWERgmat program helps clients to succeed by offering a competitively priced monthly subscription plan that may be cancelled with one click.
Purchased Course: Aug 27, 2020
Major: Logistics & Supply Chain Management
Country: Hong Kong
590 -> 710, thanks to EMPOWERgmat
- Teacher:
- Recommended for —Verbal: Yes Math: Yes
- GMAT Scores —Before: 590 After: 710
Hi all. I finished my second attempt of GMAT a few days ago and want to share my experiences. Hope it will be valuable to someone, as it was for me when I was preparing. Just a little background about myself: bachelors in Management, not a very strong quant background, English is my second language. Working full time. Since I did not have much time to study on my own, I decided to follow a structured plan to take exam 3-4 months later. I have found out about EmpowerGMAT through my friend (scored 680 with only 1 month, 2 of which she had to work full time). I have taken trial versions of different prep companies before finally deciding on one. Two things that I really liked about Empower when choosing prep company: 1. GMAT is also a mental exam, and they prepare you for that as well. 2. They do not spend crazy amount of time to teach you questions that might not even appear/appear only once/do not matter to your score. EmpowerGMAT is a very efficient way to study. So my journey took around 4 months. I have taken 3 months study plan of EmpowerGMAT and followed it. My first attempt was not good - 590, V27. None of my practises so bad. So I knew I can score much higher. The reason for that is I got too tired on a test day... I did too much study the week before. You should only do some light preparation. and thanks to advices of EmpowerGMAT I have regifted for my second attempt on 8 Feb and scored 710 (Q48,V38). I could not believe my score as no one of CATs was higher than 680. What helped me? I think a bit of luck for sure, AND EMPOWERgmat tactics. Why EMPOWERgmat is amazing: 1. Structured plans to follow. 2. Access to Official CATs. 3. AMAZING QUANT tactics. This is where I have to explain a little more. Their approach to quant problems is unique. I do not have a strong quant background, and they will teach you how to attack questions that matter. I have triaged 2 questions with CRAZY set ups and that helped me to spend time on questions that will actually boost my score. If EmpowerGMAT tells you the question does not matter - it really does not. 4. RC and CR tactics are great. They really improve your comprehension. There are many answers that make sense, but you have to answer the correct question and EMPOWERgmat tactics teaches you that. for RC, try to also read more from other sources following the advice from EMPOWERgmat. 5. The other advices they give you really work (posture, study time, general tactics). GMAT is also a mental exam. Preparing for it is not easy and they understand that. They give you advices for mental preparation and how to behave on a test day so that you can have a great score. 6. Amazing customer support on emails. They will reply within a day with any question you may have. Their approach is truly customised. 7. Their time management is great. For my first attempt I did not follow their tips (my bad....) Some questions will take less than 1 minutes. Some questions that you have to get - takes 2-3 minutes. Some additional tips: 1. Practise, practise, practise. I have done OG 2-3 times. Redoing the questions is important and that is what EMPOWERgmat teaches you as well. Quantity of the questions does not matter as much as quality of your study and review process. 2. GMATclub forum is amazing. For my second attempt I wanted to know more Number properties and that is where I learned them. I have done 20-30 questions for each topic for PS and DS. Bunuel posts are great also. 3. Use mistakes tracker. EmpowerGMAT's one is really good. Come back to those questions you failed (from CAT's or Official guide). 4. Use ear plugs on a test day. It really helped me to focus. Practise it when studying and doing CATs. They will give you ear plugs there. 5. Do the CATs in the simulated time and space. Also wear your face mask if it is required by your test center.
EmpowerGMAT is the course to take if you want to beat the GMAT
- Teacher: Rich
- Recommended for —Verbal: Yes Math: Yes
- GMAT Scores —Before: N/A After: N/A
When I first began studying for the GMAT, I spent months studying with another prep course, focused on teaching you every single concept of Quant and Verbal. But then, as my exam date was approaching, I got in total panic as my score was still 580, and I wasn't getting able to improve my timing. I went to the Internet and found EMPOWERgmat! I immediately chatted with Lyndsay that was very responsive and answered all my queries about the prep course. It didn't take me long to realize how absolutely incredible this course is. It's easy to keep going and is mainly focused on what matters on the GMAT: strategy and consistency. More than knowing every detail of every content of the quant or verbal section, one must understand the reasoning behind GMAT and the strategies to beat it in terms of time management. That, for me, was a game-changer. When I saw my score improving every mock test, I knew I was on the right path. When I saw my 690, I couldn't believe it. My goal was never to achieve a 700+ score since I was running short on time (only 2 months of prep), but I'm sure that everyone can get there with the right amount of time and EMPOWERgmat guidance. Whenever I reached out to Rich and the EMPOWERteam throughout the course, they always responded within hours. They went above and beyond with the utmost personal attention that any student could ask for. I would recommend this course to anyone trying to beat the GMAT and get that +700 score.
