Reviewed: Economist GRE Tutor

The Economist GRE Tutor is one of several online prep courses available to students studying for their GRE test.

There are three Economist GRE plans, each providing access to a comprehensive library of online lessons that simulate the official test. You’ll work towards improving your score through a given number of practice questions and will have access to support from experienced tutors.

In our Economist GRE Tutor review, we explore its strengths and weaknesses, and answer key frequently asked questions.

What Is the Economist GRE Tutor?

The Economist GRE Tutor is an online program designed to help you with your GRE test prep. It covers each section of the test comprehensively, so you can feel confident that you’re studying the most appropriate course material.

It combines interactive teaching plans with live help so you can ask for support and guidance from those who know the course content best.

You can choose what topic you wish to study and monitor your progress throughout. There are a variety of handy support aids and stats available, such as:

• Time management advice
• Current success rate
• Sample GRE score 
• A tool to pinpoint your problem areas

You can even speak to the online tutors and ask them to review your progress so that each online learning session is devoted to your capabilities.

What Are the Options Available?

The Economist GRE Tutor is a flexible program that offers three standard packages: basic, premium and ultimate.

Each package has its own merits and capabilities, allowing you to decide which is best for your needs.

Basic Package

This is a monthly package, priced at $229 per month.

Users will benefit from:

• Full online course access
• Three practice exams
• Three live one-to-one sessions with course instructors
• Three practice essay markings
• 25 ‘Ask-a-tutor’ questions

Premium Package

This is a three-month course, priced at $349.

As well as having a GRE score indicator, the premium package is part of the money-back-guarantee, whereby you are guaranteed to improve your score by at least 5 points.

This enhanced package offers:

• Five practice exams
• Five live one-to-one sessions with course instructors
• Six practice essay markings

You can also ask the tutors up to 100 questions, making it a more comprehensive option.

Ultimate Package

This is a six-month learning plan, priced at $529.

As with the premium package, the ultimate plan is part of the money-back guarantee, offering an improvement of at least 7 points.

Users have access to:

• Six practice exams
• An unlimited number of questions for tutors
• Six live one-to-one sessions with course instructors
• Seven practice essay markings

How Does This Compare to Competitor Programs?

Whilst the Economist GRE Tutor is relatively new to the market, it does expand on the capabilities of similar programs such as Magoosh and Kaplan OnDemand.

Like Magoosh, it offers a free 7-day trial, but it also offers a money-back guarantee if you do not increase your score by 5 to 7 points (depending on whether you opt for the premium or ultimate plan).

The system is fully mobile responsive, allowing you to continue your study when you’re on the go and with an interactive interface, it’s easy to use whatever your technical expertise.

A key benefit of the system is the one-to-one tutoring via the live chat – something which is also offered by Kaplan OnDemand. But the Economist GRE Tutor takes personal support to the next level; it offers personalized essay feedback to help you with your GRE test prep.

Finally, when it comes to the test questions, there are over 5,000 practice questions available, so you can feel confident that you’ll be given comprehensive support ahead of your GRE test.

To learn more about the free 7-day trial of Economist GRE Tutor, click here.

Economist GRE Tutor: Pros and Cons

The Economist GRE Tutor is a fantastic tool to help you make the most of your preparation. It has been designed to maximize your chances of success through each stage of the test.

Whilst the overall impression of the Economist GRE Tutor is highly positive, there are a few drawbacks that also need to mention. Here are the pros and cons as we see them:

Pro: Money-Back-Guarantee

We were particularly impressed by the bold score guarantee (applicable to those undertaking the premium or ultimate prep plan).

If you have already taken the GRE test and have a confirmed score, you can set your baseline score with your official report. If you haven’t yet taken it, the Economist will set your baseline by taking a practice exam in GRE Tutor.

Eligibility for the money-back-guarantee depends on you completing 90% of the online course content, participating for at least 10 weeks before your GRE test and using at least three of the one-to-one instructor sessions.

The Economist is confident that, if you use the program correctly, you should improve your score by 5 to 7 points compared to your baseline score. If not, they’ll issue you with a full refund.

We think that this is a strong incentive; not only does it give greater confidence in the material, but the terms of the guarantee mean that you are more likely to use the system in the way that it was intended.

Pro: Works With Real Tutors

In today’s digital world, it’s impressive that the system relies on communication with real tutors rather than automated chatbots. This helps users feel confident that they can ask questions and receive bespoke advice relevant to their issues.

lt should be noted that the ‘Ask-a-tutor’ function doesn’t operate in real-time, so you may have to wait for a response.

Competitor products may also offer one-to-one tutoring, but the in-app messaging system makes it much easier to keep track of all communications throughout your learning process.

In addition to the ‘Ask-a-tutor’ function, the Economist GRE Tutor allows you to benefit from scheduled one-to-one sessions with their instructors. This allows you to feel supported and gives a personalized touch to your study.

You can even ask them to review previous work before your scheduled sessions – this allows you to maximize the impact of each personalized one-to-one session.

