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Princeton Review Online GRE Course Review

Jan 30, 2026

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Princeton Review GRE Course Review: Is It Worth It?

The short version: The Princeton Review GRE course is a big, polished, mainstream GRE prep option. It gives students structure, practice tests, score reports, adaptive drills, video lessons, GRE-style practice questions, and essay feedback through LiveGrader. If you want a large commercial GRE course with a familiar brand name, Princeton Review is a real option.

But I would not make it my first choice for most students. My main concern is the same concern I have with most big-company GRE courses: third-party GRE questions are not official ETS questions, and that matters a lot, especially for Verbal. Princeton Review gives you a lot of stuff, but more stuff does not automatically mean better prep.

This Princeton Review GRE course review does not include an affiliate link. Any GRE course review with an affiliate link should be read skeptically, since the reviewer may be paid if you buy the course.

Vince's 2 main options to help you with your GRE prep are here.

Table of Contents

Quick verdict: is The Princeton Review GRE course good?

The Princeton Review GRE course can be good if you want a structured, polished course with lots of practice and a clear online platform. It is especially appealing if you like adaptive drills, detailed score reports, and having many resources in one place.

However, I would not rely on Princeton Review as your only GRE resource. I would still build your prep around official ETS practice questions, ETS PowerPrep tests, a detailed error log, and a study plan that fits your actual score goal and timeline.

Category My take
Overall value Potentially useful, but only if you will actually follow the course.
Best feature Structure, adaptive drills, score reports, and lots of practice.
Biggest weakness Third-party practice questions are not as realistic as official ETS questions.
Best for Students who want a mainstream course with clear assignments and lots of material.
Not ideal for Students who need personalized diagnosis, deep math foundation, or highly realistic verbal practice.
My recommendation Use it for structure if you like it, but supplement heavily with official ETS material.

What is The Princeton Review GRE course?

The Princeton Review is one of the oldest and best-known test-prep companies. Its GRE prep products currently include Self-Paced prep, live online courses, higher-score guarantee courses, and private tutoring.

The main selling point is structure. When you buy a Princeton Review GRE course, you are not just buying a book or a set of practice questions. You are buying an organized system with lessons, practice tests, drills, score reports, and in some options, live instruction or tutoring.

That can be useful. Many GRE students do not fail because they are incapable. They fail because their studying is scattered. They do some vocabulary, a few random math questions, a practice test, a Reddit thread, a YouTube video, and then wonder why their score has not moved.

A course can help if it gives you structure and if you use it carefully. The question is whether The Princeton Review gives you the right kind of structure for your situation.

Princeton Review GRE course options

Princeton Review currently organizes GRE prep around options such as:

  • GRE Self-Paced: a flexible online course with drills, lessons, practice tests, score reports, and a money-back guarantee.
  • GRE 10 Points+: a score-improvement course built around a 10-point combined Quant and Verbal increase, depending on eligibility and baseline score.
  • GRE Fundamentals: a live course focused on core GRE strategies and content.
  • GRE 162+: a higher-score course aimed at students trying to reach 162+ on Quant and Verbal, or gain 6 points in each section depending on starting score.
  • GRE 165+ Tutoring: private tutoring with a higher target score guarantee, subject to requirements.

For most students comparing GRE courses, the practical comparison is between Princeton Review Self-Paced, Princeton Review Fundamentals, GRE 10 Points+, GRE 162+, Kaplan, Magoosh, Gregmat, Prepswift, official ETS materials, and private tutoring.

What Princeton Review GRE includes now

Princeton Review’s current Self-Paced GRE course advertises:

  • 8 full-length practice tests with interactive score reports
  • 60+ online drills and interactive lessons
  • 3,000+ practice questions
  • On-the-go access to drills and video-based lessons that adapt to your difficulty level
  • Drill Smart technology
  • Detailed performance insights by topic, question type, and time spent
  • In-depth answer explanations
  • A money-back guarantee and satisfaction guarantee, with restrictions

Princeton Review’s GRE 162+ course advertises:

  • 3,000+ practice questions
  • 8 full-length practice tests with interactive score reports
  • 2 GRE manuals: a Quant 162+ manual and a Verbal 162+ manual
  • A guarantee to score 162+ on each section or add 6 points on both GRE Quant and Verbal, depending on starting score and eligibility

Princeton Review also offers a free GRE trial with a full-length section-adaptive practice test, a score report, sample lessons, and Drill Smart access.

That is a lot of material. The main question is whether the material is realistic enough, whether the course diagnoses your weaknesses well, and whether it is worth the price compared with cheaper options.

How much does Princeton Review GRE cost?