Major: Law and Social Sciences
Country: Israel
Best GMAT prep course out there if you're looking for that 700+!
- Teacher: Rich & Max
- Recommended for —Verbal: Yes Math: Yes
- GMAT Scores —Before: 580 After: 700
When I first began my GMAT journey I had taken a frontal and extremely expensive GMAT prep course, that had turned out to be a complete and utter waste of time and money after I scored a 580 on my first attempt. After scouring for prep materials that would hopefully better serve my purpose and goal, I'd stumbled upon stellar reviews of the EMPOWERgmat course, and after checking out the course and seeing that it only costs $99/month, I decided to give it a shot. It didn't take me long to realize how absolutely incredible this course is. From the comprehensive but short videos, that allowed me to fit everything into my schedule as a full time working lawyer, at my own time and pace, and that made me feel as if I had my own private tutor sitting next to me the entire time, to the entire course relying completely and solely on the GMAT Official Guide (tailored and updated accordingly to each edition released!), to the strategies that Rich and Max drilled into my head, that made me actually understand how this test works and what I needed to do to score that 700+ on test day. Whenever I reached out to Rich and the EMPOWERteam throughout the course, they always responded within hours, and went above and beyond with the utmost personal attention that any student could ask for. I had taken this test a number of times, but ever since I discovered EMPOWERgmat, I constantly and consistently improved, and when I saw that 700 pop on my screen, I knew that it had nothing to do with luck, just as Rich says, and everything to do with the training and hard work that I had put in with Rich, Max, and EMPOWERgmat. If I had to sum up the course experience in one sentence, I'd simply say that Rich and Max are absolute geniuses, and that EMPOWERgmat is nothing short of revolutionary.
Purchased Course: May 21, 2020
Major: Economics
Country: United States
700 Score with EMPOWER gmat Tactics
- Teacher: Online
- Recommended for —Verbal: Yes Math: Yes
- GMAT Scores —Before: 650 After: 700
I had used a different GMAT online course that helped me with an overview of the content, but it didn't help much with strategy on test day. EMPOWERgmat helped me SO much with my approach to questions and with pacing. It was all thanks to the tactics they teach you to set up your notes, read questions at the right pace, etc. The biggest difference I saw between EMPOWERgmat and the other course was the acknowledgement that some questions might not be worth your time depending on what your goal is score-wise. Having that knowledge unlocked so much time for me to improve my quant score by 11 points.
Purchased Course: Mar 5, 2020
Country: India
An ideal self paced course - major winner for Verbal
- Teacher: Empower GMAT
- Recommended for —Verbal: Yes Math: Yes
- GMAT Scores —Before: N/A After: 700
EmpowerGMAT is ideal for students looking for a flexible self paced course with a focus on verbal. My verbal score was extremely inconsistent and I had only a month to prepare. I focused on the verbal section more completing each activity and the OG guided practice. Each section contains the basic theory, the method and a practice set with video explanations followed by a quiz which is useful in identifying the core skill needed in handling each question. Especially useful was the triaging techniques which help you in a high stress environment like GMAT test center. FOllowing the curriculum I was able to build the confidence and train myself to handle each type of questions especially in CR and RC where I struggled earlier. The quant section has some invaluable methods too and the delivery was easy to follow with an aim to build confidence especially for DS sections. The other big highlight is their competitive pricing and their flexible monthly plans. I would recommend EmpowerGMAT to students who are looking for an improvement in their verbal.
Purchased Course: Dec 8, 2019
Major: Public Administration
Country: United States
Empower GMAT gave me the Boost I needed!
