I worked with Marty to prepare for the GRE and couldn't be happier with the results. He's incredibly knowledgeable and helped me break down math concepts in ways that I could remember. I was particularly struggling with the quant section of the test. Marty helped me make a significant jump in my score. His explanations were clear and patient and he will help you focus on the areas where you need improvement. On top of all of that, he's nice, friendly, and a true joy to work with every week. If you're looking for a GRE tutor who's skilled and easy to work with, go with Marty! read more

Marty was great to work with - knew the test extremely well and was especially helpful on verbal strategies, where I struggled most. TC helped me boost my score by 9 points to eclipse the 330 mark! read more

Recently took Quant with Yuri on Saturdays at this location and feel better prepared for the GMAT than I did 2 months ago. It's been a while since college and any actual math done aside from formulas in Excel. Yuri makes math fun and easy to understand by guiding you through each problem and reminding you about best practices when tackling certain problems. There's a library of resources that you can borrow from to help brush up on basic foundations which is nice. I also took makeup courses with Anisa and she's also a fantastic instructor. My test is coming up this week and I feel more confident now that I'll get the score I need for B school. Thanks! read more

After conducting extensive research to compare GMAT tutoring options in the Bay Area, I quickly down-selected TestCrackers based on my experience with the initial outreach call. Yuri took the time to patiently and thoroughly answer my long list of questions, understand my concerns and goals, and provide recommendations for the next phase of my test preparation. From then on, working with the TestCrackers tutors was a very high-touch, personalized experience. I signed up for 1:1 tutoring with Yuri and the 5-week Verbal course taught by Isaac. Both instructors went above and beyond to answer my questions, suggest alternative ways to approach challenging concepts and problems, and diagnose and help me understand the errors I was making. From these courses and tutoring sessions, I took away a structured study plan, resources for continued self-study (including the OG books and TestCrackers workbooks), and comprehensive strategies for approaching various types of GMAT questions. Throughout the entire experience, Yuri and Isaac were honest, reassuring, and patient with me when I felt discouraged or struggled with a concept, and they provided positive encouragement whenever I achieved a milestone. I would 100% recommend TestCrackers to anyone beginning their GMAT prep journey or looking to take their test prep to the next level. read more

I heard Seth had started world domination by invading the internet... Soon, all test takers worldwide will turn around and giggle at test admins during GMAT...... read more

I studied 1-on-1 with Yuri for the GRE math section, and could not have been happier with both the experience and outcome. In our initial call, Yuri took time to understand exactly what my goals were, and then go through his honest and realistic expectations before I signed up. Satisfied with what I heard, I told him I wanted to start the day after tomorrow - he was more than happy to do so. My score improved almost immediately. In the past I've heard of many books and tutors that brag about their ultimate test taking strategy, only to talk about process of elimination and tell you to guess C when you don't know. Yuri, on the other hand, has unique methods for every problem, most of which I had never seen before and were truly helpful to improving my accuracy and timing on questions of all levels. Yuri knows the content of the GRE perfectly, but after just a few sessions my biggest issue on the test became careless mistakes. Somehow, he was able to advise me how to do problems in a way that magically cut my mistakes to almost zero, something I have never been able to do through practice alone. As for practice, Yuri not only knows every single practice GRE problem out there, but has hundreds of his own questions that he and his colleagues have developed to hone in on particular problem types. In the end, my score improved dramatically within a very reasonable time frame and has greatly improved my personal prospects for and feelings about grad school. Yuri is a GRE nut (in the most positive possible way) who I strongly recommend as a tutor. But additionally, he cares about his students personally and truly wants to see them succeed. Yuri is completely in it for the students - on one occasion, he advised me to cancel my last lesson with him and fully refunded it because he thought I would score higher taking the test before it. It was a pleasure not only doing math with Yuri, but also talking with him before and after sessions, and having him as an encouraging voice around me. read more

