Best Test Center/Course (Kaplan, Princeton etc.) for Simulating Test Conditions

[DanS]

Hi, I'd like to take a course with one of the company's that offers computer tests that mimic the actual test conditions that ETS uses (computer program) for the New GRE. I'm good at learning the concepts on my own - what's important to me is the quality of test simulation these companies offer. If anyone reading this has any experience/feedback on this, I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks,

Dan

[CloakandSwagger]

I took the Kaplan course back in April for the "Old" GRE and I thought the amount of online material they had was superb. The practice tests they had, 6 total with a hyperlink to the 2 Powerprep tests, were pretty accurate representations of the real test, IMO. I scored 50 points higher on the actual GRE in the Quantitative section and about the same for the Verbal. Again, the this was for the "Old" GRE. Sorry I couldn't help you out with the "New" GRE. Good luck!

[Guimauvaise]

I'd ask friends and colleagues before you sign up for a class at a center. After all, it's quite expensive, especially if you want to enroll in an actual test-prep course rather than use the service's online resources alone.

I worked for Kaplan as an ACT tutor a couple years ago. From my experience, the service is overpriced, though CloakandSwagger is right to say that the service offers a lot of resources. Price aside, errors sometimes appear in the book (usually in the form of wrong answers), and at times it is not easy to identify those errors. Honestly, you'd probably get just as far on your own with Kaplan's prep book as you would in a class. I don't know that it's my place to say why (as I'm also not sure if this would be a breach of contract or something, even though I haven't worked for them in two years), but I make that suggestion based on what I know about the instructor's version of the prep book.

Bottom line: ask for other opinions on test prep services, and consider saving money by studying on your own with a book published by the services.