GMAT Course FAQs
If you are already a Kaplan student, or if you are thinking of enrolling on a course, please see the list of Frequently Asked Questions about our courses below.
If you cannot find the answer to your question, please Contact Us .
ENROLLING ON A GMAT COURSE
GMAT COURSE MATERIALS AND RESOURCES
GMAT CLASSROOM COURSE SCHEDULES
GMAT LIVE ONLINE COURSES
GMAT PRIVATE TUTORING
BEFORE YOUR GMAT COURSE
AFTER YOUR GMAT COURSE
THE OFFICIAL TEST DAY EXPERIENCE
KAPLAN'S HIGHER SCORE GUARANTEE
GMAT COURSE TEACHERS
Frequently Asked Questions about Kaplan's GMAT Courses
ENROLLING ON A GMAT COURSE
Yes of course. You can enroll for our any of our courses and services online 24 hours a day. We use RBS WorldPay for secure online transactions and you will receive instant confirmation by email. Click here to enroll now.
Yes absolutely. You can enroll over the phone or by coming in to the center if you are in London. Our team of student advisors are available to help you 7 days a week: 10am-10pm Monday-Thursday, and 10am-6pm Friday-Sunday.
To enroll over the phone or simply to find out more, call +44 (0)20 7930 3130.
To visit us, click here for a map. Our address is 3-5 Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 0HA. The nearest Tube station is Leicester Square (100 metres).
This is possible but please note that our GMAT classes tend to fill up in advance and we can only guarantee a space to students who have paid in full. To confirm your place in any course, you should book and pay in advance.
Yes. If your employer is willing to pay for your course or tutoring, then we can invoice them for the fees. Please note that this must be done in advance, so that the funds have cleared before you wish to start your course. To arrange an invoice, please Contact Us.
Yes, we work with a number of partners to offer GMAT courses for companies or at business schools. We also offer discounts to employees of certain companies who work with us. If you are an educational agency or university/college alumni group, we can also work with you. To find out about our current partners, please visit our Partners Page, or Contact Us.
GMAT COURSE MATERIALS AND RESOURCES
Kaplan’s GMAT courses include extensive course materials, incorporating both books and online resources for comprehensive options, and purely online materials for additional options. If you take a comprehensive GMAT course (i.e. GMAT Classroom, GMAT Live Online, or GMAT Premium Online) you will receive a GMAT Course Book (exclusive to Kaplan students and not available for retail); a Pocket Reference book containing all of the content tested on the exam for on-the-go revision; a laminated formula and strategy guide for quick reference; and a sample scratchboard and marker like the ones you will get for scratchwork in the real test. Your extensive online resources contain huge amounts of practice material – quizzes, workshops, practice questions, Lessons-on-Demand™, 8 full-length practice CATs, Admissions Advice videos and much more. The online syllabus will guide you through the courses, and your practice tests come with analytical performance tracking, courtesy of GMAT Smart Reports. You will also receive these materials if you sign up for GMAT Private Tutoring.
Classroom Course and Private Tutoring students: you can pick up your materials on the first day of class. If you would like to get them earlier, please let us know (020 7930 3130 / kaptest.uk@kaplan.com).
Live Online and Premium Online students: We will ship your materials to you by registered mail or courier shortly before your course start date.
Yes, Kaplan’s comprehensive course options (i.e. GMAT Classroom, GMAT Live Online, or GMAT Premium Online) cover all of the Math and Verbal content tested on the GMAT, and focus on the highest yield content covered on the test. You will learn exclusive strategies and methods to help you recognize and solve every question type on the exam. You will build skills and confidence essential for test day in a dynamic environment. With instructor-led courses, your expert teacher will guide you through the material and provide individual attention when you need it. This combination of skilled instruction, proven methods, and realistic practice means you will be completely prepared for the GMAT on test day.