- Teacher: Max and Rich
- Recommended for —Verbal: Yes Math: Yes
- GMAT Scores —Before: 600 After: 680
When I started my GMAT journey, I completed an initial diagnostic exam and scored 480. With plans to attend a top 25 school, I knew I would have to score at least 680 to be competitive. After studying for 6 months using the Economist GMAT Tutor, I scored a 600 on my first official GMAT. In search of a miracle pill, I subscribed to Empower GMAT and after 12 weeks of additional practice, I scored 680 on my second GMAT, the "Online GMAT" in April. Why Empower GMAT? Strategy Focused: Max and rich alert you to the questions you should be skipping, the tactics to employ when you need to guess (triage), and Verbal / Quant shortcuts to deploy when you're running close on time. After my Economist GMAT course, I felt that I had a solid understanding of the material, but I was not maximizing my time efficiently. Max and Rich focus a lot of their lessons on test-taking STRATEGY to ensure you're not wasting time, a huge bonus for people like me who experience pacing issues. Official GMAT Guide: Max and Rich ONLY present you with official guide questions. I cannot stress how important this is. I've completed practice problems from around the internet, but the official guide questions are closest to the actual test-day experience. Because of my daily practice with official guide questions, I felt more confident and better prepared on test day. Video Explanations: After each timed-quiz and throughout each lesson, Max and Rich provide detailed explanations for each practice question. They tell you which tactics are most efficient, what to include on your notepad, and whether the question is even worth your time. This last fact helped me identify which questions on the actual GMAT I could "dump" without major penalty, a huge bonus that only Max and Rich provided. Stellar Verbal Tactics: After using Empower GMAT, my verbal score improved from 30 to 38, a fairly huge jump in only 12 weeks. I found the Empower tactics for verbal far superior that what I received from the Economist GMAT. What can be improved? Review of Basic Math / Grammar Concepts: Max and Rich provide a review of all the math and grammar concepts you need to know to be proficient at GMAT, but it's strictly a review. For me, it was just what I was looking for, because I already felt comfortable with content. But users that feel they need additional practice on their mathematics or grammar foundation may be disappointed. Final Thoughts -- I started my GMAT journey 10 months and 200 points ago. I am truly grateful for all the tactics that Max and Rich provided to help me reach my GMAT goals. It's an excellent course if you're looking for that strategic edge to push your score just a little further, but if you're expecting a refresher course on foundational math or grammar concepts, you should consider alternatives.
Purchased Course: Mar 17, 2020
Great course, great value - gets you that 700+ with maximum efficiency
- Teacher: Max/Rich
- Recommended for —Verbal: Yes Math: Yes
- GMAT Scores —Before: 600 After: 730
Well, not usually the kind to do reviews, but this time round I felt it important to give the EMPOWERgmat team their due credit. To be honest, I initially chose EMPOWERgmat due to their competitive price, saw other more 'established' courses that cost a good few hundred bucks or even >$1k. And for me, the course has been nothing but great, with their very competitive pricing making it even more valuable. I had all of what, ~7 weeks to prepare; and in this period thanks to covid-19 I was stuck at home having to juggle working in the busiest period my company has ever been, taking care of my newborn, and study. My first official Mock score was 600, and looking back the odds really did seem stacked against me. I absolutely needed a course that helped me gain the points with maximum efficiency. And that's exactly what EMPOWERgmat provided. No long-winded focus on complicated formulas or math solutions, no dilly-dallying on crazy grammar rules, but just clear, simple, effective methods to get those points. And I believe that is what most candidates want. The nuggets of tips that they drop throughout were also extremely useful - not gonna divulge anything here but they helped me approach the exam with a different mindset that made the task feel much easier and manageable. Couldn't have managed this without EMPOWERgmat, and i'm grateful I enrolled here. if you have any doubts, they have a 1 month 'trial' which won't set you back much, i tried, and didn't look back. I'm not sure if this course will 'guarantee' you getting >750, but I wasn't targeting that, i wanted a ~730 score which is already the avg score of the top US MBAs and this course certainly helped me a great extent to achieving that. Kudos to the Max, Rich and the team!
Purchased Course: Dec 26, 2019
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Country: United States
Huge (efficient) Verbal Boost
- Teacher: Stacy and Rich - Online Software
- Recommended for —Verbal: Yes Math: Yes
- GMAT Scores —Before: 720 After: 760
I used the Manhattan Prep books before my first two GMAT attempts (720 then 710). Those books were great but I was all over the place in verbal and wanted to take one more shot at the test. I needed to slightly improve Quant and get much more consistent on Verbal. I was hoping for a verbal 44. I started Empower at the urging of a friend. Empower was incredible. I was trying to be efficient and I was able to pick and choose the modules I reviewed and the documents I added into my study routine. Stacy and Rich both reached out and gave me tailored advice on where they would focus. My time in the sentence correction modules reaped incredible rewards! I became ridiculously consistent and was able to get a V47 (only 2 verbal problems wrong). I got the 760 and called it a day. I highly recommend Empower for all of their resources but particularly found it to shine for Verbal and Quant tactics. A lot of time saving strategies in their curriculum!