I prepped for the GRE with TestCrackers and can't recommend them enough! The classes are small in size and very interactive. I took the online course with only one other student and we went back and forth solving each question during class. My online instructor was Anisa and she is absolutely amazing! She is a genuine person and truly cares to improve your understanding about material/concept on the GRE. Each class was 3 hours once a week and trust me, those 3 hours would fly by so quickly! Prior to enrolling with TestCrackers, I felt hopeless about the GRE. I had already taken the GRE 3 times with no improvement in my scores each time. During my prep with TestCrackers, I was able to finally ask all my questions about Quant and Verbal (even if they were really dumb) and not feel judged by it. The prep course has honestly helped me in so many ways possible. I never thought I could learn close to 1,000 vocab words but it's possible and TestCrackers made it fun! The instructors go above and beyond and provide you with so much resources and study material that you don't even know what to do with yourself! Funny story- when I first signed up for the GRE online prep course, I received a package at my door a few weeks later with my name on it and I had no idea what was inside the package because it was so large and heavy. I didn't recall ordering anything that was so heavy and I even checked with my parents but they hadn't ordered anything recently either. I was honestly scared to open the package because I had no idea what was inside. When I finally opened it, there was 7 BOOKS inside that TestCrackers had mailed me for my GRE prep! TestCrackers is the best GRE prep that I have found and I promise you will not regret enrolling with them!! read more

TestCrackers and Yuri are the real deal! He found a way to make studying for the GRE fun and enjoyable (and dare I say, something I even looked forward to). Cannot recommend it enough! read more

Testcrackers was the best thing that happened to me during my GMAT prep. They offer a structured approach to attacking the content and give you tips towards each problem tier. The classroom was pretty engaging. I took quant classes from Andrew, who is a math beast, and verbal classes from Kirk, who was fantastic. The online office hours by Seth were pretty helpful. The classroom experience was excellent because of the student to teacher ratio. They encourage students to solve problems by calling their names. You can opt out of being called if you want to, but I strongly encourage students to participate. In my final exam, there were several questions to which I remembered the concepts because of my class participation. They also went above and beyond by bringing in Pizza and food to the final class. Overall, testcrackers is fantastic. I highly recommend it. Good luck! read more

I initially took a TestCrackers GRE prep class (quantitative section) in 2015 when applying for graduate school (MA programs in Communication). As stated in my initial review, I was able to increase my quant score and I got into my top choice programs (and top MA Comms programs in the USA). Everything in my original review holds true, and after recently taking the same GRE quant prep course, I can confidently say that TestCrackers is still amazing AND effective. I wanted to try to increase my GRE scores once again for Ph.D. apps this past fall of 2019. Yuri is still amazing, the homework/helpful booklet is still dependable, the Berkeley office still has snacks, and I increased my quant score once again. I received acceptances with funding offers to 2 out of 5 of the Ph.D. programs that I applied to and one waitlist offer (complications related to COVID-19) to another. All programs are some of the top Communications programs in the country, and while they say that a grad school application is a bit like a flower bouquet when it comes to components, TestCrackers helped me feel confident with the GRE stem. read more

I took the GRE quant course with Yuri and it was much more than I could have asked for. A bit of background: I haven't taken a math class since high school and although the quant score wasn't too essential for my program I was consistently scoring 15-20th percentile on my actual exams and my practice tests. I tried other online services for math and it wasn't very helpful for me because there is SO much material. Yuri somehow makes the classes fun and I always dreaded math class. They have a lot of opportunity for people who are trying to score very high on the exam as well. If you are great at math or terrible at math or somewhere in between you will benefit from this class. I was scoring in the 55-60th percentile after this class which was my goal score. Again, if you want to do better than that you can with this program. Your goal score is totally achievable. They also have office hours for 2 hours each Saturday and sometimes Yuri and Seth stay much longer to answer everyone's questions. After the course, like throughout the entire course, Yuri went above and beyond and had a time to chat with you over the phone and plan out your study plan post test crackers. He gave more options that were specific to you and your goals. Whatever goals you want to accomplish with test crackers, you can!!!! I didn't take the verbal course with Seth, but I had some office hours with him and he is a great teacher as well and many people from my quant course loved him in their verbal courses. Everyone at test crackers does ALL they can for you to succeed. There is truly no other service that is like this. You will get a personal and professional experience that is unlike any other. I have never written a yelp review so I hope that gives more insight into how much I loved Yuri! Although the service is expensive it is so so so so worth it. If I could go back in time I would just immediately go to test crackers as early as possible to get the most out of it. They also have payment plans and Yuri mentioned scholarships, which are probably highly competitive, but it is amazing that they do this as the gre and graduate education is generally catered towards middle and upper class people. Tangent aside, Yuri and Seth are amazing and I am so so happy to be writing this review for them!!! Thank you guys! read more

