GMAT Verbal tests three distinct skills, and most students struggle with different parts:

• Reading Comprehension: Dense, academic passages with tough inference questions and time pressure. Students often rush through passages and miss nuances.
• Sentence Correction: Tests grammar, idioms, and sentence structure. Many test-takers find the subtle grammar rules challenging, especially idiom questions that can't be solved by logic alone.
• Critical Reasoning: Requires analyzing arguments and identifying logical flaws. Students typically struggle with assumption questions and weakener/strengthener distinctions.

A tutor for students in Denver can diagnose which section is your biggest obstacle and develop targeted strategies to address it.

Most students benefit from 4-12 weeks of focused GMAT Verbal preparation, depending on their starting level and target score. If you're aiming for a 40+ on Verbal (which puts you in a competitive range for top MBA programs), plan for 8-12 weeks with 5-7 hours of weekly study. If you need a more modest improvement or have strong English fundamentals, 4-6 weeks may be sufficient. Working with a tutor accelerates this timeline by helping you avoid wasted study time and practice questions that don't address your weaknesses. Your tutor can create a realistic schedule based on your current performance and test date.

Practice tests are critical—they serve dual purposes of measuring progress and building test-day stamina. The GMAT Verbal section requires sustained concentration for 65 minutes across three question types, so full-length practice tests under timed conditions are essential. Most tutors recommend taking full GMAT practice exams every 2-3 weeks to track improvement and identify remaining weak spots. Between full tests, targeted drills on specific question types help build skills. Tutors for students in Denver use practice test results to pinpoint exactly where you're losing points, whether it's accuracy issues, timing problems, or conceptual gaps in a particular question type.

Time management is one of the most common GMAT Verbal challenges. You have roughly 1 minute 50 seconds per question across reading comprehension (with longer passages), sentence correction, and critical reasoning. Effective pacing isn't about rushing—it's about strategic allocation. Most high scorers spend slightly more time on reading passages initially (to avoid rereading) but move quickly through sentence corrections once they spot the error. Critical reasoning questions often demand more thinking time. A tutor helps you develop personalized pacing through timed drills and practice tests, identifying where you typically lose time and teaching techniques like pre-reading strategies for comprehension passages and process-of-elimination tactics for sentence correction.

The first step is honest assessment. Take a full, timed GMAT practice test and review results by question type. You'll likely notice you're stronger in some areas (maybe sentence correction) and weaker in others (perhaps reading comprehension). Track which specific question types or topics trip you up—for instance, you might score well on main idea questions but struggle with inference questions in reading comp. Once you've identified patterns, targeted practice becomes possible. Tutors for students in Denver use diagnostic tests and detailed performance analysis to pinpoint exactly which skills need work, then assign focused practice and teach the strategies and grammar rules (in sentence correction) or reasoning frameworks (in critical reasoning) that address those gaps. This targeted approach is far more efficient than generic test prep.

Test anxiety often stems from feeling unprepared or uncertain about strategy, so strong preparation is your best defense. Working with a tutor builds genuine confidence because you've drilled extensively, understand your strengths and weaknesses, and have tested strategies that work for you. Beyond preparation, practical techniques help: familiarize yourself with the test format and interface (do this with official GMAT prep), practice timed sections regularly to make timing feel natural, and develop a routine for test day that includes calming activities beforehand. Some students find it helpful to set a realistic target score rather than aiming for perfection—aiming for a 40 on Verbal is an excellent achievement for most MBA applicants. Varsity Tutors connects you with tutors who understand test psychology and can coach you through both the content and the emotional side of test prep.