The GRE rewards speed and accuracy equally—you have roughly 1.5 minutes per question on Verbal and 2 minutes on Quant, which feels tight when you're learning to balance skipping hard questions with managing your time. Many test-takers rush through easy questions and get stuck on difficult ones, losing points on both.

A strong 5-week prep approach teaches you to recognize when to move on, which questions to tackle first, and how to manage the adaptive nature of the test. Practice under timed conditions is essential—this is where personalized tutoring helps, as an experienced tutor can watch your approach, identify timing patterns, and help you develop strategies that match your strengths.

Reading Comprehension tends to challenge many test-takers because it requires extracting key ideas quickly from dense academic passages, and the answer choices are designed to be subtly different. Analytical Writing also trips up students who haven't written timed essays recently. Quantitative Reasoning is demanding for non-STEM students, though many find it more predictable once they master the core concepts tested.

The advantage of a focused 5-week prep is that you can identify your specific weakness early (through a diagnostic practice test) and allocate your study time accordingly. Varsity Tutors connects you with tutors who can diagnose whether you need help with content knowledge, reading speed, or test-taking strategy—and that distinction matters for how you spend your limited prep weeks.

Most effective 5-week schedules include 3-4 full-length practice tests (ideally the official ETS GRE Practice Tests, which mirror the real exam format). You want to space them out—taking one early to establish a baseline, one or two mid-prep to track improvement and identify remaining weak areas, and a final one about a week before test day to build confidence and simulate test-day conditions.

Beyond full tests, you'll work through targeted practice on specific question types and sections. A personalized prep plan accounts for how much time you need on fundamentals versus strategy refinement, ensuring your practice tests serve as diagnostic tools rather than just homework.

Analytical Writing often gets less attention than it deserves, but it's a critical part of your score. You'll need to write two timed essays: one analyzing an argument and one presenting your own argument. Most students benefit from understanding the rubric first, then practicing 4-6 timed essays to develop speed and clarity.

The challenge is that writing improvement requires feedback—it's hard to spot your own logical gaps or unclear reasoning. A tutor can review your essays, identify patterns in your weak areas (logic, organization, or grammar under pressure), and give you specific strategies to strengthen your writing before test day. This personalized feedback accelerates improvement much faster than generic writing guides.

Test anxiety often peaks when you're learning the test format, feel unprepared, or haven't tested yourself under realistic conditions. A structured 5-week plan addresses this by building familiarity and confidence incrementally—you'll practice under timed conditions regularly, so exam day feels routine rather than shocking.

Personalized instruction helps too. Working 1-on-1 with a tutor means you can address specific anxiety triggers (is it math questions? Running out of time? Second-guessing yourself?), develop concrete coping strategies, and build confidence through guided practice and honest feedback about your progress. Many students find that knowing they've improved their weakest section is the biggest confidence boost heading into test day.

Varsity Tutors connects you with experienced GRE tutors who understand the test format, common pitfalls, and effective strategies for improvement. You'll discuss your goals, starting score, target score, and learning style—then get matched with a tutor who fits your needs and schedule.

Your tutor will create a personalized 5-week plan, diagnose your specific weak areas, teach test-taking strategies, review your practice essays, track your progress with practice tests, and help you build the confidence you need. Whether you need intensive daily sessions or focused weekly meetings, personalized instruction adapts to your pace and schedule.