The GMAT online resources (the Online Center) that come with your Kaplan course are a vital part of your GMAT preparation program. The Online Center is where you will complete all of your homework assignments between classes and take your practice tests. The resources for comprehensive course options contains Preview and Review assignments for each lesson, Lessons-on-Demand™ (online makeup classes), quizzes, workshops, practice questions, 9 full-length CATs, admissions advice videos, Target 800 materials for high scorers, and more. Your online syllabus will guide you through your course and provides a wealth of material for self-study outside of class time. Your online syllabus is available to you for 3 months as part of your GMAT course enrollment.
Yes – Kaplan students taking a comprehensive GMAT course (i.e. GMAT Classroom, GMAT Live Online, GMAT Private Tutoring, or GMAT Premium Online) may hand in or email in their practice GMAT essays to be graded by one of our teachers, who will provide a score and feedback. You can either hand in your essays at reception and pick them up at a later date, or email them in and have them sent back to you. We ask that you allow 5 working days for your essays to be graded, particularly during busy periods.
For Classroom / Live Online students, there is a lot of work to be done between classes: in order to make the most of your preparation course it is essential that you carry out the required self-study both in between classes and between your last class and the exam itself. As a guideline, we recommend that you complete 4-7 hours of self-study for each class session. Your Online Center syllabus will guide you through the required assignments, plus your teacher may set you some other work as required. Your self-study will comprise workshops and quizzes, practice question sets, and full-length practice CATs. Remember that you can track your performance on the practice CATs using GMAT Smart Reports.
For students taking our GMAT Classroom Course in London, The London Kaplan Center offers weekly live workshops in basic skills required for the GMAT. Workshops take place every Monday evening from 7pm to 9pm, and run on a rotating basis. Workshops include Basic Math, Advanced Math, Data Sufficiency, Reading Comprehension, Analytical Writing and Sentence Correction. To attend a workshop, you must book your place on the day by asking at reception or calling the center on 020 7930 3130.
If you are worried about your Quantitative skills, we also offer GMAT Math Refresher courses.
GMAT CLASSROOM COURSE SCHEDULES
The 4-week course and the 8-week course are identical in structure, format and content. The only difference is the period over which you take classes. The 4-week course consists of 2 classes every week, while the 8-week course consists of 1 class every week. Which one you choose will depend on your own schedule and ability to commit to lessons. Most people who choose a 4-week course do so because they are keen to complete their GMAT prep in a shorter time period. If you do not have a lot of time during the week to complete your homework assignments in between classes, then an 8-week course might be a better choice for you.
The GMAT Intensive Course option is exactly the same as our GMAT Classroom Course but classes are taken over an intensive 2-week period. Classes are taken daily for 9 weekdays. Because classes take place in the daytime, and because of the volume of work to be completed between each class, it is essential that students enrolled in the GMAT Intensive Course do not have other commitments during these two weeks – people working full-time MUST take the time off work to complete the course. This course is best suited to people with an impending admission deadline, and also international students who come to London for a short time purely to study.
Customers sometimes ask us why we do not offer any 1-day or 1 weekend “crash courses” for GMAT preparation. The answer is simple: at Kaplan we are committed to ensuring our students are fully prepared for the test, and we do not believe it is possible to prep for the GMAT over a weekend. The key to GMAT preparation is to fully understand the question types you will be tested on, to learn strategies and methods to answer those questions quickly and correctly, and then to practice, practice, practice, and thus build stamina and confidence ahead of the exam. Obviously this takes time and we recommend a minimum preparation period of 1 month. The ideal study period is 2-3 months, and this is why all Kaplan GMAT courses come with a 3-month enrollment period. We feel strongly that a 1-day or 2-day course is simply not enough time, and represents a waste of money.
The ideal period of time over which to prepare for the GMAT is 2-3 months, so all Kaplan GMAT courses come with a 3-month enrollment period. This means that you have access to your Kaplan resources for 3 months. Our London Classroom Course schedule offers a choice of 4-week and 8-week class sessions – this is because we understand that many people cannot commit to taking a class each week for a whole 8 weeks due to travel and work commitments etc. Our 4-week courses are very popular as they involve 2 classes a week for 4 weeks. You will still get a 3-month enrollment period, and so will be able to complete all of your required self-study and practice CATs between your last class and taking the GMAT.
