GMAT prep: what to know

What the job involves, what changes the price, and what to ask a pro.

What gmat prep is

GMAT prep helps business school applicants prepare for a standardized exam covering quantitative, verbal and data sections, with pacing strategies. Applicants book it when a business program requires the exam, when practice scores are below the target, or when the data sufficiency questions feel like a different language.

Signs you need it

  • Data sufficiency questions are confusing, and the applicant does not know when a statement is enough
  • Verbal questions on critical reasoning and reading comprehension take too long
  • The applicant runs out of time on the quantitative section
  • Practice scores have plateaued after weeks of study alone
  • The applicant has a test date set and no plan for the weeks before it

What the pro does

  • Runs a timed diagnostic and reviews the results for each section with the applicant
  • Teaches data sufficiency with the logic each question type uses
  • Works on verbal question types, such as critical reasoning and reading comprehension, with a strategy for each
  • Covers the quantitative content gaps the diagnostic shows, with pacing rules
  • Reviews each practice test with the applicant and sets the next focus for the next session

What changes the price

Every job is different, so we do not publish prices. These are the things that move the quote up or down.

  • Length of each session and how many sessions are in a series
  • Whether the course is a short workshop or a longer program over several months
  • Whether sessions are in person or online
  • Private tutoring versus a small group class
  • Whether practice tests and score reports are included
  • How much content review the applicant needs before the strategy work

What a written quote should spell out

  • Number of sessions, session length and the start date
  • Whether practice tests and score reports are included
  • Whether sessions are in person or online, and what materials are used
  • Cancellation and make-up policy
  • Whether the tutor will share progress reports with the applicant

Questions to ask before you hire

  • How do you start, and what will the first diagnostic show?
  • How do you teach data sufficiency so the applicant understands the logic?
  • How do you teach pacing for the quantitative and verbal sections?
  • Do you use official practice materials, and how do you get them?
  • How many full practice tests will we do, and when?
  • What is your own background in the subjects the exam covers?
  • What improvement is realistic for me, and how will we measure it?

Red flags

  • Promises a set score or a specific jump in points
  • Uses unofficial questions and claims they are the real exam
  • Teaches data sufficiency as a trick with no logic behind it
  • Pushes a long package of sessions before a diagnostic test

What you can do yourself

An applicant can take full timed practice tests, review each wrong answer and log the mistake types. Use the test maker's official practice materials, which are often free, and drill data sufficiency with a set of questions each day. Hire a tutor when one section is far behind the others, when data sufficiency keeps tripping up the applicant, or when pacing is the main problem.

Licenses and permits

No license is usually required to tutor for a business school admissions exam privately. Ask whether the tutor has teaching experience or an advanced degree, and check with your state or local licensing agency only if the program has its own rules for test prep services.

GMAT prep questions

What is the hardest part of the GMAT for most people?

Many applicants find the timing and the data sufficiency questions the hardest. A tutor can test both on the first diagnostic and plan the sessions around the weakest one.

Do I need to be strong in business to take the GMAT?

No. The exam tests reasoning and reading skills rather than business knowledge. A tutor can teach the strategies the exam uses, even for applicants who have not worked in business.

How long should I study?

It depends on your starting point and your target. Ask the tutor for a diagnostic test first, then a plan with a test date and steady weekly practice.

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