I took the 5-week Quant Course with Yuri and was continuously impressed by the not only the caliber of the classes but also the positive environment he cultivated. I would highly recommend Test Crackers and this course specifically for the following reasons. NO MATH SHAMING: On Day 1, my main fear was that I would feel ridiculed in my mathematical incompetence. Doing math problems that I didn't understand, aloud, in a group setting sounded horrible. However, Yuri really helped mitigate that anxiety. He is consistently patient and affirming when folks stumbled over concepts, no matter how simple. Instead of math shaming folks, he shows a genuine interest to understand where theirconfusion stems from, in order to help tailor his explanation. This helped set a tone for the class where mistakes are embraced as an inevitable part of the learning process. FULLY INVESTED INSTRUCTOR: It's clear that Yuri is excited about math, which is helpful. But if you are someone who is less excited about math, he brings enough of his personality and humour to keep the class engaging. Personal stories, dad jokes, and songs are woven throughout the content, keeping the class dynamic and memorable. Yuri is an exceptional instructor not only because he can explain math concepts, but because he is kind, and goes out of his way to try and meet his students needs. Quite literally, he goes out of his way to drop students off at BART stations or nearby addresses after class if they don't have a ride. He is always present, prepared, and enthusiastic for classes and office hours. He frequently extends office hours past the allotted time so that students can get as much out of the sessions as possible. Even after the course ended he offered to sit down and create a personalized study plan for each of us, so that we would have a clear idea of how to best reach our goals. It's obvious how invested Yuri is in not only the business, but also in his students. And that difference is felt! SUPPORT A SMALL LOCAL BUSINESS: I am confused as to why someone would choose to be in a larger class at a massive corporation like Kaplan, rather than Test Crackers. Not only are the smaller classes and the level of personalized attention unparalleled. But also, if you're going to invest this much money in a course, use it to support a small local business! Seriously, it's a win-win! read more

I am beyond thankful that I decided to enroll in TestCrackers for my GRE preparation. I took my Verbal section with Seth and my Quantitative section with Isaac, both who turned out to be amazing teachers and wonderful people. From my process at TestCrackers, I saw not only significant increases in my scores from my first diagnostic practice test, but also an increase in my overall confidence and comfort approaching the GRE. My favorite thing about the TestCrackers approach is the non-judgmental, supportive environment that the tutors make for the students. A classroom that is supportive and highly interactive is most vital for effective learning, and TestCrackers is able to create exactly that. It may seem like a large price to pay for tutoring classes, but the investment is actually much more than that. With the classes, they are also offering tons of support through office hours and quick and responsive insightful feedback. Seth and Isaac were both very happy to help me in my studying process even after both of my classes ended. Without their enduring support and advice, my process would not have been anywhere as seamless and successful as it was. The accommodations that the employees of this company are willing to make is beyond helpful and makes the experience even better. Take this post as a sign to enroll in TestCrackers for your test preparation needs; you definitely will not regret it! read more

As background to this post, I had already been studying for 8 months and completed the entire GMAT 2020 Official Guide before joining this class to which I received poor scores far below my target. This is when I learned that the number of problems completed does not result in a greater score on this exam. To anyone who is beginning their GMAT journey and is concerned about where to go, who to speak to, and what you need to do to achieve your goal score, TestCrackers is the place to be. I have had the amazing opportunity to take the entire Test Cracker Curriculum with Seth Capron and Isaac Puglia, and it was everything I needed to help reach my target score. The course was thorough, coordinated, and created a great mindset and pattern to help handle the various challenges of the exam. Through it, I noticed a huge change in my score week to week as I was able to hone in and strictly practice the concepts we had discussed in class. This also carried amazing with the great timing strategy they teach you through this program. However, on top of everything that the course was offering there was also something very special to me about this course. That is the passion and consistency of all the instructors that work there. This was shown through their constant willingness to create opportunities to help you within your journey. I was able to experience this firsthand with my journey as Isaac helped me immensely by keeping in touch and guiding me during my final weeks towards my exam, and I can't thank him enough for it! After all my other experiences with this exam I have learned that the GMAT is no easy test, but with the right guidance, focus, and persistence it can be defeated. I hope this review helps someone else who may be struggling with this exam, and to know that TestCrackers is the right place to be! read more

