Students studying for the GMAT often wonder if they should hire a tutor. While some people insist that self-study or traditional GMAT prep courses are a suitable way of achieving a high score on the GMAT, most test prep experts agree that having a GMAT tutor is the most efficient way to reach your potential. If you’re on the fence about whether or not you need help before you take the GMAT, this article will help you decide whether to hire a tutor for the GMAT.

We identified these five reasons by reviewing feedback from hundreds of previous GMAT students.

Customized Study Planning

Sometimes, when it comes to analyzing one’s own weaknesses, it’s hard to have the critical distance to know where one’s shortcomings lie. With an experienced GMAT coach, you won’t receive the same regurgitated test-prep materials that allow you to overlook areas of difficulty. Instead, a GMAT tutor will provide you with plans made exactly to fit your areas of need, allowing you to spend the appropriate amount of time on each subject.

For example, when Charlie V. was struggling with his GMAT preparation, he turned to expert MyGuru tutor John for help –

“I worked with John Easter to prepare for the GMAT. We spent three months meeting on a weekly basis for 2 hour long private tutoring sessions. He designed a preparation strategy, taught me the methods and strategies for the test, and reviewed diagnostic exams with me…

…I would recommend working with John for anybody who wants to achieve their potential on the GMAT. His personalized study plan ensured that I was spending my time studying as efficiently as possible, which is important because of how much I travel for work.”

Ability to Explain Difficult Concepts

Sometimes studying for the GMAT can feel like slamming your head against a brick wall. When an understanding of important GMAT concepts eludes you, the best way to break through is to find someone who can thoughtfully explain concepts to you in a variety of different ways. The best tutors will not only alleviate your frustrations but will show you the areas of study that inform the practices that you’re struggling with, helping you to connect the dots and see the big picture. With a tutor, you’ll get a clearer understanding of difficult concepts and an easier ability to apply them when needed. That was certainly the case for Holly, who worked with Jim on her GMAT prep –

“A big thank you goes out to Jim for helping me overcome specific weaknesses.  I really appreciate your patience and guidance during our tutoring sessions.  You also helped improve my mental math skills and taught me how to think outside of the box on complex questions. “

Tutors Can Inspire Educational Vigor

At its best, studying and learning are things that bring joy and excitement to students. There’s nothing more thrilling than when your passion for an area of study intersects with a new perspective on how to understand it. With a tutor, it’s possible to reinvigorate your love of learning by sharing the joys of academic inspiration with someone who can help you see why it is important and interesting. Former GMAT student Matt K. has one such experience when working with one of our most experienced GMAT tutors, Margo –

 

“I would highly recommend Margo as a tutor for anyone looking to dramatically improve their overall score on the GMAT. I was dejected after scoring a 640 on my GMAT in July, so I turned to MyGuru for a solution after receiving a referral from a friend. Marco has coached me over the past few months - accommodating my busy work schedule flexibly and often times offering me more than the allotted time for tutoring to chat about life, professional development, relationships - whatever was on my mind…She was an excellent tutor with a unique method - and was especially strong in teaching me to apply more shortcuts and organization in GMAT math problems. With Margo's support, I managed to score a 750 on my second attempt at the GMAT - a 110pt improvement in 2 short months. I also managed to gain some career/life advice and a great new friend in the process.

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Test Taking Strategies

Tutors not only help students to gain a more in-depth understanding of a subject area, but they also help GMAT takers to better understand the tips and tricks for making sure they maximize their scores. With all standardized testing, there is an element of gamesmanship that is crucial to understand in order to ensure that you get the best possible score. With a tutor, you’ll learn the best ways to get through sections of the GMAT in a time-conscious manner without sacrificing attention to detail.

One struggling student, Jessica P. was quite worried before finding her tutor through MyGuru. She notes,

“I was looking for some extra tutoring for my upcoming GMAT exam. I was still struggling with the quantitative section and had about a week until my exam. That is when I came across MyGuru Tutoring. I received a response the same night that I had inquired about the services and was immediately referred to John E. I spent a week tutoring with John and he helped me improve on so many test-taking skills… I ended up taking the exam and receiving a score that was 60 points higher than my initial exam score”.

Motivation and Accountability

Consider what Jeff had to say about his tutor -

“Stefan's positivity and dedication motivated me and made me excited to learn! With Stefan's help, I was able to reach my target score.

Studying for the GMAT can be a meticulous and arduous process. Sometimes it’s not the content knowledge or test taking strategies that matter. It’s a more emotional hurdle to overcome. You need to be positive and motivated to prepare for and score well on the GMAT. When students are tasked with self-motivating, accountability can falter and their scores can suffer. By hiring an experienced GMAT tutor, you’ll have someone who can help you through this laborious process. Whether a student needs to have more self-belief instilled in them, or if they need to give a greater amount of energy and focus to a particular area, a coach will help them to have the drive and determination to see their studies through to the end.

Conclusions

For those hoping to achieve the best score that they can possibly get on the GMAT, there’s typically nothing more valuable than enlisting the help of a well-informed tutor. Does it often cost more than other GMAT prep options? Yes, it does. But it can also save you time and stress. Preparation for the GMAT isn’t easy, but with targeted guidance and helpful motivation, you put your best foot forward to succeed.

One international student who vastly improved their GMAT score with MyGuru notes,

“I can definitively say that if I did not have Stefan to help me that there would be no way that I could've gotten the final score I did. His intimate knowledge of how the test works, the strategy required for each section, and his mastery of the content of the questions, puts him in the top echelons of GMAT tutors”. For expert tutoring that will help you to reach your highest potential, there’s no better place to get help than MyGuru.