Your first session is about assessment and planning. A tutor will review your target score, timeline, and any practice test results to understand your strengths and gaps. You'll discuss your study schedule, learning style, and specific concerns—whether it's time management on test day, quantitative problem-solving, or reading comprehension strategies. This foundation helps create a personalized study plan tailored to your goals.

Pacing is one of the most common challenges GRE test-takers face, and personalized instruction is ideal for addressing it. A tutor can teach you which questions to prioritize, how to recognize time-consuming traps, and strategies for different question types. Through practice tests and timed drills, you'll build confidence in your ability to manage the 3-hour-45-minute exam without rushing through important sections.

Absolutely—this is exactly where personalized tutoring excels. Whether you're strong in verbal reasoning but struggle with quantitative problems (or vice versa), a tutor can focus your study time on the sections that need the most work. Many students find that targeted practice in their weaker area, combined with strategies to maintain performance in their stronger section, leads to balanced, competitive scores.

Most test prep experts recommend taking 4-6 full-length practice tests before your exam date, spaced throughout your study period. This allows you to identify patterns in your mistakes, get comfortable with the test format, and build stamina. A tutor can help you review each practice test strategically—focusing on why you missed questions rather than just getting the right answer—and adjust your study plan based on what you learn.

Test anxiety often stems from uncertainty about question formats, pacing, or whether you're prepared—all things personalized instruction addresses head-on. By building mastery through targeted practice, understanding exactly how questions work, and developing confidence in your strategies, you'll feel more in control on test day. Many students also benefit from a tutor's guidance on test-day logistics and mindset techniques to manage stress.

Look for tutors with strong GRE performance themselves, experience teaching test prep, and familiarity with the current exam format. Ideally, they should understand both the content (algebra, geometry, reading comprehension, grammar) and test-specific strategies. Varsity Tutors connects you with expert tutors who have proven track records helping students improve their scores and gain admission to their target graduate programs.

Most students benefit from 8-12 weeks of consistent preparation, though this varies based on your starting point and target score. If you're aiming for a competitive score at a top program, you might need 12-16 weeks. A tutor can help you create a realistic timeline based on your current performance, available study hours, and application deadlines—and adjust your plan if needed to stay on track.