Testcrackers helped me gain +80 points on my GMAT scores and finally get into the range for my top choice school. Before Testcrackers, I have tried for 3 months everything available online studying by myself, having some live sessions, etc. But nothing worked. I felt that I knew all the content, I'm pretty good in Math and English, but I tried 2x the online exam and once at the test center and my scores always came out below average. I felt frustrated. Until I found Isaac Puglia on Spotify with his Podcast and his Video Series. With his well humored style but serious and effective approach, Isaac gained my trust and I enrolled at his Quant and Verbal classes at Testcrackers. Initially, I was a little suspicious about all his crazy methods because that differed a lot from my personal approach, but I gave it a try. And that's the result: +80 points. I could have even got more, but there was a power outage at the test center, and I lost 5 min from my Quant section. Still, I absolutely recommend Tescrackers. If you know everything or nor, it is about how to tackle the GMAT, and Isaac Puglia and testcrackers can help you with that. Don't waste time, don't hesitate. Start the next section, do what they tell you and you will get the scores you need I'm sure. Good luck. And thank you Testcrackers!!! read more

I took the Quant and Verbal courses for the GMAT prep class with Seth and have learned so much! Along with the class we received 6 practice tests from Manhattan Prep and the GMAT Official Guide. We had weekly quant and verbal classes, where concepts were discussed and weekly office hours where homework was discussed. Each week, we had assigned homework and were expected to take a practice test approximately every two weeks. I have already increased my score and hope to continue as I continue using the tips and tricks taught to me. I highly recommend taking these courses. read more

Andrew and Kirk were awesome in the quantitative and verbal classes, respectively. They are both extremely knowledgeable and able to articulate complex GMAT problems to their students with ease. With all the tricky questions on the exam you would expect students to constantly ask for clarification on the solution to the problems that we go over in class. But that was not the case. It was not necessary for them to explain any concept more than once because they were so clear the first time even to students who are not native English speakers. I was most impressed with both their high energy level and enjoyment of the subject that they were teaching. They were definitely not just going through the motion which helps when you're taking a class till 9PM in the evening on a weekday and on a Saturday afternoon. read more

I went to the Berkley Location and I would say that their tips and tricks were beyond helpful. I got great scores on the GMAT thanks to them and am currently at Stanford because of this. I would highly recommend their course to anyone whom is looking to learn great tips for passing the GMAT/GRE exams. read more

Could not recommend Yuri's quant class more to anyone scoring below the 90th percentile on the quant section of their GRE practice tests. In short, Yuri's just a general brilliant, kind-hearted guy who does a fantastic job differentiating problems to fit different students' learning speeds, even while catering to a class of twelve. Because the class operates on a cold-call basis (fear not, he's super hands-on about walking you through problems when you're unsure), he's awesome at gauging which students have more general comfort with certain material, and will cater easier questions to students who are struggling and tougher questions to those who are really gelling with a particular lesson. This is why I say that even if you're sitting solidly in the 70-80th percentile, that these group classes can and will help you improve your score significantly. I work full time and took Yuri's Thursday night quant course from 6:30-9:30 and somehow consistently found myself looking forward to sitting through a three-hour-long math course on the second to last night of my week, every week. The classes tend to be really supportive and collaborative, and Yuri comes at every lesson with a ton of humor and energy. A couple things to note: (1) This class is not for the faint of heart when it comes to out-of-class work. I ended up barely scraping through the homework in time for the next class spending an hour a day before work and ~3 hours on Saturdays and Sundays (2) The hidden benefits of paying the hefty enrollment fee for the quant course is that Yuri holds tremendously helpful remote office hours on Saturdays and in-person hours on Sunday afternoons. Additionally, he's extremely responsive via email and phone, and will gladly touch base with you about continuing to build a targeted study plan based on practice test scores, even after the course ends. I've taken classes with Kaplan before and TestCrackers absolutely blows them out of the water. Pull the trigger, sign up for a course at TestCrackers, you'll be so, so happy you did. read more

