The GRE Verbal section tests three core skills: reading comprehension, text completion, and sentence equivalence—each with its own difficulty. Many students struggle with the dense academic passages and the need to understand nuanced vocabulary in context, not just memorize word lists. Pacing is another major challenge; you have about 1.5 minutes per question, which doesn't leave much room for second-guessing. A tutor can help you develop efficient strategies for each question type and build the stamina needed to maintain focus through the entire section.

Start by taking a diagnostic practice test to identify your specific weak areas—some students need vocabulary and reading skills, while others struggle primarily with logical reasoning or pacing. Once you know where you stand, a tutor can prioritize the highest-impact areas first, typically working on reading comprehension strategies and foundational vocabulary before moving into advanced techniques. This targeted approach is much more efficient than generic test prep and helps you build confidence quickly.

Practice tests are essential—they're the best way to simulate test conditions, identify patterns in your mistakes, and build the stamina needed for test day. You should aim to take full-length practice tests every 1-2 weeks during your preparation, and a tutor can help you analyze your results to spot trends (like consistently missing inference questions or timing out on passages). The official GRE practice tests are the most reliable since they use actual test questions, and reviewing them with a tutor helps you understand not just what you got wrong, but why.

Effective strategies include active reading (annotating key points and author's tone), understanding passage structure before diving into questions, and learning to distinguish between main ideas and supporting details. The GRE often tests your ability to make inferences and understand implicit relationships, not just recall facts, so strategic reading is more important than reading speed. A tutor can teach you how to read efficiently for the GRE's specific demands and help you practice until these strategies become automatic.

Test anxiety often stems from uncertainty about question formats or feeling unprepared, both of which tutoring directly addresses. When you work through practice questions repeatedly with a tutor, you build familiarity and confidence—you stop being surprised by what the test throws at you. Tutors also teach time-management and pacing techniques that reduce the panic of running out of time, and they help you develop a mindset of strategic guessing when needed rather than freezing on difficult questions.

Most students benefit from 8-12 weeks of consistent preparation, typically meeting with a tutor 1-2 times per week while completing independent practice in between sessions. Your specific timeline depends on your target score, starting point, and how much time you can dedicate to studying outside of tutoring sessions. A tutor can help you create a realistic study schedule that builds toward your test date and adjusts based on your progress.

Not necessarily—while vocabulary is important, the GRE tests your ability to understand words in context and make educated guesses based on word roots and sentence structure. A strategic approach focuses on high-frequency GRE words (roughly 500-1000 key words) and teaches you how to decode unfamiliar words rather than memorizing endless lists. A tutor can help you build vocabulary efficiently through spaced repetition and context-based learning, which is far more effective than cramming word lists.