Purchased Course: Nov 25, 2019
EmpowerGMAT: +60 Points: 660 To 720 (Q47, V41)
- Teacher: Rich & Max
- Recommended for —Verbal: Yes Math: Yes
- GMAT Scores —Before: 660 After: 720
+60 Points: 660 To 720 (Q46, V41) I Signed Up To Empower GMAT After My 1st Trial Of Taking The GMAT And Scoring 660 (Q40, V40). My Aim Was To Get Above 700 Points As This Would Unlock The Entry Into The University Of My Dreams, As Well As The Needed Funding! Here Are The Three Top Reasons Why Empower GMAT Helped Me: 1) Avoids Boredom: This Sounds Super Trivial, But After Having Studied For 4 Months In A Row And Then Not Getting The Score I Wanted, I Felt Demotivated And Frankly A Little Fed Up With Reading About The Latest Innovation In Protein Synthesis (Bless All Biologists Who Read This). Through Its Mix Of Podcasts, Videos And Exercises The Course Uniquely Achieves To Keep You Motivated. As The GMAT Is A Marathon, This Was Key! 2) Provides GMAT Hacks: Empower GMAT Has So Many Proprietary Tips And Tricks That Other Courses Like Magoosh Or More Official Sources Like The Manhattan Guides Or The Official Guide Just Do Not Have. Something Like Triaging (I.E. Educated Guesses), RC Tables Or In-Depth Explanations Of Why Hard Questions Just Do Not Matter, Helped Me Tremendously During Test Day. 3) Quality Explanations: What I Loved About The Course Is That Each Problem You Tackle Is Supplemented By A 3-5min Video That Gives A Step-By-Step Explanation Of How To Solve The Problem. Now… You Might Not Need To Watch All Of Them, But They Are There In Case You Want To Have A More Detailed Explanation, Which Is Oftentimes Very Useful And Definitely So Much More Engaging Than Reading An Explanation In The Back Of Your Official Guide. THANK YOU RICH AND MAX!
This program works!!
- Teacher: EmpowerGMAT
- Recommended for —Verbal: Yes Math: Yes
- GMAT Scores —Before: 650 After: 710
This program works! I first took the GMAT a few months ago after using the Manhattan GMAT test prep app. I seemed to be scoring well on the practice questions, so I thought the test would be a breeze. I was wrong! I quickly found I had a pacing problem. Additionally, I had not learned the tips and tricks to triage questions. As an engineer, I wanted to solve every quant problem. This (as many of you probably know) is definitely not the smartest strategy when taking the test. I scored a 650 on my first attempt and felt I could do much better with a focused study plan. After shopping around for some test prep services, I was shocked to see how much money some other companies wanted for a study plan. Truth be told, I settled on Empower mainly because I found it to be the most fairly priced test prep course available. Additionally, they offer a score boost guarantee, so there was no risk in giving it a try. I very quickly realized that the Empower study program was far superior to what I experienced with Manhattan. There are multiple study plans available depending on your goals. The material actually breaks down the strategies required to beat the test. They show you how to answer questions in the most efficient way possible, which really helped fix my pacing problem. They incorporate Official Guide questions into the study plan and show you how to solve them. Empower also introduces multiple triage tactics and explain why it’s okay to “dump” the really tough questions on the test (and still get a high score). By the time I took the GMAT again, I felt incredibly prepared. I ended up boosting my score by 60 points over the course of about 6 weeks of studying. In my opinion, there is no better value than Empower’s course. If you follow the plan and heed their advice on test taking strategies, you WILL do well on the GMAT!.
Purchased Course: Nov 22, 2019
Major: Economics
Country: United States
Improved score greatly
- Teacher:
- Recommended for —Verbal: Yes Math: Yes
- GMAT Scores —Before: 650 After: 720
Purchased Course: Oct 31, 2019
Major: Culinary Sciences
Country: Austria
580 to 690 in 3 WEEKS - Q36 to Q48 - Hated Math, Love it Now!!
- Teacher: Rich
- Recommended for —Verbal: Yes Math: Yes
- GMAT Scores —Before: 580 After: 690
October came around and the date of my GMATapproached rapidly. I might have been over-confident, going into my first GMAT. During my mock exams, which I kept as close to reality as possible (no breaks, distraction or other) I scored in the high 600 and even hit a 700 once. I was aiming for mid 600.
That being said, when I sat my first GMAT, I thought this was the easiest the test had ever been. The whole time I was telling myself "oh wow, how come the exam is this easy this time?" BIG MISTAKE. Instead of concentrating on what was in front of me and pushed by my big ego, I thought I was doing great and shining until I clicked "send essay" and stared at the 580 in front of me. I sat there and stared at my screen until the test instructor came around and asked me to leave the chair if I am done with my exam. I went outside and still couldn't believe that after investing MY ENTIRE LIFE to the GMAT for three months, studying 7h per day and pushing aside other hobbies, meetings etc. I was only able to score 580. To me, it wasn't representative of the amount of work I put into this prep.