If you are having any struggles with the GRE or GMAT / or wondering where to start, do not waste your time looking at any other programs, sign up with TestCrackers. I had initially taken a Kaplan GMAT course 2 years ago, attended every class, did all the homeworks, went to office hours, etc. and saw a 30 point increase. I was beyond frustrated. I began studying again for the GMAT last year, went through the Kaplan book again, got the OG GMAT book, did all the practices and ended up with only 20 points higher at mid-high 600s score. I was struggling with the quant section. A friend told me about TestCrackers and I immediately emailed them. Seth was extremely realistic with me talking about the hours it would take to get a higher math score but I wanted it and signed up. Isaac was my teacher and I truly can't say enough great things about him. The approaches to problems were vastly different and easier than Kaplan and I immediately saw my score start to go up. A couple weeks after the course ended, I hit a 740 on a real practice test and was so happy... however, then COVID hit, the new online GMAT got released with no real whiteboard to do scratch work. Isaac and I scheduled a call and he advised me to switch to the GRE. For the past 3 months, he and I would periodically do check-ins and he'd advise me how to course correct. I'm proud to say I finally hit my target score and all that time investment was worth it. If you want a higher score and are willing to put up in the work, sign up now. TestCrackers teachers genuinely want to help you reach your score and will go out of their way to do so (unlike the majority of the big commercial test prep companies). I don't write many Yelp reviews, but I felt like I had to write one for TestCrackers and Isaac to hopefully help someone that is where I was a year ago. Sign up now! read more

I recently completed my GRE quant course with Yuri and cannot recommend him highly enough. The classes were top-notch, and I ended up learning a lot in a relatively short amount of time. Yuri is the best math teacher I've ever had; he is brilliant, kind, genuine, and always goes out of his way to help his students. I also recommend attending quant office hours since you can learn a lot of new strategies and tricks. If you are planning to invest in a test prep course, definitely consider test crackers, and you will not regret it. read more

Due to the current climate, preparing for graduate school is a dauntless task. I took the complete GRE prep course over this summer, and the teachers skill in adapting to an online platform is really impressive. I was engaged, informed, and supported throughout the entire class. Anisa was my instructor for the Verbal section. She was a brilliant teacher, a patient mentor, and a wonderful person to get to know. I feel so lucky to share a love for vocabulary with her! Andrew was my instructor for the Quantitative section. He was funny, patient, and completely non-condescending towards those of us not math inclined. The strategies that I learned throughout the course transformed my Quant scores. Thank you so much to Test Crackers, to Anisa, to Andrew, and to Yuri! read more

In 2019, I took Testcrackers GRE prep for quantitative and verbal reasoning with Yuri and Seth. I had previously had a bad experience with an SAT tutor in high school and was very nervous to try another prep class. Well it was SOOO helpful and Yuri and Seth were two of the best teachers I've had throughout my teaching career. So kind and never made me feel stupid even though I struggle with math. Great at checking in with every student and very knowledgeable. They have specific workbooks that are more helpful than any of the GRE prep books I bought. I sold all my GRE prep books after the GRE but kept theirs. So thankful for them and very glad I didn't go with Princeton review or any of the others. They are a small team but a mighty one, I'm sure they will translate their teaching well online. I owe it to them that I got into my grad program at Cal Berkeley. read more

I took the Quantitative Course for the GRE with Marty. Honestly, it was the best decision I made. I have always been warned not to pay for a Test Prep course, but after reading the reviews on Yelp, I took a chance. From the first class to the last, Marty was great at breaking down quantitative questions to make them more approachable. I felt more comfortable with quantitative reasoning to the extent that when I looked back at a quant problem, I just couldn't believe I was actually attempting to answer it and actually getting the right answer! Before I would just skip or guess on a majority of quantitative questions. Marty was super patient with any question a student had and definitely enjoyed what he did. Everyone that works at TestCrackers cares about their students. I am now taking the Verbal Course with Seth and I am already seeing value of the class. I highly recommend this course to anyone who wants to do well on the GRE or GMAT. It's well worth it! read more

