Your first session typically includes a diagnostic assessment to understand your current skill level, test-taking habits, and areas of weakness. Your tutor will review your goals, discuss your target score and business school timeline, and create a personalized study plan. You'll also get a sense of the tutor's teaching style and can ask questions about their approach to GMAT prep, so you can start building confidence right away.

Pacing is one of the most common GMAT challenges, and it requires both strategy and practice. A tutor can teach you time-management techniques like identifying which question types to prioritize, when to guess strategically, and how to avoid getting stuck on difficult problems. Regular practice tests under timed conditions—with your tutor's feedback on where you're losing time—help you internalize faster decision-making without sacrificing accuracy.

Absolutely. Many students are stronger in quantitative reasoning but struggle with verbal reasoning, or vice versa. Varsity Tutors connects you with tutors who can zero in on your weakest section while maintaining your strengths. This targeted approach is especially helpful if you're close to your goal score and just need to break through in one specific area.

Test anxiety often stems from uncertainty about question formats, pacing pressure, or past disappointing performance. Working with a tutor builds confidence through repeated exposure to authentic GMAT questions, timed practice tests, and strategies for staying calm under pressure. Your tutor can also help you develop a pre-test routine and teach you how to recognize when anxiety is affecting your decision-making so you can refocus.

Most students benefit from 2-4 months of consistent preparation, though this varies based on your starting score and target. With personalized tutoring, you can often compress your timeline since you're not wasting time on concepts you've already mastered. Your tutor will help you create a realistic study schedule that fits your work and life commitments while keeping you on track for your business school application deadline.

Practice tests are essential—they're the best way to identify patterns in your mistakes, get comfortable with the test format, and practice pacing under real conditions. Most students should take 4-6 full-length practice tests during their preparation. Your tutor can help you interpret your practice test results, pinpoint which question types are costing you points, and adjust your study plan accordingly.

Look for tutors with strong GMAT scores (typically 700+), proven teaching experience, and familiarity with the latest test format. Ideally, your tutor should have helped multiple students reach their target scores and understand the specific challenges that students in Portland face. Varsity Tutors connects you with expert tutors who have the credentials and track record to help you succeed on test day.