Other than that, it wasn't even close to the minimum I needed to apply to my Master's.
After spending two days being semi-depressed and debating of just letting it go and accepting a 580, I started reading on different forums, specifically looking for people who had managed to see a jump in their score in a short amount of time.
I had three weeks until the last possible GMAT date.
I contacted my former study platform and looked for advice to understand if I would be even capable of seeing an increase in as little as three weeks. Rich answered to one of my posts and I decided to try out EmpowerGMATs free trial.
The thing that hooked me immediately, was their approach. Now, I do not have a math background. In fact, I studied culinary arts and restaurant management - yes, management, so there was a bit of biz in there, but needless to say, I wasn't forced to calculate around with integers, radicals or work problems for a good 5 years. And if, then surely not on paper but with a calculator.
I used Empower's score booster, their shortened program which immediately caught my eye as it is advertised as directed towards people who wrote the GMAT once already. It is all laid out clearly, with a step-by-step guide to follow so it leaves no room for guesswork. The whole course is structured in mini-videos and in-between exercises BUT THE BEST PART is that Empower, and Empower only makes use of the OG guides. I purchased them back in June, before even knowing which online study platform to use because I thought that I would surely need those books. During my three months with examPAL I didn't touch the books at all, but in Empower's structure, you have built-in Quizzes of different difficulties for which you always use the OG guides. It means you're practising with the real deal only.
I studied hard, and I mean HARD, for the following three weeks, focusing mainly on math, and diligently went through all of the prep material.
Now, one important thing though: When I asked for advice in forums if an increase in three weeks would be possible, everybody said no. I was nearly discouraged. The mere reason why I managed to bump my quant from 36 to 48 was because of Rich's way of teaching math. What I loved is that he cuts back on unnecessary stuff, teaches you the vital things only, AND MOST OF ALL he teaches you how to be thorough. I no longer guessed around in DS or answered based on what I thought was true based on some notes and calculations, but started following a strict way of figuring out what is right and wrong in DS and HAVING PROOF FOR IT written on my paper, so whenever I clicked on an answer I was dead-sure it was the right one.
I cannot thank the Empower team enough. Lyndsay was always quick to help and their platform is well built, self-explanatory and full of little surprise bits like motivational podcasts and extra study material as well as built-in reviews and Quizzes to strengthen all you've learnt so far.
CANNOT RECOMMEND ENOUGH GUYS!!
Purchased Course: Aug 1, 2019
Major: Business
Country: United States
EMPOWERgmat is amazing!
- Teacher: Stacy, Rich
- Recommended for —Verbal: Yes Math: Yes
- GMAT Scores —Before: N/A After: 680
The coursework and program layout is awesome. It is very flexible and you can get studying in wherever you have the time. I opted to study for a couple of hours early in the morning and then another couple of hours in the evening before bed. The videos (practice problems, mini clinics, etc.) are all thorough but concise. No fluff at all. They teach you exactly what you need to know for the exam, for both verbal and quant. I spent more of my time working on quant material, as my verbal scores were consistently better than quant. Not only does the course teach you the material you need to know, but also specific tactics to answer the questions accurately and efficiently. Pacing is a huge part of the GMAT, and Rich especially helps with pacing for the quant section.
Throughout the course, you take all 6 practice CATs and review them in depth to see where you are progressing and where you need to improve. My second CAT (the first CAT after starting the course) went up to 600, and every score after ranged from 600-690. I had a hard time committing to some of the test strategies Rich outlines and I am confident that is why my scores didn't break 700. Towards the end of the course (3 months) I got more comfortable with the strategies and decided to commit to them on Test Day. When I finished my exam and saw 680 appear on the screen, I was beyond thrilled! That was exactly the score I wanted to get, and I have no doubt the credit goes to EMPOWERgmat. The course makes sense, is well-organized, and is flexible for any schedule. I cannot recommend them enough. The price is right and they know what they are talking about. If they didn't, my score would have been much lower than 680 for sure.
Study with EMPOWERgmat with confidence, they are the real deal!
From 560 to 690 with EMPOWERgmat
- Teacher:
- Recommended for —Verbal: Yes Math: Yes
- GMAT Scores —Before: N/A After: 690
After 6 months of following this self-study approach, I realized that it wasn't really working for me - I was spending too much time and energy on raw math, memorizing formulas and trying to understand the OG's super mathy explanations but I didn't see much improvement in my performance, consistently scoring between 560 and 590 in every practice test I took.