Test Crackers was invaluable to me for my GRE prep. I can not recommend this program enough! With the price you get quant and verbal classes taught by funny, engaging, patient instructors, a study plan, practice problems and tests, access to a generous number of office hours and the support of your fellow classmates. The instructors truly want you to achieve your goal score and their dedication to you as a student is so clear. I feel so lucky to have found this for my studies!! Highly recommend read more

If you do not know where or how to even begin studying for the GRE, take this course! I initially bought the Official GRE test prep books from ETS (thinking that that would have been enough) but as time got closer to my test date (and books untouched), I knew I needed to learn all the materials quickly. Now having taken the verbal course with Seth and the quant course with Yuri in Berkeley, I can confidently say that the books alone would not have sufficed! These guys definitely care about helping you and without their direction, I would have been lost. I got an essay score that I was very happy with. I know it's a bit pricey for the course, but it's worth all the Trader Joe's lunches you're about to have :) All materials/books will be given to you on your first day so there's no need to buy anything else. Helpful tip: I took both the verbal and quant together and would not recommend dong that if you have other stuff going on - take them separately as you will need time to do the homework. The weekly homework didn't take more than a full day if you do it in one sitting but if you also have to do the problems from the GMAT book that they recommend, that was what killed me. It took me a solid week to get through that book (and that was me working on it night and day, doing nothing else). GL on your exam! read more

I was a TestCrackers student in Santa Clara, CA and took both in-person and online GMAT Quant and Verbal classes. Seth, Anisa, and Yuri are experts in GMAT prep and they truly care about your learning during and after you take classes with them. Both the in-person and online group classes are very personal due to the small group sizes, and the instructors constantly keep you engaged during lessons. I initially wanted to have private tutoring before finding TestCrackers, but immediately realized I made a better choice in my first class. The classroom environment was very useful because the other students asked the questions I didn't know I had, and everyone's different perspective helped me consider questions through different angles, which is what GMAT wants you to do. At the end of my journey, I took the GMAT online, and received 50 on Quant, 40 on Verbal, and 8 on IR for a 740 total score. I found TestCrackers' study guide very useful during my preparation; keeping track of my progress was extremely simple thanks to the tools and guidance TestCrackers provided me. Once you become a student at TestCrackers, you get limitless access to basically all the questions out there for GMAT (by limitless, I literally mean limitless, they have all the books in their library, and you can take them whenever you want to). I took Quant with Andrew, and Verbal with Kirk and Anisa. All my instructors were truly friendly, supportive, and experts in their fields. I took Verbal twice due to my initial GMAT score (690 total, 50 Quant, 34 Verbal), but I couldn't have received a 40 on Verbal without Anisa or Kirk. Kirk helped me with my Verbal foundation, and Anisa strengthened this base. I'm an engineer so my Quant foundation was already strong, but taking the Verbal class from 2 different experts was honestly very rewarding, especially since English is not my native language. If you are considering taking GMAT or GRE, TestCrackers IS the right place for you. Expert instructors, fantastic study guides, limitless resources, and smiling faces are what you will be getting when you sign up with TestCrackers. If you combine all these resources with consistent studying and a goal oriented mind, I am positive you can achieve the score you want. I'm grateful for TestCrackers. read more

I couldn't recommend this place enough. All the teachers are very friendly and they really care about the students success. The first GMAT practice test I ever took I scored a 580. After doing both the verbal and quant classes, I increased my score to a 700 (48,38) and was accepted into both Notre Dame (Full Financial Aid) and Cornell (Partial Aid). read more

TestCrackers was the best decision I've ever made for myself, it was super helpful, my instructor Yuri was fantastic. He has a great story, and I can tell truly cares for each of his students. The snacks, ambience, and exam help they provide is worth it. Their discounts for EOP undergraduate students is also unmatched, so I urge my fellow undergrads to jump on this! read more

The GRE prep course is surprisingly enjoyable and really effective. Highly recommend it!

