Score improvement depends on your starting point, study intensity, and how strategically you address your weak areas. Many students see 5-10 point improvements (on the 0-60 scale) within 4-8 weeks of focused preparation, though some see larger gains. The key is identifying whether your challenges are conceptual (needing to relearn math fundamentals), strategic (needing better time management), or test-specific (needing practice with GMAT question formats). A tutor can assess your baseline, pinpoint improvement opportunities, and create a realistic timeline based on your target score and test date.

Pacing is about knowing when to spend time solving and when to make an educated guess—a skill that takes practice to develop. The Quantitative section gives you 62 minutes for 31 questions, which means roughly 2 minutes per question on average, but some questions require more time than others. Effective strategies include learning to quickly identify question type and difficulty, recognizing which problems play to your strengths, and having a system for flagging and returning to harder questions. Tutors can teach you these strategic approaches and help you practice with timed sections to build confidence and consistency.

Data Sufficiency questions test your ability to determine whether you have enough information to answer a question, rather than actually solving it—a unique GMAT format that trips up many test-takers. The key is learning the specific logic: you're evaluating statements independently first, then together, and you need to recognize when information is sufficient without doing unnecessary calculations. Many students waste time trying to solve the problem completely when they should stop as soon as they know whether the data is sufficient. Personalized instruction helps you master this format through practice and feedback on your reasoning process.

Most students benefit from 4-12 weeks of focused preparation, depending on their baseline math skills and target score. A realistic schedule typically involves 5-8 hours per week of study, including concept review, practice problems, and timed section practice. For students in Orlando preparing for business school applications, working with a tutor can help you use your study time more efficiently by focusing on high-impact areas rather than reviewing concepts you've already mastered. Your tutor can help you create a personalized study plan that fits your timeline and test date.

Practice tests are essential—they show you which concepts need work, help you develop timing strategies, and build test-day confidence. The GMAC (official test maker) provides free and paid practice tests that use real GMAT questions and adaptive scoring, making them invaluable for understanding your actual performance. Most students benefit from taking 3-5 full-length practice tests during their prep, with tutoring sessions focused on analyzing your results to identify patterns in errors. This data-driven approach helps you spend your remaining study time on areas that will have the biggest impact on your score.

Look for tutors with strong mathematics backgrounds, proven GMAT experience, and a track record of helping students improve their Quantitative scores. Ideally, they should understand both the content (algebra, geometry, arithmetic, word problems) and the test-specific strategies that make GMAT questions different from traditional math problems. They should also be able to diagnose whether your challenges are conceptual gaps or test-taking issues, and adjust their teaching accordingly. Varsity Tutors connects you with expert tutors in Orlando who specialize in GMAT prep and can provide personalized instruction tailored to your needs.

Your first session typically includes an assessment of your current skills—reviewing your practice test results or having you work through sample problems to identify your strengths and weak areas. The tutor will ask about your target score, test date, and any specific concerns (timing, particular question types, math anxiety). Together, you'll develop a personalized study plan that outlines which concepts to review, which strategies to practice, and how many sessions you'll need to reach your goal. This foundation ensures that all future sessions are focused and efficient, maximizing your score improvement.