That's when I decided to go for an online prep course and found EMPOWERgmat in one of the forums.
After completing the 3-day trial period, I ended up choosing this plan for several reasons:
1) I really enjoyed the instruction style - more than simply focusing on the questions, EMPOWERgmat gets you to use the most effective approach to get the right answers in the shortest amount of time
2) They use official problems but teach you how to solve them using EMPOWER tactics, which I found a lot more useful than the explanations on the OG
3) It is one of the most affordable programs out there but you can still customise it to your needs by choosing from one of the several study-plans available
I completed their 2-month study plan and finally took the GMAT on July 2019, scoring 690 (Q41 V42). I credit it all to EMPOWERgmat!
Their syllabus is based on a tactical approach and Rich and Max do a great job at preparing your for what GMAT really is - a critical reasoning test. Their videos are easy to follow and show you how to effectivelly solve both Quant and Verbal problems from all difficulty levels. Also, the course teaches you a valuable skill - how to triage the questions that are too hard to too weird and that would make you waste precious time and ultematelly hurt your score. Finally, the syllabus also includes a few podcasts that cover the physical and psychological tactics needed to become a true "GMAT assassin". I have always struggled with test day anxiety but after following their advice I arrived at the test center feeling calm and confident - I think that is crucial if you are looking for a high score.
Overall, I highly reccomend EMPOWERgmat to everyone who is looking for a strong and proven strategy to beat the GMAT. Studying for the GMAT is not easy, but if you take everything Rich and Max teach you to heart I promise the hard work will pay off!
Purchased Course: Jul 19, 2019
Major: Finance
Country: United Kingdom
Really good, would recommend
- Teacher:
- Recommended for —Verbal: Yes Math: Yes
- GMAT Scores —Before: 710 After: 750
I would highly recommend EMPOWERGMAT to anyone looking to take the GMAT or, in particular, re-take the GMAT.
Lucas
Purchased Course: Mar 2, 2019
Major: Finance
My experience with EMPOWERgmat
- Teacher: Rich and Max
- Recommended for —Verbal: Yes Math: Yes
- GMAT Scores —Before: 590 After: 690
At that point, I kept solving problems from the official guide and also supplemented my studies with some YouTube videos and other online content. I took a 3rd practice test and got a 580, which was a little discouraging. Long story short, I kept studying with the OG and with some free online material for 3 months and took 3 practice tests during that time. While I felt that I had learned a lot, that knowledge wasn't translating into a higher score: I was stuck at 590-610.
One day I decided to look into GMAT prep courses and read reviews on the different forums. Most of the courses I was seeing were very expensive and I knew I just couldn?t afford to spend several thousand dollars on my prep at the moment. I stumbled upon EMPOWERgmat and was impressed with what I read about it. I used the 1-hour trial and emailed Rich, asking for advice on which plan was the most appropriate for me.
I bought the course and went through it in about 3 months. I took my first official GMAT and got a 670. I studied for an extra month and retook the test, getting a 690 (Q46 V38). Even though that score was a little under the 700 mark, I decided to keep it.
What makes this course great? Its practical approach. Instead of focusing on hard-to-explain, complicated ideas and methods, this course focuses on teaching you the easiest and most efficient way to get questions right. On the quantitative side, Rich shows you how to approach and solve problems in practical ways that keep the math simple, maximize your time, and limit your room for error. On the verbal side, Max shows you how to tackle the 3 type of verbal questions in the easiest way possible, again, without having to memorize any complex grammar rules or ideas. Also, you can always contact Rich for advice and trust that he will reply the same day with personalized insights. Overall, this course will teach you everything you need to crush the GMAT.
Once you buy the course, take what Rich and Max teach you to heart. Look to apply all the tactics and strategies, especially Triaging. Some of these ideas you will learn might seem weird and you will be tempted to avoid them. However, you should make it a point to use them every time an opportunity arises. In the end, you will see great results.
Purchased Course: Apr 28, 2019
Country: India
660 to 710. Thanks to EmpowerGMAT
- Teacher: Rich Cohen
- Recommended for —Verbal: Yes Math: Yes
- GMAT Scores —Before: 660 After: 710
While most of the courses offered concept based knowledge which I wasn't looking for at that point, I came across EmpowerGMAT on one of the GMAT forums. As one of its posts said, the course syllabus was based on GMAT strategies and it offered one day trial. I immediately signed in to check it out. As I went through the syllabus I realized that this course offered exactly what I was looking for: strategy based approach to "Assassin the GMAT". Took the one month course and rescheduled my second GMAT for a week after the end of the course. The best part about EmpowerGMAT was that it not only helped me understand easy and effective ways to tackle three different types of questions, but also gave me the confidence to Triage the type of questions that when solved, would harm my timing on the real test, but when skipped, would not hurt my score.