Yuri and Seth really are the best of the best. They do an exceptional job of taking the GRE and breaking it down to make each part feel more accessible and easy to tackle. They're both super approachable and engaging and truly make learning the material so much more fun than you could possibly imagine--there was even one point in the quant course that Yuri had me in tears from laughing. Something that I particularly appreciate about both Yuri and Seth is how genuine and willing they were to help throughout the course and after the course! They are both incredibly helpful and so responsive when it comes to questions, mapping out study plans after the course has ended, or just giving you the extra encouragement you need. I really have nothing but wonderful things to say about both of them and my experience with TestCrackers. If you're on the fence, go with them. You'll walk away with a bunch of great strategies, a newfound confidence in being able to destroy the GRE, and a truly personalized experience. read more

I can't recommend Yuri highly enough. The week before the GRE I did a practice test and discovered that I didn't remember anything from my high school stats class. Oops. I did a very last minute 2 hour session with him for GRE math prep. He had set aside material covering exactly what I had been struggling with, and was thoughtful and thorough in his explanations of the material. The session was organized, efficient and encouraging. I scored higher than I had expected to, and above average for the programs I'm applying to. One session with Yuri was significantly more helpful than the multiple sessions I did with another tutor before the practice round of the GRE I did in March. As I was leaving after our 7-9 pm session another student was coming in. Apparently Yuri doesn't sleep either. He might actually be a super hero. read more

I just took the June 2013 LSAT and scored a 161 with the help of Yuri! His tutoring supplemented the prep course I was taking and I'm positive that I would not have scored as high as I did without his help. When I began working with Yuri, I already had a solid grasp of the basic LSAT knowledge and was looking to fine tune my skills. He quickly figured out my thought process and recognized the trends in the flaws I was committing. The combination of his adaptability, patience, teaching experience, and ability to tailor to students individual weaknesses makes him an exceptional tutor. With respect to cost, he has the most competitive and reasonable rates compared to the many other tutors I looked into. Bottom-line, Yuri is just a really nice guy and is highly proficient at what he does. I would HIGHLY recommend Yuri to anyone who is looking to improve their LSAT score and work with a great tutor who truly cares. read more

I had the opportunity of a lifetime to attend a top tier Business School. GMAT was the only thing that stood between me and Biz school. One of my team mates recommended me to Yuri. From the first moment I was impressed with how Yuri was able to help me master Quant so quickly. Yuri's mastery over Quant and Verbal is fantastic. However, I felt it was his gift of teaching that helped me learn and understand the concepts quickly and effortlessly. In addition, what really helped me was that Yuri held me accountable for all the homework that was required of me to do well on the GMAT in a relatively short period of time. With Yuri's help I was able to get into Business School and fulfill my lifelong dream. Through the process, Yuri has become a trusted partner - a person who I can count on, anytime I need to brush up on my Quant and Verbal skills. I absolutely and highly recommend Yuri if you are looking to master the GMAT. read more

I highly recommend Yuri's Quant class as an excellent way to prepare for the GRE. It's been about 10 years since I did high school math, so I was desperate for help getting back into it. I thought about taking a Manhattan Prep or Princeton Review course, but ultimately decided on Testcrackers because of the awesome reviews from students, small class size, and comparably low cost. Yuri's class went above and beyond my expectations. Not only has Yuri developed tried-and-true tips for getting through the test, but he also creates an atmosphere of non-judgement and encouragement in his classroom. I left every class feeling more confident in my abilities. By the end, Yuri's love for math started to rub off on me -- sometimes I (ALMOST) looked forward to doing a chapter in the 5lb book! Unlike larger test prep courses, Yuri clearly cares about his students' success. Once the class was over, Yuri didn't disappear; he helped me develop a daily study plan until the day I took the exam and was more than happy to set up a few Skype lessons to go over any last minute questions I had. When anxiety hit a few days before the test, Yuri was there to make sure I felt confident and ready to kick ass on test day. :) I can't say enough good things about Yuri and his Quant class. If you're still deciding whether or not to invest the big bucks in another course run by the big test companies, definitely go with Yuri - you won't be disappointed! read more

I finished the Verbal prep section for the GRE with Anisa and I am extremely happy to have decided to enroll in the TestCrackers courses! On top of being outstandingly qualified and professional, Anisa is very very approachable, affable,friendly, concerned with and interested to help all her students in the best manner possible. She addresses every question, unclarity, comments, concerns with a smile, great attitude and promptly. She has an awesome energy and very kind personality which is so helpful when going through challenging material and what could be an overwhelming studying journey. I am grateful , satisfied and really recommend the TestCrackers way to prepare for your exams! read more

