Your first session focuses on understanding your baseline and goals. A tutor will likely review your target score, discuss which sections challenge you most, and assess your familiarity with GRE question formats and timing constraints. This diagnostic approach helps create a personalized study plan that addresses your priorities—whether you need to strengthen math fundamentals, improve reading comprehension speed, or master the analytical writing section.

Pacing is one of the biggest challenges test-takers face, since the GRE is adaptive and requires strategic time management across three sections. Tutors help you develop section-specific timing strategies—for example, learning which question types to tackle first, how to identify when to skip and return to questions, and how to avoid getting stuck on difficult problems. Practice tests are essential for building this rhythm; taking full-length timed practice tests regularly helps you internalize pacing without sacrificing accuracy.

The GRE's adaptive format means your second section difficulty depends on your first section performance, so balancing your strengths and weaknesses is important. Personalized tutoring allows you to spend more time on your weaker section while maintaining your stronger skills through targeted practice. A tutor can help you understand whether your struggles stem from content gaps, question interpretation issues, or time management—and address the root cause rather than just drilling problems.

Test anxiety often stems from unfamiliarity with the format and uncertainty about timing, both of which tutoring directly addresses. By taking multiple full-length practice tests under timed conditions, you build confidence and reduce the "surprise factor" on test day. Tutors also teach practical strategies like controlled breathing, strategic question selection, and positive self-talk—plus they help you recognize when you're overthinking a problem versus when you genuinely need more time.

Most test-prep experts recommend taking at least 4-6 full-length practice tests before test day, spacing them out across your study period so you can review mistakes and adjust your strategy. The official GRE PowerPrep tests are essential since they're created by ETS and match the actual test format and difficulty. A tutor can help you interpret your practice test results—identifying patterns in your mistakes, timing issues, and content gaps—so each practice test becomes a learning tool rather than just a score predictor.

The Analytical Writing section requires both strong reasoning skills and clear communication under time pressure, which many students find challenging. Tutors help you master the two essay types—Analyze an Issue and Analyze an Argument—by teaching you how to structure compelling responses, identify logical flaws, and write concisely within the 30-minute time limit. Regular practice writing essays and receiving detailed feedback on your logic and clarity is key to improving from a 3 to a 5 or 6.

Look for tutors who have strong GRE scores themselves (typically 160+ on both sections), understand the test's adaptive format and strategy, and have experience helping multiple students improve. Ideally, they should be familiar with common student mistakes, understand which content areas trip up test-takers most, and can teach both content knowledge and test-taking strategy. Varsity Tutors connects you with expert tutors for students in Greenville who can tailor their approach to your specific goals and learning style.