And then came the D-day. Rich's podcasts helped me deal well with the test anxiety and I reached the test center on time. Without any delay I finished all the formalities and sat for the retake with a better focus and higher confidence. And then those 3 and a half stressful hours ended with a 710(Q45,V41) on the screen. Thanks to EmpowerGMAT.
I would recommend this course to any test taker who has basic understanding of the concepts and is looking for some strong strategies to deal with the GMAT. Plus they always have these amazing offers, which make them value for money. EmpowerGMAT does what it claims.
Purchased Course: Mar 21, 2019
Major: Business
Country: United States
Highly recommend Empower
- Teacher:
- Recommended for —Verbal: Yes Math: Yes
- GMAT Scores —Before: N/A After: 710
Stuck at 650 practice for 6 months. 700 (Q41 V44) on test day.
- Teacher: Rich & Stacy
- Recommended for —Verbal: Yes Math: Yes
- GMAT Scores —Before: N/A After: 700
In regard to quant studies, like many people I was always good at math but not necessarily the logic behind the math. I could solve a problem but didn't always know why I could solve a problem. Other resources I used spent a great deal of time on the raw math, memorizing formulas, preparing for every scenario, and it just wasn't working for me. EMPOWER on the other hand teaches the distinction that the GMAT isn't about raw math, but rather the logic behind the math ie critical thinking. The videos Rich provided, especially those walking through OG practice questions were invaluable. Also, the strategies involved in the EMPOWER method are not necessarily unique to the course, but, from my experience, the clarity with which they are discussed and the breadth of problems they are useful for was far greater than other resources.
Verbal was a strong point of mine before EMPOWER, but I still had fine tuning to do. Once again, EMPOWER succeeded in teaching how to approach the test tactically and logically rather than just with memorization or brute force. The strategies applied to the verbal portion were superior to other resources I used and, although there isn't one thing that specifically sticks out, the verbal teaching as a whole was incredibly useful in making that leap necessary to reach 700.
Altogether, EMPOWERGmat suited my way of thinking and taught me how to approach the GMAT not as just a list of formulas, grammar rules, etc, but rather as exactly what it is, a critical thinking test. My final practice test was a 740 and although I didn't reach that level on test day (influenza A will do that to you) my 700 score more than fulfills the score needed for my online MBA.
Thanks to the entire EMPOWERGmat team, and thank you to Rich and Max specifically!
My journey from 640 to 720
- Teacher: Rich
- Recommended for —Verbal: Yes Math: Yes
- GMAT Scores —Before: 640 After: 720
My journey with the GMAT began around May 2018 when I took the decision of pursuing an MBA a bit more serious, so I bought in the Facebook marketplace a second hand collection of the Manhattan preparation guide + GMAT 2016 Guide. A few weeks afterwards I purchased the OG 2019 as well.
I took the first test and I scored around the 550?s. I began to work with the guide, self-preparing myself, and went through some of the exercises of the OG. I quickly realized that the task was not as easy as I thought so again decided to go for the Veritas prep course. This course took place during the weekends (3-4 hours Saturday & another 3-4 hours Sunday). One month after the course I was scoring in the 650?s-670?s reaching a max of 690 in one of the GMAT CAT. I decided to book the exam for October (gave myself 2 months after the course to practice). The exam went completely wrong, I was not prepared to handle such a monster and got stuck in several question. I guessed the last 7 questions in Q and probably the last 5 in V. The result was a 640 q45. I am a very stubborn person so I decided to retake it one month after (with no change in the study plan) since I believed that as one of the top engineers on his graduation, the results, especially in Q, didn?t reflect the really. Should not be a surprise if I tell you that I got a 640 again in this try.
By this time I was very disappointed and thought that the GMAT was not for me. I went through a process of reflection and the conclusion was that I was not understanding the exam and my method of study and the methods I was taught were not working for me. That?s when, through a friend that is preparing the GMAT as well, I found out about EMPOWERGMAT. The price was much lower than what I had paid before (from 4 figures to 90 per month wtf), they had a so-called BOOST program that roughly lasts a month, a guarantee of 70 points if you are at or above 640 and the flexibility of learning whenever you want since the classes are already recorded and are uploaded to a platform. I had a 50% offer and the 640+70 (710) + the 1 month Boost fitted my plans so went for it. What I discovered changed my perception of the exam, made really visible to me the mistakes I had been doing and really made me see the GMAT from another view. I don?t want to make it very long but the key points for me were:
- Flexibility on taking the classes: I took the classes after work, with them didn?t have to stress of whether I had to be in time for the class to begin. I just had to turn on the computer and select the next class
- I was afraid that the videos would be very generic and that the content would not be a quality one. NO. Explanations were EXTREMELY clear (I am a nonnative English speaker as you could have probably notice from my grammar). I would divide the content in two parts
o Basic knowledge: Basic math/Verbal/Thinks you need in order to do the exam. Having this you may go up to a 670 but it?s very difficult to cross that line.