Princeton Review GRE pricing changes often, and discounts are common. As of 2026, my best estimate is that GRE Self-Paced costs about $499, GRE 10 Points+ costs somewhere around $549 to $900, GRE Fundamentals costs about $1,199, and GRE 162+ costs roughly $2,099 to $2,399. Private tutoring and GRE 165+ tutoring are usually much more expensive and may be priced by the hour or by package.

These numbers may change, so check Princeton Review’s current checkout page before buying. But the basic point is clear: Princeton Review is a premium-priced GRE prep option, especially compared with lower-cost resources like Gregmat, Prepswift, Magoosh, official ETS books, and self-study.

For some students, the price may be worth it because Princeton Review provides structure, practice tests, adaptive drills, score reports, and in some courses, live instruction. For others, a cheaper plan built around official ETS material, Gregmat, Prepswift, an error log, and targeted tutoring may work better.

What I like about Princeton Review GRE prep

1. Princeton Review gives you structure

This is the biggest advantage of a big GRE course. You do not have to build everything from scratch. You get lessons, drills, tests, score reports, homework, and a general path through the material.

If your GRE prep is chaotic, that can help.

2. The platform is polished

Big test-prep companies tend to be good at packaging. Princeton Review’s platform is built to feel like a full course, not just a collection of files and videos.

That matters for some students. If the platform gets you to study consistently, it has value.

3. The adaptive drills are useful

Princeton Review’s Drill Smart feature is one of its stronger selling points. Adaptive drilling can make practice feel more targeted, especially for students who do not know what to work on next.

However, adaptive drills are only as good as the questions and the review process. You still need to understand the mistakes you make.

4. The score reports are helpful

Detailed score reports can help you notice patterns. If the report shows that you are missing a lot of geometry, sentence equivalence, or data interpretation questions, that gives you a clue about what to study.

But score reports are not the same as diagnosis. A report can tell you what happened. It may not tell you the deeper reason it happened.

5. LiveGrader essay feedback is useful

The GRE now has one Analytical Writing task, the Issue essay. Princeton Review’s LiveGrader gives students a 0 to 6 score and personalized feedback. Princeton Review says feedback is sent within 3 to 5 days after submission.

That is genuinely useful, since most students do not get any real feedback on GRE writing.

The problems with Princeton Review GRE prep

1. Question realism is still the biggest issue

The biggest downside of Princeton Review GRE practice questions and tests is realism.

This is particularly important for GRE Verbal. Official ETS verbal questions have a specific logic. The wrong answers are wrong in precise ways. The right answers are supported by the sentence or passage. Third-party verbal questions often look like GRE questions but do not quite behave like real GRE questions.

That does not mean Princeton Review verbal practice is useless. It means I would not make it the center of your verbal prep.

For serious GRE practice, use official ETS material. ETS PowerPrep tests are the most realistic practice tests because they come from the makers of the GRE.

2. A big course can hide your real problem

A course can give you lots of assignments without telling you what is actually holding back your score.

For example, “I am bad at GRE math” could mean:

  • Your foundation is weak.
  • You know the math but do not recognize the question type.
  • Your scratchwork is disorganized.
  • You are using slow school methods when a GRE strategy would be faster.
  • You panic under time pressure.
  • You spend too long on questions you should skip.

Those are different problems. They need different fixes.

3. Verbal quality matters more than verbal quantity

Princeton Review gives you lots of practice. That sounds good, but more verbal questions are not always better.

For GRE Verbal, I would rather see a student deeply review 30 official ETS questions than speed through 150 third-party questions and absorb slightly wrong habits.

4. Score guarantees have requirements

Princeton Review’s guarantees are not casual promises. Students generally need to establish a baseline, complete required tests, complete assigned work, take the official GRE within the required time frame, and submit official score information on time.

A score guarantee is only useful if you are willing and able to meet the requirements.

Princeton Review GRE Verbal review

Princeton Review GRE Verbal can help you learn basic question types and strategies. It can teach you how to approach Text Completion, Sentence Equivalence, Reading Comprehension, and Critical Reasoning.

But I would be careful about using Princeton Review verbal questions as your main practice source. GRE Verbal is unusually sensitive to question quality. If the wrong answers are a little off or the right answer is not supported exactly the way ETS would support it, you may learn habits that do not transfer well to the real test.

For verbal, I would use Princeton Review like this:

  • Use it to learn basic structure and strategy.
  • Use it for extra practice if you already understand its limits.
  • Use official ETS questions for your most serious verbal review.
  • Keep a detailed GRE error log.
  • Write your own explanations for difficult ETS verbal questions.

If your verbal score is stuck, start with my GRE vocabulary guide and my GRE verbal tips.

