Score improvement depends on your starting point and study intensity, but most students see meaningful gains with focused preparation. Many students improve by 5-10 points with consistent practice, while those addressing specific weaknesses (like Reading Comprehension pacing or Sentence Correction grammar rules) often see larger jumps. Working with a tutor helps identify exactly which question types are holding you back and creates a targeted improvement plan.

Students typically struggle with three main areas: managing time during Reading Comprehension (passages are dense and questions require careful analysis), mastering Sentence Correction grammar rules (which test nuanced English construction), and staying focused during Critical Reasoning (which demands logical reasoning under pressure). Many also find it difficult to distinguish between answer choices that seem similar, which is where targeted practice and strategy make a real difference.

Varsity Tutors connects you with expert tutors who diagnose your specific weaknesses—whether that's slow reading speed, grammar gaps, or reasoning errors—and build a customized study plan around them. Rather than generic test prep, personalized instruction focuses on your question types and teaches you the exact strategies and timing approaches that work for your learning style.

Pacing is about strategic time allocation, not rushing. A tutor can teach you how to quickly identify question difficulty, which questions to prioritize, and when to make educated guesses to save time for harder questions. Practice tests are essential—they help you calibrate your pace and reveal patterns in where you lose time, so you can adjust your approach before test day.

Your first session focuses on assessment and planning. A tutor will review your baseline GMAT score (or conduct a diagnostic if you haven't taken the test), identify which question types challenge you most, and understand your timeline and target score. From there, you'll develop a personalized study schedule and begin tackling your biggest weaknesses with targeted strategies and practice.

Practice tests are critical—they simulate real test conditions, reveal your pacing issues, and show which concepts need more work. Most students benefit from taking full practice tests every 1-2 weeks during their prep period, then reviewing mistakes with a tutor to understand the reasoning behind correct answers. This combination of practice and guided review accelerates improvement far more than studying in isolation.

Test anxiety often stems from uncertainty about strategy or unfamiliarity with question formats. Working through practice tests with a tutor builds confidence by proving you can handle the material and timing under pressure. Tutors also teach breathing techniques, mental strategies for staying focused when you encounter difficult questions, and how to maintain perspective—remembering that one hard question doesn't determine your overall score.