Pro: Comprehensive Practice Questions

With more than 5,000 questions available, you can feel confident that there will be plenty of opportunity for practice as you’re working your way through the four sections of the GRE.

This number is significantly more than the 1,000 practice questions offered by Magoosh, so you're getting value for money here.

Pro: Great for Online Learning

If you’re used to completing your study online, then this program is a perfect way for you to complete your GRE test prep. The app is fully mobile responsive, allowing you to focus on your study via phone or tablet as well as your laptop.

If you’re someone who prefers to study using physical materials, or you like to take a break from your screen, then you may struggle with this system. It’s all about understanding your learning style and knowing what works best for you.

Pro: Adapts to Your Learning Style

When you start using the program, you will be asked to input the date of your GRE test. This allows the system to compile a personal learning program for you, based on your test date.

For some users, this is hugely beneficial because it means you can rely on the system to pull together your learning plan and you can relax, knowing that the system will take you through what you need to know.

Another key component of the system is its adaptability. It bases each question on your knowledge. If the system pinpoints your weaknesses, it will automatically include more questions to improve your answers.

It also adapts the difficulty of each subsequent question to your capability; if you answer a question incorrectly, the next question will be easier to answer. Likewise, if you answer a question correctly, the next one will be harder. It’s all about testing your capabilities and pushing you to your strengths.

Con: It’s a Significant Investment

There’s no getting away from the fact that choosing to study for the GRE is a costly decision.

While the Economist GRE Tutor does have flexible payment options suited for different budgets, the most benefit will be gained from the higher levels. If you choose to sign up for the basic package, you may find that certain features are inaccessible, providing barriers to your learning.

Con: You Need to Be Committed

Another issue with the system is that it is designed for a minimum of 10 weeks of learning. For the system to be effective, you are expected to complete at least 70 hours of study using the online app.

While for some this is perfectly feasible (especially those who like to study in advance), it does make it much harder for those who have other commitments.

For those who have booked in their GRE test date at late notice, it may be much harder to benefit from the personalized features of the three- or six-month plans.

Con: The Adaptive Learning

No, your eyes don’t deceive you – we have included adaptive learning in our positives as well as our drawbacks. We thought it prudent to mention that although the adaptive learning capability is generally a positive feature, it could also be viewed negatively by some users.

If you’ve answered a question incorrectly, it doesn’t necessarily stand to reason that you need all of the subsequent answers to be easier; it could have been a fluke or an issue with that particular question. Some users may find it frustrating, particularly when they are trying to push themselves with their GRE test prep.

Con: Lack of User Engagement

A common criticism of the system amongst reviewers is the lack of user engagement when compared to other systems and platforms. Whilst the online app is highly intuitive and easy to use, there are few video tutorials or physical materials involved in the learning process.

The help tutorials are positioned as lengthy text which won’t suit the learning styles of every user. For those who have been studying for several hours, it can be a difficult task to keep your concentration levels high.

FAQs

Now that we’ve completed our Economist GRE Tutor review, we thought it may be helpful to recap a few commonly asked questions about this product:

How Much Does It Cost?

There are three price brackets available for the Economist GRE Tutor program. Each price point offers different capabilities within the system:

• Basic package: $229 per month
• Premium: $349 for three months
• Ultimate Plan: $529 for six months

How Long Can You Access It For?

It is recommended that you use the system for a minimum of ten weeks before your GRE test date. This is because the program will automatically collate a comprehensive learning plan for your specific needs. Some people study for much longer than this.

Obviously, the access time you have paid for will vary depending on which package you choose. The company will allow you to extend your package for a further three months for an additional fee. You will then be able to continue your course from where you left off.

How Does the Money-Back Guarantee Work?

You will be expected to supply the Economist with your baseline test score. This could be through completing a practice test within seven days of signing up for the program, or it could be through providing them with an official score sheet from a previously sat GRE test.

Users are expected to comply with the terms and conditions of the system – such as completing 90% of course material, doing a minimum of three one-to-one sessions with the instructors and participating for at least ten weeks.

If you can demonstrably prove that you’ve used the system as intended, and you haven’t seen an improvement in your official GRE test score, you will be refunded in full.

Can I Try Before I Buy?

Yes, there is a free seven-day trial available to all new users. This is a beneficial way of deciding if it’s the right software for your needs before making the financial investment. To begin your free trial, click here.

How Many Practice Questions Are There?

There are 5,000 test questions available, designed to comfortably help you prepare for each section of the GRE test.

Final Thoughts

We think that this is a great tool and should be considered a valuable investment when it comes to achieving your optimum GRE test score.

User reviews of the product are extremely positive; with comments praising the customer support, the functionality and the comprehension of the practice tests.

If you’re planning ahead and you have time on your side, the Economist GRE Tutor is a great resource and highly worth the investment.

Ultimately, all test prep platforms depend on your capability and commitment to study – if you put in the time needed and make correct use of the software, we’re sure you’ll succeed.