Princeton Review GRE Math review

Princeton Review GRE Math is probably more useful than its Verbal practice because third-party math questions are usually less dangerous than third-party verbal questions.

That said, many GRE students need foundation before they need tricks. If you are weak in arithmetic, fractions, ratios, percents, exponents, algebra, geometry, functions, probability, or data analysis, your first job is to learn the underlying math.

Princeton Review’s strategies, including plugging in, can be useful. But strategies work best once you understand the basic math.

My recommendation:

  • Use Princeton Review math for structure and additional practice.
  • Use my complete GRE math concept list to identify content gaps.
  • Use my GRE math tips for a better overall prep process.
  • Use my GRE math strategies page for choosing numbers, backsolving, estimation, and other GRE-specific approaches.
  • Use official ETS questions to test whether your skills transfer to real GRE-style questions.

Princeton Review GRE practice tests review

Princeton Review’s current Self-Paced and GRE 162+ pages advertise 8 full-length practice tests with interactive score reports.

That is useful. Practice tests help you build stamina, test timing strategies, experience section-adaptive testing, and see broad strengths and weaknesses.

But again, realism matters.

Use Princeton Review practice tests for:

  • stamina
  • timing practice
  • section-adaptive test experience
  • score-report data
  • broad weak-area diagnosis

Use ETS PowerPrep tests for your best estimate of real GRE performance. ETS offers free PowerPrep Online tests and paid PowerPrep Plus tests that simulate the actual GRE experience.

I would not burn through official ETS tests early. Use third-party tests when you need extra reps. Save official tests for when you are ready to review them carefully.

Princeton Review Drill Smart review

Drill Smart is Princeton Review’s adaptive drilling system. The idea is that you take an initial drill, and then the system serves you follow-up drills based on your performance.

This is one of the better parts of the Princeton Review GRE course because it gives students a more targeted practice experience than a random pile of questions.

The benefit:

  • You get practice at an appropriate difficulty level.
  • You can focus on areas where you are weaker.
  • You get a more structured experience than simply doing random questions.

The limitation:

  • Adaptive drilling does not replace deep review.
  • It may tell you what you missed, but not always why you missed it.
  • For Verbal, official ETS logic still matters more than third-party volume.

Use Drill Smart as a practice tool, not as your entire GRE prep strategy.

Princeton Review GRE LiveGrader review

LiveGrader is one Princeton Review feature I like. Students submit a GRE essay and receive a 0 to 6 score plus personalized feedback.

GRE Analytical Writing is often underprepared. Many students do a lot of Quant and Verbal work, then write one essay the night before the test and hope for the best.

Essay feedback can help because it shows you whether your argument is clear, whether your examples are developed, and whether your writing is organized enough for the GRE.

Since the current GRE has only one essay, the Issue task, this is simpler than it used to be. You do not need to prepare for the old Argument essay anymore. You need to practice writing a clear, well-organized Issue essay in 30 minutes.

If you are preparing for GRE writing, read my GRE essay template and writing tips.

Princeton Review GRE score guarantee

Princeton Review’s score guarantees vary by product, and the details matter.

For GRE Self-Paced, Princeton Review’s guarantee terms say the baseline can be your most recent official score before the program or your first practice test score, taken within 10 days after purchase under required conditions. Students must complete coursework and required practice tests, then take the official GRE within the required time frame.

For GRE 162+, the guarantee is more specific. Princeton Review says students starting under 156 in a section need at least a 6-point increase in that section; students starting at 156 or higher need at least a 162. Students must complete required course work, practice tests, homework, official-test timing requirements, and score-report submission requirements.

For GRE 10 Points+, Princeton Review describes a 10-point combined Quant plus Verbal score increase requirement for students below a 307 combined starting score, with different requirements for higher starting scores.

Important detail: Princeton Review’s guarantee terms say there is no score improvement guarantee for the GRE Analytical Writing section.

My take: the guarantee is a real benefit only for students who are willing to complete the assigned work and follow the rules carefully.

Who should use Princeton Review GRE?

Princeton Review GRE may be a good fit if:

  • You want a structured GRE course from a well-known company.
  • You like polished online platforms.
  • You want lots of practice tests and drills.
  • You want interactive score reports.
  • You like adaptive practice.
  • You want essay feedback through LiveGrader.
  • You are willing to supplement the course with official ETS material.
  • You can afford the course and will actually follow it.

Who should not use Princeton Review GRE?

Princeton Review GRE may not be the best fit if:

  • You are on a tight budget.
  • You mainly need a personalized study plan.
  • You need deep math foundation work.
  • You need expert review of official ETS Verbal questions.
  • You are likely to do lots of practice but little review.
  • You want the most realistic practice questions possible.
  • You need someone to diagnose why your score is stuck.