o Strategy: EmpowerGMAT strategies for the test, identify complex question, how to guess, how to save time, how to face the exam. If you are looking for a +700 you need to EXCEL this section. Its simple, you may think in some cases that it?s crazy (why would you skip a question????) but if you follow their advice 100% you will get the +700. This strategies help you save time (using the answers in your advantage for example) or be 100% sure of your answer in DS questions.
- Lot of exercises & examples. From basic to advance. Not only focusing in the super complicate 3 shape geometry question. Let?s begin with the basics and build from there.
- Personal advice: How should you face the day of the exam, what you need to have with you, things that will make you live easier.
After 1 month of study I began to score in the official test around 710 (760 the second time I took them) and around 670 the Manhattan one (I found the Q part of this one?s very challenging in terms of time).
I followed all the EmpowerGMAT advice the day before and the day of the exam and for the first time I went to the Pearson Center confident that I could beat the GMAT. I began with the Q section this time and?.got stuck in the first question. It was extremely simple, so simple that I doubted myself. I spent there 3-4 minutes instead of skipping it and I paid for this in the rest of the Q section. There was also another breaking point when I got a very simple question (around the 20-21 question) that I could not understand. I knew that one cost me a lot of points. The verbal section when alright, I followed all the strategies I was taught, focused on ready, used the 5 second preview in SC & identified the conclusion & missing information of each CR question. When I got press the submit button in the AWA (I hate that the scores are shown right afterwards and no intermediate screen btw) I though my score would be between 680 and 700. And it was! In only one month of study I went from 640 to 690 q47. My scored had improved three points. I had mixed feelings by this time, on one side I really began to enjoy the exam (it was more like a game by this moment) and on the other I didn?t break the 700 barrier. I know that having a 7 in the first digit of the GMAT is very important both to apply for M7 but also to apply certain job positions afterwards. I had to break that barrier and for the first time I felt like I could do it.
I was contacted the day after the exam by EmpowerGMAT to understand how I performed. I explained my situation and they offered a free one month extension of the program, they
also gave me some tips that were crucial based on my ESR and the feedback I gave to them. I want to highlight that the feedback was given by Rich, CEO of the company and the person you hear teaching the videos. I studied for 1.5 month more, take 3 more cats scoring in all three 710 (Kaplan) and went to the exam.
The night before I visualized myself getting the score I wanted. I had studied for more than 6 month and in 24 hours I was going to receive the score I was expecting. I had become an assassin for the GMAT, this was no longer an exam, and it was a fight. A fight in which my opponent would try to trick me in every question and would try to block me from achieving my objective. Luckily I was up for the challenge, I let me tell you something I was really enjoying it.
I went to the exam with my peanut butter and jelly sandwich and the woman from reception (after so many times) already recognized me. I winked and she and I told her that luckily today was the last time she would see me. Got assigned locker number 10, a sign of how much I was going to excel this day. When I sat on my computer I faced my opponent, I was very excited about this final battle. I went quickly through the screens and began the exam. I got a difficult first question in Q, I stared at it, 3 equations, 3 variables. Difficult to solve. I identified the pattern in 10 seconds, took another 10 seconds to solve it. In 45 seconds I got the first tricky question solved. The GMAT would have got to step up his game if it thought I was going to trap me this time. I followed all EMPOWERGMAT advice this time. I got some crazy difficult questions this time but I skipped them I also got again a question I knew was going to mean a lot of point. This time I used EmpowerGMAT techniques in DS and I was 100% of my answer. I finished the section with 30 seconds left in the clock. I thought that either I had done pretty well or I bombed the Q section. The verbal section went very well, this time I was much more structure and the first 3 quarters went very good. Unfortunately by the end of the third I got a very difficult text, to be fair, I got a bit stuck but manager to get over it. I had to solve the last 10 question in an average of 1 minute. I thought I got a bold question by the end of the exam so I thought I was not doing so badly. After the break did the IR & Awa and was again ready to press the final button before getting the score. I look at the computer and knew this would be the first time I was going to enter that room. I enjoyed the trip but it was time to close a chapter. I closed my eyes and clicked on the button. 720 Q50 V38. I made it.