Score improvement depends on your starting point and study effort, but most students see meaningful gains with personalized instruction and consistent practice. Tutors can help you identify specific weak areas—whether it's algebra fundamentals, time management, or test-taking strategy—and create a targeted study plan. Many students improve by 5-10 points or more by focusing on their unique challenges rather than generic test prep.

The most common struggles are pacing under time pressure, understanding tricky question wording, and gaps in foundational math concepts. Many test-takers also struggle with data interpretation questions and knowing when to use calculators effectively. A tutor can help you develop strategic approaches to each question type, practice time management, and strengthen the specific math topics that are holding you back.

Your first session typically includes a diagnostic assessment to identify your current strengths and weaknesses, followed by a discussion of your target score and timeline. Varsity Tutors connects you with a tutor who specializes in GRE prep and can create a personalized study plan based on what you need most—whether that's concept review, problem-solving strategies, or timed practice. From there, you'll work through targeted lessons and practice problems tailored to your goals.

Practice tests are essential—they help you get comfortable with the question format, build test-taking stamina, and identify patterns in what you're missing. The ETS (test maker) provides official practice tests that are the most accurate reflection of the real exam. Your tutor can use practice test results to guide your study plan, help you analyze mistakes, and develop strategies for the specific question types that challenge you most.

With 40 minutes for about 20 questions, you have roughly 2 minutes per question—but timing varies by question type and difficulty. A key strategy is learning to recognize when a problem will take too long and moving on strategically, since harder questions appear later in the section. Your tutor can teach you to pace yourself during practice, identify which question types you solve fastest, and develop decision-making skills for when to skip and return to a problem.

Many test-takers have gaps in certain areas, and that's exactly what personalized tutoring addresses. Whether you need to refresh algebra fundamentals, build confidence with geometry, or master data interpretation, a tutor can break down difficult concepts, provide targeted practice, and show you how these topics appear on the GRE. You'll focus your study time on what matters most rather than reviewing material you already know.

Most students benefit from 4-12 weeks of focused preparation, depending on their starting level and target score. If you're starting with weaker math skills, you may need longer; if you're already strong in math, you might need less time focused on strategy and test-taking skills. Your tutor can create a realistic timeline based on your baseline performance and goals, then adjust as needed based on your progress.