Yuri and Seth love what they do. Stick around after class and get to know them, you'll realize they genuine love teaching and helping others achieve their goals. Yuri knows the GMAT quant inside out and Seth is the master of the verbal section. There is so much strategy within each section and these guys have it all figured out. I recommend taking both their classes, you'll feel more than confident when you take the real test. Now I can get into the programs I want! Justin (GMAT 710, Q46 V42) read more

I could not have picked better options than Yuri and Seth's TestCrackers verbal and quant classes for the GMAT. I considered taking Manhattan classes, but was frustrated that there were no reviews on the teachers, so I wouldn't know what kind of teacher I was getting. Reading all the yelp reviews and testimonials helped me to decide that TestCrackers was the way to go and I am so happy I went with them! It is such an intense process applying for business school and the GMAT is just plain hard. For me, math specifically and standardized testing in general has always been challenging and I dreaded beginning the process. However, once I started taking classes with Seth (for verbal) and Yuri (for quant) things became less daunting and dare I say it, kind of fun. The reason they both stand out to me is how responsive and encouraging they both are. If I sent either of them a problem that I was having, a question that I wasn't understanding or needed an analysis of my practice test scores, they would respond within 24 hours. If you put in the time and the effort, they meet you where you are and help motivate you to get where you need to be. After finishing the class I now feel much more at ease with taking the GMAT and am confident that I can get the score I want. Thanks Yuri and Seth! read more

This review is long overdue! I'm heading to my dream MBA program in the fall, and I would not be in this position if it weren't for my experience working with Yuri and Seth. Last spring, I did the GMAT quant course with Yuri and private verbal tutoring with Seth, and I highly recommend working with these guys. They genuinely care about their students and create a great atmosphere for learning. I came to them having already bought and completed a big name online prep course which brought me to the low 600s. After working with Yuri and Seth, I scored 750 on the real test and only had to take it once! I wish I had worked exclusively with them from the beginning. A few words of advice for getting the most out of Testcrackers: Consult with Yuri before you start to discuss your overall strategy and what you want to get out of the course/tutoring. Do all the homework. Go to the extra review sessions. Do some private tutoring with Seth or Yuri if you can. Get to know your classmates and learn by asking for help and explaining problems to each other; the small class, in-person experience is a big benefit of this program. read more

I needed help with the GMAT Quant section. Isaac was my tutor. I can't give enough stars to represent how awesome Isaac is. The value is simply staggering. Data Points: I took a practice test to see where I was. I scored a 40 on the quant section. 49th percentile. Unacceptable. I studied for a month and a half. No improvements. Scores were all over the place - 40, 42, 41, 39, etc. Honestly - kind of soul-crushing. I went through well over a dozen practice tests like this. Eventually, I accepted that I needed help. Signed up for the quant class. The class is designed to meet seven times. After the fourth class meeting, I was scoring about a 45 or so on practice tests. That's a massive jump for what amounts to about 12 hours of classtime. Between the fourth class meeting and the fifth class meeting, I scheduled and took the real GMAT. On the real GMAT, I scored a 49 on the quant section. Four sessions of Isaac's quant class improved my GMAT score by 60 points. The truth is that the GMAT is not like your typical standardized test. If you don't go into the quant section without a strategy, it's unlikely that you're going to score your full potential. Simply hammering away at practice problems for hours like I did isn't going to improve your score much. This is why I highly recommend TestCrackers and Isaac in particular. About Isaac - he's a consummately engaging, humorous teacher. He's patient when he walks through the problems, keeps you on your toes, and is honestly just a super cool guy to talk to. My recommendations: Take the quant course with Isaac, but study the math fundamentals beforehand. If you are too busy trying to understand the math fundamentals, you'll miss out on the elegance of the problem solving strategies. The value of the class lies in learning those strategies. I also want to warn future GMAT takers - don't be misled by the percentiles. A 40 in quant is the 49th percentile but a 40 in verbal is the 90th percentile. This makes the quant score look desperately low and the verbal score look quite high, but in actuality both sections have equal amounts of room for improvement. I made this mistake and only studied for quant. If I knew a month ago what I know now, I would have also registered for the verbal class. read more