For many people self-prepping for the GMAT for months on end leads to middling results. This can be discouraging and frustrating. Oftentimes, people preparing for the GMAT do not consider using a one-on-one GMAT tutor until it’s too late. Seeing improvement in your self-prep skills and score, when studying with a private GMAT tutor a few weeks before the exam, can be even more frustrating because you realize all the time previously wasted.
The right time to seek out a One-on-One GMAT tutor
Before we get into the ‘whys’ of seeking the help of a GMAT expert, it is important to note the ‘when’, as in when is the right time to seek one out?
The earlier you seek help, the greater impact it will have when trying to reach your goals.
Even for those unfamiliar with the test or who need a refresher on their basic mathematics, enlisting a tutor to help structure that review and tie it into a larger preparation agenda will save you time in the long run and headaches along the way. Seeking the advice of an experienced tutor on how to get started is integral to setting you on the right GMAT preparation path.
One-on-one GMAT tutors have years of experience with the test and know the GMAT inside and out. They will be able to pinpoint where you are struggling and how to overcome these pain points in the most efficient and beneficial way possible.
How does the teacher’s experience add to their ability to pinpoint and add efficiency?
A seasoned GMAT tutor has seen hundreds of clients and experienced every possible difficulty with the exam. Beginning your preparation by struggling with the GMAT for the first time is going to be far less efficient than availing yourself to the experience and expertise of someone who has done it many times before. An analogy to this point is learning how to swim. If you wanted to learn to swim, you might just jump into the lake, but wouldn’t you learn faster, with fewer mistakes and less danger, by finding a friend who knows how to swim? Even better, wouldn’t you try to find your friend who was on the swim team, or was a lifeguard? It’s not that someone can’t learn to swim or succeed on the GMAT on their own, but there are many pitfalls along the way.
Apex GMAT offers a complimentary consultation call and an assessment session at a discounted rate for exactly this purpose. Start prepping for the GMAT on the right foot and you will be thankful that you avoided all the wasted effort and time at the beginning.
Why seek the assistance of a One-on-One GMAT tutor?
Here is what some Apex clients had to say about working with a one on one GMAT tutors which will give insight into how they can really be the difference between an ok GMAT score and an exceptional one:
Alex N: “My tutor helped me learn how to think about the problems, not just how to solve them. This meant that any problem put in front of me could be solved if I just used the appropriate approach.”
Justin: “Finding the underlying questions hidden within the actual question was an invaluable skill that I learnt from my instructor. It helped me think about what the question was really asking me to solve. This made me more time efficient and more accurate.”
Amy: “Having someone to ask you pivot questions and help you reframe your approach to tackling each question was something that I was not doing in self-prep and really helped me achieve a big jump in my score. I left my sessions with a more strategic outlook on the test.”
Alex L: “My tutor showed me how to use multiple solution paths and find the right one for me for each question type. With my toolbox equipped with these solution paths I was able to tackle anything that the test threw at me, even questions that were framed in a way that I hadn’t seen before.”
Olga: “I learnt how to self prep for success, I set up the way I approached my self prep differently and also used the skills that I learnt in the sessions to help me during my own preparation time. This helped me test my understanding of the concepts that I had learnt during sessions and practice them more. I really had to let go of old habits and adapt to new ones which was challenging at first but with the guidance and encouragement that I received from my tutor, it was well worth it in the end.”
Antione: “The lessons were tailored to me and my style of learning. Every lesson was focused on helping me with my specific needs and I could tell that my tutor put a lot of time into planning for each session to ensure that I would be challenged and successful within it and outside of it.”
Chloe: “My tutor was willing to spend more than an hour on the phone with me, trying to get to know me so that he could give me the best responses to my questions as well as prepare our lessons in a way that would be most beneficial to my learning style and ultimate success.”
Kyle: “My tutor not only helped me achieve a great GMAT score and a place at my top MBA program but also just prepared me for what to expect at business school in general. After months of self-prepping without much progress, I know that I would not be in business school or getting through my lessons as successfully if I had not had this one-on-one GMAT tutoring experience.”
Amanda: “I was really confident with my math skills going into the first test but I did not do as well as I thought I would and so working with my tutor really helped me brush up on all my skills and shine on my next test day. He was able to help me unlock my true potential and this helped boost my confidence for the test day. With a full time job, having a one on one GMAT tutor really helped me work on exactly what I needed for success without having to spend extra time on skills that I was already good at.”
Finally, a really important aspect to consider is this: Are all one-on-one GMAT tutors created equal?
The answer to this is NO! Shop around before choosing the tutor that you think will be a good fit for your learning style, goals, and budget. Keep in mind that learning from a student who has just taken the GMAT and has turned to teaching it as a “side gig,” will probably not serve you as well as learning from an experienced instructor who has not only scored well on the test but has vast amounts of teaching experience and MBA program knowledge. Check out this article about How to choose the right GMAT tutor to find out all the questions to ask before committing to a service.
You can also find all the tutors referred to in this article at: Apex GMAT Team Page. Schedule a call to speak to them and take the first step to GMAT success.