Score improvement depends on your starting point and study intensity, but most students see meaningful gains with focused preparation. Many students improve by 5-10 percentile points or more when they identify weak areas and practice strategically. Personalized 1-on-1 instruction helps you target specific problem types and timing issues rather than spending time on concepts you've already mastered.

Students typically struggle with pacing—balancing speed and accuracy across 31 questions in 62 minutes—and with Data Sufficiency questions, which require a different logical approach than traditional math problems. Many also find themselves stuck on specific topics like combinatorics, probability, or advanced algebra. A tutor can help you develop a strategic approach to each question type and identify which concepts need reinforcement.

Most students benefit from 4-12 weeks of focused preparation, depending on their baseline skills and target score. If you're strong in math but need strategy refinement, 4-6 weeks of targeted work may be enough. If you're rebuilding foundational skills, 8-12 weeks allows time for practice, review, and confidence building before test day.

Practice tests reveal your actual pacing patterns, question type preferences, and anxiety triggers under timed conditions—information that's impossible to get from studying individual problems. Taking full-length practice tests every 1-2 weeks helps you track progress and adjust your strategy. A tutor can review your practice test results to pinpoint exactly which question types or topics are costing you the most points.

Data Sufficiency questions don't ask you to solve for a specific answer; instead, you determine whether given information is sufficient to answer a question. This requires logical reasoning more than calculation, and many students find it counterintuitive at first. With practice and clear frameworks for evaluating sufficiency, this question type becomes predictable and manageable.

Varsity Tutors connects you with tutors who have proven expertise in GMAT Quantitative and understand your specific challenges—whether that's timing, weak topics, or test anxiety. In your first session, you can discuss your target score, timeline, and learning style to ensure you're working with someone who fits your goals. Many students benefit from tutors who combine subject mastery with test-taking strategy experience.

Your first session typically includes a diagnostic assessment to identify your current strengths and gaps, a discussion of your target score and timeline, and an overview of a personalized study plan. You'll likely work through a few practice problems to see how a tutor approaches different question types and pacing strategies. This foundation helps you and your tutor focus on the areas that will have the biggest impact on your score.