Your first session is about understanding your baseline and goals. Expect to discuss your target score, timeline, and any sections where you're struggling most. Many tutors will review a practice test or diagnostic to identify patterns in your mistakes, then create a personalized study plan that prioritizes the areas that will have the biggest impact on your overall score.

Pacing is one of the most common GRE challenges, and tutors can teach you specific strategies for each section. For the Quantitative section, you'll learn how to recognize question types quickly and decide when to skip difficult problems. For Verbal, tutors help you develop efficient reading techniques and manage time across reading comprehension passages. Practice under timed conditions with feedback is essential—tutors can review your performance and adjust strategies until timing feels natural.

Personalized tutoring is ideal for this situation. Varsity Tutors connects you with tutors who can focus intensively on your weaker section while maintaining your strength in the other. For example, if Verbal is solid but Quantitative needs work, your tutor can dedicate most sessions to math concepts, question types, and problem-solving strategies specific to the GRE format, while doing periodic check-ins on Verbal to keep those skills sharp.

Practice tests are critical—they help you understand the test format, build stamina for the 3+ hour exam, and identify which question types trip you up most. Most tutors recommend taking full-length practice tests every 1-2 weeks once you've covered the core content. The real value comes from reviewing your mistakes with a tutor who can explain not just the right answer, but why you missed it and how to avoid that mistake type in the future.

Most students benefit from 8-12 weeks of focused preparation, though this varies based on your starting score and target. If you're aiming for a competitive score for a top program, expect to invest 3-4 months with consistent study. A tutor can help you create a realistic timeline based on your baseline, identify which areas need the most attention, and adjust your schedule if you're not seeing progress as expected.

Yes—many students experience anxiety on test day, and tutors can help in several ways. Building confidence through repeated practice, learning specific test-taking strategies, and understanding question formats reduces the fear of the unknown. Tutors can also teach you techniques for managing stress during the exam, like how to take strategic breaks, when to guess and move on, and how to refocus if you hit a difficult section.

Look for tutors with strong credentials: ideally a high GRE score themselves (165+), experience teaching test prep, and familiarity with the current GRE format and question types. Beyond scores, the best tutors understand learning science—they can diagnose why you're missing questions, explain concepts clearly, and adapt their teaching to your learning style. Varsity Tutors connects you with experienced tutors who have proven track records helping students improve their scores.