Yes of course. We understand that due to work/travel/family commitments, illness etc, you may sometimes not be able to attend one of your classes. You are welcome to attend another session of the class you have missed during your 3-month enrollment period. We ask that you call in or ask at reception to find a suitable make-up class, so that we can ensure there is suitable space available and so you are not overlooked in our attendance records. If you cannot attend a different session of the class you missed, your online syllabus has recorded Lessons-on-Demand™ which you can use to make up the class at your convenience. Remember that to qualify for Higher Score Guarantee, you must attend all classes in person.
GMAT LIVE ONLINE COURSES
The courses are exactly the same – the only difference is that with GMAT Live Online, the classroom comes to you! You will take the same lessons from the same expert teacher, and study from the same books and online materials. GMAT Live Online classes take place in a virtual classroom with full audiovisual facilities.
We use Adobe Acrobat Connect – a state-of-the-art webconferencing and e-learning system. The setup of the virtual classroom is flexible and customized to the needs of the lesson, so you will see a variety of elements on-screen throughout your classes – including slides containing lesson material, Q+A and Chat boxes for questions, and a live on-screen whiteboard that the teacher will write on, just like in a real classroom.
No – all you need is a computer with an internet connection and you’re ready to go. You will need an internet browser with the latest version of Flash (Flash is free and is already installed on 97% of browsers). You may also need to install a small plugin for the audio portion of class, but this needs to be done during the first class only. Other than that you do not require any special equipment apart from speakers or headphones.
Yes, of course. You will hear the teacher via full audio, and you will be able to type questions using the Q+A/Chat facilities of the classroom.
All lessons are recorded, so if you miss a class you will be able to watch the recording at a time to suit you.
You will receive exactly the same materials as Classroom Course students. We will ship your course materials to you before the first class session. Shipping is free for addresses within the UK, and costs £40/€50 for students in Europe, and £80/€100 for students in the US/Canada. For more details, visit GMAT Live Online.
You should use a high speed (ADSL, broadband or similar) internet connection to log into Live Online class sessions. If you have a dial-up connection you may be interested in the GMAT Premium Online Course, which is self-paced and does not include live classes. In addition, students have reported better performance when using a wired connection over wireless when joining live class sessions.
GMAT PRIVATE TUTORING
If you have already booked your GMAT test date and do not have enough time to take a Classroom Course, then we also offer GMAT Private Tutoring, which can be arranged at times to suit you. Please note that if you have booked your GMAT but do not have an impending admissions deadline, then it may be worth re-scheduling your test for a later date, to enable you to get in as much practice as possible before that time. If you would like to enroll in Private Tutoring, you can do so by booking online, or please call us on +44 (0)20 7930 3130 to discuss your needs. Note that, especially during busy periods, it can take up to 2 weeks to schedule tutoring sessions, but if you need to get started sooner then we will always do our best to accommodate you.
If you have already taken the GMAT and are not satisfied with one part of your score, then Private Tutoring may be right for you. If you are not satisfied with your GMAT Overall Score (out of 800) in general, then you should consider a Classroom Course or Live Online Course, as these are comprehensive options which cover all of the content tested on the exam in a structured way. If you would like to discuss your needs with a Kaplan Student Advisor, please call us on +44 (0)20 7930 3130 or email us.
It is not possible to take half of the Classroom Course in order to study for only the Math or the Verbal section of the GMAT. Even if you are confident of your ability in one section of the exam, we find that all students can benefit from taking the Classroom Course, because we will teach you exclusive strategies and methods for the question types and provide you with lots of practice, enabling even high-scoring students to improve their score and increase their confidence across all areas of the test. If you are sure that you only want to study for one section of the GMAT, then you should book GMAT Private Tutoring.
