The three main areas students struggle with are reading comprehension (managing time while understanding complex passages), critical reasoning (analyzing arguments and spotting logical flaws), and sentence correction (identifying grammar errors in context). Many test-takers also struggle with pacing—trying to answer questions too quickly without fully understanding what's being asked. Personalized tutoring helps you tackle whichever section is holding back your score.

The Verbal section gives you 65 minutes for 36 questions, averaging about 1 minute 45 seconds per question. Effective timing requires knowing when to move on from a tough question versus when to invest more time, which varies by question type. A tutor can teach you strategic approaches like identifying question patterns, skimming techniques for reading comprehension, and decision-making frameworks that help you work efficiently without rushing.

Practice tests are essential—they help you understand the test format, identify weak areas, and build stamina for the full exam. Taking full-length practice tests under timed conditions gives you realistic feedback on your performance and helps reduce test anxiety. Between practice tests, targeted tutoring on specific question types and strategies maximizes your improvement and helps you apply lessons to new questions.

Most students benefit from 4-12 weeks of focused preparation, depending on their starting score and target score. A realistic study plan typically involves 5-7 hours per week, including practice questions, strategy review, and full-length practice tests. Working with a tutor helps you create a personalized study schedule that fits your timeline and focuses on the areas where you'll gain the most points.

Test anxiety often stems from unfamiliar question formats or uncertainty about your strategies. Building confidence through repeated practice with real GMAT questions, learning proven test-taking strategies, and doing full-length practice tests under timed conditions all help reduce anxiety on test day. A tutor can also teach you mental strategies like pacing yourself and focusing on questions you can control, which builds confidence and helps you perform your best.

Effective reading comprehension strategy involves understanding the passage structure and main idea quickly, rather than trying to memorize every detail. The GMAT tests your ability to identify arguments, find evidence, and make inferences—not your reading speed. A tutor can teach you active reading techniques, how to annotate passages efficiently, and how to approach different question types (main idea, inference, detail, etc.) with confidence.

Look for tutors with strong GMAT scores themselves, experience teaching test-taking strategies, and the ability to diagnose exactly where you're losing points. The best tutors understand the nuances of each question type and can explain not just the right answer, but why the wrong answers are traps. Varsity Tutors connects you with expert tutors for students in Riverside who can personalize instruction to your learning style and target score.