If you are not sure what is holding you back, a personalized GRE study plan or GRE tutoring may be more efficient than buying a large course.

What I would use instead of Princeton Review GRE

For many students, I would build GRE prep around this:

  1. A clear GRE beginner plan
  2. GRE math foundation
  3. Daily GRE vocabulary review
  4. Gregmat and Prepswift for affordable structure
  5. Official ETS books and PowerPrep tests
  6. A detailed GRE error log
  7. Targeted tutoring or a study plan if you get stuck

If you want a free timeline, start with one of my GRE study plans:

If you want someone to create a plan based on your score goal, timeline, strengths, and weaknesses, see my personalized GRE study plan.

How to shop for GRE prep courses

It is important to choose the right GRE prep for your situation. But that does not always mean choosing the biggest course or the most expensive course.

Ask yourself:

  1. How do I get the score I need in the most efficient way possible?
  2. Does it fit my budget?
  3. Does it provide an engaging and effective learning experience?
  4. Are the questions realistic enough?
  5. Will I get useful feedback?
  6. Will the course diagnose my weaknesses or just give me more work?
  7. Am I likely to finish it?

Before buying any GRE course, take a diagnostic, identify your target score, figure out your weak areas, and decide whether you need content, strategy, structure, feedback, or accountability.

Bottom line: my Princeton Review GRE course review

The Princeton Review GRE course is much stronger as a structure-and-practice product than as a source of highly realistic GRE questions.

I like its organization, adaptive drills, score reports, free trial, practice-test volume, and LiveGrader essay feedback. I do not like the risk that students will rely too heavily on third-party practice, especially for Verbal.

My practical recommendation:

  • Use Princeton Review if you want a large, structured GRE course.
  • Do not use Princeton Review as your only source of practice.
  • Use official ETS material for your most important GRE practice.
  • Use an error log to figure out why you are missing questions.
  • Get personalized help if your score is stuck and you cannot diagnose the cause.

If you are comparing options, read my Kaplan GRE course review, my Magoosh GRE review, and my free GRE prep resources.

Vince's 2 main options to help you with your GRE prep are here.

Princeton Review GRE course review FAQ

Is The Princeton Review GRE course worth it?

The Princeton Review GRE course can be worth it if you want a structured, polished course with lots of drills, practice tests, score reports, and essay feedback. It is less compelling if you mainly need personalized diagnosis or highly realistic official GRE verbal practice.

Is Princeton Review GRE good for beginners?

It can be good for beginners who want structure. However, students with weak math should make sure they build foundation in arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data analysis rather than relying only on strategy lessons and practice questions.

Is Princeton Review GRE good for Verbal?

Princeton Review can teach basic GRE verbal strategies, but I would not use its verbal questions as your main practice source. Official ETS verbal questions are more important because they better match the logic of the real test.

Is Princeton Review GRE good for Math?

Princeton Review GRE Math can be useful for structure, strategy, drills, and extra practice. But if your foundation is weak, start by learning the underlying math concepts before relying heavily on timed drills.

Are Princeton Review GRE practice tests accurate?

Princeton Review GRE practice tests are useful for stamina, timing, and section-adaptive practice. For the most realistic score estimate, use official ETS PowerPrep tests.

How many Princeton Review GRE practice tests are included?

Princeton Review currently advertises 8 full-length practice tests with interactive score reports for its GRE Self-Paced and GRE 162+ offerings.

What is Princeton Review Drill Smart?

Drill Smart is Princeton Review’s adaptive drilling system. It starts with a drill and then gives you follow-up practice based on your performance, so you can work at a level that better matches your needs.

Does Princeton Review GRE include essay feedback?

Yes. Princeton Review’s GRE LiveGrader gives students a 0 to 6 essay score and personalized feedback, usually within 3 to 5 days after submission.

What is the Princeton Review GRE score guarantee?

The guarantee depends on the course. GRE Self-Paced, GRE 10 Points+, GRE 162+, and GRE 165+ Tutoring have different requirements. Students generally need to complete assigned work, practice tests, and official-test timing requirements.

What should I use with Princeton Review GRE?

Use official ETS materials, especially PowerPrep tests, along with Princeton Review. I would also use a GRE error log, targeted math foundation work, daily vocabulary review, and a clear study plan.

What is better than Princeton Review GRE?

It depends on the student. Many students can do very well with a lower-cost combination of Gregmat, Prepswift, official ETS books, PowerPrep tests, an error log, and targeted tutoring or a personalized study plan.

Should I buy Princeton Review GRE or get a tutor?

Buy a course if you mainly need structure and are good at self-study. Consider tutoring if you need diagnosis, feedback, accountability, or help understanding why your score is not improving.

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