When you book tutoring with us, our Academic Team will assign you a tutor based on criteria including your personal needs and goals and your availability. Once your tutor is assigned, they will contact you directly and you can start to schedule sessions at times to suit you. The minimum amount of GMAT tutoring hours you can purchase initially is 10, but after this you can add on any number of extra hours as required.
Most students have their tutoring sessions at the Kaplan Center which is conveniently located in Central London, and has dedicated tutoring rooms, library, computer facilities etc. If you would like a tutor to come to your house, this can usually be arranged but there may be a surcharge dependant upon your location.
BEFORE YOUR GMAT COURSE
The GMAT requires strong English knowledge, so non-native English speakers need to be confident of their English level BEFORE embarking on their GMAT study. Remember that the GMAT Verbal component especially requires you to be confident and comfortable with both grammar and vocabulary. As a guideline, your English should be at a High-Intermediate to Advanced Level, which equates to the following range: 523-550 PBT / 193-213 CBT / 69-80 iBT TOEFL. As a general guide, if you took your undergraduate degree in English, or have been studying/working in an English-speaking country for the past 2 years, then you should be confident studying for the GMAT. If you are interested in General English or TOEFL courses, our sister company, Kaplan International Colleges, can help with English classes.
This is a common concern amongst GMAT students, many of whom have been in the workplace for several years, and so have forgotten the math they learned in school years ago. There is no need to be unduly worried. The math content tested on the GMAT comprises algebra, geometry and arithmetic, which everyone has learned at high school level, and are therefore capable of re-learning it! We offer regular GMAT Math Refresher Courses covering all of the GMAT Math content, which is perfect to brush up your Math skills. You can also buy a Math Refresher course combined with a GMAT Classroom Course at a discounted rate.
In London we also offer live workshops in Basic Math and Advanced Math, which our students find a valuable complement to their GMAT Math lessons. Workshops run every Monday night – please check the schedule or ask at reception to find out when the next Math workshops are available.
AFTER YOUR GMAT COURSE
You should not leave a long period between the end of your classes and taking the GMAT. The longer you leave, the more likely you are to forget what you have learned, and for your skills to become “rusty”. On the other hand, it is not a good idea to take the exam the day after your last class, because you will need a bit of time to consolidate everything you have learned during your course. We recommend a gap of up to 4 weeks between finishing classes and taking the test.
Yes, if you have taken a comprehensive course (GMAT Classroom, GMAT Live Online or GMAT Premium Online) you can buy a 1-month online extension for £99. This will extend your online access for a period of 1 month. To purchase an online extension, you must contact us BEFORE your original 3-month enrollment period expires. Please note that we cannot extend your course after your expiration date.
No – if you have taken a comprehensive Kaplan GMAT course with us within the last 12 months, then you can purchase the course again for a repeat fee of £250. This gives you full access to classes, workshops, your online syllabus etc for a second enrollment period of 3 months. Your repeat fee can only be used to buy the same course you bought the first time, or a course option of lesser value, e.g. if you took the Classroom Course you are eligible to buy a Classroom Course, Live Online Course or Premium Online Course with your repeat fee. If you took our GMAT Classroom Course in London, you may also be eligible for Higher Score Guarantee which means you can repeat the course for free!
THE OFFICIAL TEST DAY EXPERIENCE
The GMAT Official Test Day Experience is your opportunity to take a practice GMAT at an actual GMAT testing center. This a Kaplan exclusive – only Kaplan GMAT students get the benefit of The Official Test Day Experience! Get to know the real testing format and environment firsthand. Know what to expect on Test Day so you'll score higher on the real GMAT. Note that this is a Kaplan practice test, not an official test, and so does not record an official GMAT score – the score is purely for your own use. The Official Test day Experience is available with GMAT Classroom, GMAT Live Online, GMAT Tutoring, and GMAT Premium Online – and can be taken at centers in London, Paris, Frankfurt, and Madrid.
