kaplan ? powerscore? testmaster? Forum
-
inthefuture
- Posts: 47
- Joined: Fri Jan 08, 2010 3:57 pm
kaplan ? powerscore? testmaster?
any differences?
-
cinefile 17
- Posts: 257
- Joined: Wed Apr 14, 2010 10:32 pm
Re: kaplan ? powerscore? testmaster?
I think it comes down a lot to personal preference. When I was choosing a prep company I just wanted to pick the one that gave me the best opportunity to improve my score the most. After asking around (forums, peer to peer, prep company websites) I felt more confident that I had a better shot of improving my score 10-15+ points going with Testmasters or Powerscore over Kaplan.
Kaplan does have some advantages. Because Kaplan is a larger company (they also do MCAT, GMAT, ACT, ect.) they are able to be more visible and easier to communicate with. However, I like the idea of using a company that focuses only on the LSAT. Many of the people I've talked to that took Kaplan (admittedly a very unrepresentative) group experienced about a 6 point increase (whereas Testmaster/Powerscore was more like a 10+ increase). Also, I find Kaplan's books annoying. They beat simple ideas into your head like a dead horse, waste my time making annoying jokes, use fake problems, and miss some of the useful points that Testmaster Powerscore make.
I, myself, used Testmasters and was extremely happy with the results. I would recommend Testmaster, but I think Powerscore is very similar and a good choice also. I like the way Testmasters classifies questions more. Also, I was already planning on using the powerscore Bibles along with a prep course and wanted to be able to compare the approaches of the two companies (which is very similar with only slight differences) to see which ones worked for me and mix and match when appropriate.
Kaplan does have some advantages. Because Kaplan is a larger company (they also do MCAT, GMAT, ACT, ect.) they are able to be more visible and easier to communicate with. However, I like the idea of using a company that focuses only on the LSAT. Many of the people I've talked to that took Kaplan (admittedly a very unrepresentative) group experienced about a 6 point increase (whereas Testmaster/Powerscore was more like a 10+ increase). Also, I find Kaplan's books annoying. They beat simple ideas into your head like a dead horse, waste my time making annoying jokes, use fake problems, and miss some of the useful points that Testmaster Powerscore make.
I, myself, used Testmasters and was extremely happy with the results. I would recommend Testmaster, but I think Powerscore is very similar and a good choice also. I like the way Testmasters classifies questions more. Also, I was already planning on using the powerscore Bibles along with a prep course and wanted to be able to compare the approaches of the two companies (which is very similar with only slight differences) to see which ones worked for me and mix and match when appropriate.
-
sluguy14
- Posts: 122
- Joined: Sat Dec 26, 2009 9:47 pm
Re: kaplan ? powerscore? testmaster?
I'm wrapping up my Kaplan Advanced Online course, and I've been very happy with it. The whole system- and the resources available along with it- has helped me quite a bit in mastering the more difficult problems. My instructor has also been top-notch. And really, from what I understand, the quality of your instructor is the most important factor in your experience.