Kaplan's Official Test Day Experience is a great benefit of our comprehensive GMAT programs. You will experience the actual testing environment firsthand, so you will know exactly what to expect on test day. As well as familiarizing yourself with the registration process and strict testing procedures, you will master the format under real conditions, allowing you to focus on performing your best on the day. The Official Test Day Experience is the best way to eliminate test-day nerves and surprises, build your stamina for the real test, and do a trial run under actual exam conditions without recording an official score. By test day, your confidence will be at an all-time high – and your score will follow.
You must register for The Official Test Day Experience via your Kaplan Online Center syllabus. In the list of practice tests, there will be the option to either take the test from home, or to book it as an Experience at a Pearson center.
No – The Official Test Day Experience is just for practice! It is not an official test, so your score will only be recorded in your Kaplan online syllabus, and it will definitely not be recorded as an official GMAT score or sent to any business schools. The Official Test Day Experience is purely for your benefit so you can familiarize yourself with the environment and procedures of the testing center – so when test day comes you will be even more calm and confident.
In Europe, The Official Test Day Experience is currently available in London, Paris, Frankfurt, and Madrid.
KAPLAN'S HIGHER SCORE GUARANTEE
Here at Kaplan we are fully committed to your success. We stand behind our GMAT course and your results with the Kaplan Higher Score Guarantee, which is so comprehensive that it covers all eventualities. The Higher Score Guarantee is available oncomprehensive GMAT courses (GMAT Classroom, GMAT Live Online, GMAT Premium Online, and GMAT Private Tutoring 15 hour and 25 hour packages). The terms of the guarantee are as follows:
If you take our GMAT course and feel that you are not ready to take the exam, you may repeat the course free of charge.
If you take our GMAT course and are not satisfied with your official score, no matter what the increase, you may repeat the course free of charge.
If you take our GMAT course and your score on the official exam is the same as or lower than your baseline score, you may repeat the course free of charge, or get a 100% refund of your GMAT course tuition.
All we ask is that you meet our basic study requirements: Attend class, do your homework, and establish a valid baseline score. It's that simple.
Your baseline score is the score you established at the beginning of your GMAT course. For most people this will be the result of the Diagnostic Test. However, if you have previously taken the GMAT and would like to use your previous official score as your baseline score, then that is no problem. We will need to see your official score report to verify your score. Please note that you must inform us of this at the BEGINNING of your course, not the end!
If you would like to claim the Higher Score Guarantee, then you must put your request in writing. You can do this by email – please send your request to kaptest.uk@kaplan.com, clearly stating whether you are applying to take the course again, or are applying for a refund. The Center Manager will consider all requests for Higher Score Guarantee, and reply to you accordingly. Please note that your request will be declined if you have not met the terms of the guarantee, i.e. attended all of your classes, and completed all of your required assignments – please ensure you have met the requirements of the guarantee before writing to us. The Center Manager’s decision in these matters is final.
The Higher Score Guarantee applies to all GMAT Classroom Courses, including Intensive Courses, purchased through the London Kaplan Center, the GMAT Live Online Course, the GMAT Premium Online Course, and GMAT Private Tutoring (15+ hour packages only). Non-comprehensive options, e.g. the GMAT Online Course, and GMAT Quiz Bank are not eligible for the Higher Score Guarantee.
GMAT COURSE TEACHERS
Our GMAT teachers are all highly-trained experts! All of them have scored very highly (90th percentile and above) on the GMAT themselves – but a good score alone is not enough to be able to teach the GMAT. All of Kaplan’s teachers have been through a rigorous training process to ensure they are top-notch teachers, plus they are all evaluated regularly both by their students and by our Academic staff. This ensures they are the best teachers available. To find out more about our instructors, visit our Teachers Page.
Yes, if you have questions for your teachers you can contact them either by email (you will always receive your teacher’s email address) or if you are in London by attending our weekly “drop-in” sessions. Every Saturday afternoon a teacher is available to help with your questions in person at the London Kaplan Center. In addition, all teachers are available for 30 minutes after classes to help answer your questions.