GMAT Tutoring FAQs

1. What should I complete before my first tutoring session?
2. What should I bring to my tutoring sessions?
3. How much tutoring do I need?
4. Can I change tutoring packages?
5. For online tutoring, how long do I have access to session recordings?
6. Can I sign up for tutoring with a friend and split the cost?
7. Do you offer a score guarantee?
8. Do you offer a price guarantee?

We recommend that every student complete one full Official GMAT practice test before the first tutoring session, so that we can establish a baseline score. For this, use the the free GMAT Official Starter Kit, which contains two full-length practice exams. If you provide your MBA.com login details, your tutor can review your practice text before your first tutoring session.

There are no other specific requirements to complete before your first tutoring session. Some students begin their GMAT preparations with the first tutoring session, whereas other students have already completed substantial self-study or formal instruction. Your tutor can make additional recommendations regarding any initial study or practice, based on your specific situation.

Please bring the tutoring materials to be used (as discussed with your tutor), at least two pencils or pens, and plenty of scratch paper. Please also bring any specific questions that you have for your tutor, from the completed “homework” or otherwise.

If you want to review computer-based practice, please bring a laptop computer with appropriate log-in information and a computer charger. For in-peson tutoring, you may want to meet your tutor at a location that offers free Wi-Fi (e.g. a public library). Alternately, from your tests, you can bring print-outs of questions that you wish to review. For online tutoring, only the log-in information is needed.

You are welcome to bring a drink (water, coffee, or soft drink) and a light snack. Bringing a meal, however, typically detracts attention from the tutoring.

The amount of tutoring needed is influenced by many factors, including the amount of your prior GMAT preparations, your comfort level with the tested concepts, how quickly you learn material, how much time you have for self-practice between tutoring sessions, and how big of a score improvement you hope to achieve.

As mentioned in the first FAQ, we recommend that you take a full Official GMAT practice test to establish a baseline GMAT score. Compare this score with the average GMAT scores for the business schools to which you want to apply, as listed on our chart of the Top U.S. Business Schools. We recommend that you target a GMAT score above the average to boost your chances for acceptance. The closer you are to the average scores of your target schools, the less tutoring you probably need. A big divergence implies that you probably require more tutoring.

Which Package to Choose?

Below we offer some general guidelines, but this will vary from person to person. Depending on your skills and objectives, you may require more or less time with your tutor. Your tutor can make a more specific recommendation based on your particular situation.

• 10-hour package – provides light-to-moderate coverage of math or substantial coverage of verbal concepts. This package is most appropriate for targeting a few specific concept areas rather than a review of all GMAT concepts.
• 20-hour package – allows for moderate-to-deep coverage of only math, extensive coverage of only verbal, or light-to-moderate coverage of both math and verbal concepts. When used for both math and verbal concepts, you should either already be comfortable with introductory GMAT concepts or be able to grasp new concepts quickly.
• 30-hour package – offers extensive coverage of only math, or moderate-to-deep coverage of both math and verbal concepts. This package can provide ample coverage of all the relevant GMAT content, including integrated reasoning questions. But depending on your skill levels, it may not allow enough time for working through practice questions with your tutor.
• 40-hour package – affords extensive coverage of both math and verbal concepts. Combined with a study plan that you will structure with your tutor, this package delivers in-depth coverage of all GMAT content plus extensive time for practice questions.

As you progress in the tutoring, your tutor can provide additional feedback regarding how much tutoring you may need to reach your target GMAT score, based on his or her assessment of your current skill levels and abilities to grasp new concepts. We allow you to upgrade or downgrade your tutoring commitments at any time, as your tutoring needs evolve. If you want additional guidance, we offer a free GMAT strategy session.

Yes, you can upgrade or downgrade your tutoring package at any time. You can also upgrade from hourly tutoring to a tutoring package. When upgrading, you receive the lower per-hour tutoring rate retroactive to your first hour of tutoring. When downgrading, you need to pay for any overages in tutoring hours. Please refer to our refund policy for more details and examples.

You have access to session recordings for six months from your last tutoring session. Upon request, before the six month period ends, we can extend this access for an additional six months at no charge.

Yes, up to three students may request group tutoring to lower the overall cost per student. An extra hourly cost of $40 per person, after the first student, applies for group tutoring. You may request group tutoring for either in-person tutoring or online tutoring. Group tutoring works best with students at similar skill levels and who want to review the same concepts and types of problems. If this is not the case, your tutor will have to balance each student’s needs within the tutoring hours available.

It is up to you to find fellow tutoring students; we do not pair students together for tutoring. It is also up to the students to coordinate availability amongst themselves; it is not the tutor’s responsibility to coordinate with each student individually. If one student is unable to make a group tutoring session, it is his/her responsibility to check with the other group members whether the session should be rescheduled or go on without him/her. If the session continues without a student, the missing student will need to get caught up with the other students, not with the tutor. Finally, we suggest that each group member procure his/her own materials rather than share one set amongst themselves. We recommend that one student in the group serve as the point person to manage these coordination issues.

No. We cannot control how much effort you put into your GMAT studies. Despite best intentions, some people get distracted from their GMAT studies for reasons including work commitments and vacation plans. Even if someone does put in the requisite effort, there are too many factors beyond our control, such as test anxiety, a tendency to frequently make careless mistakes, and bad luck in question selection. In a more nefarious scenario if a guarantee were offered, someone could purposely do poorly on the GMAT and request a refund, only to retake the exam and then score at expected levels.

That said, GMAT Genius students very often achieve their scoring objectives. This is because we carefully assess upfront a student’s objectives against his/her background, skills, study timeframe, and potential. If we think that your target score is unrealistic given these variables, we will honestly tell you so upfront. As we work with you, we will continue to give you feedback on your skills and discuss what further studies are required to reach your objectives.

Yes. If we lower the price or increase the hours or benefits of your package, within 30 days of your sign-up date, we will provide you with the same benefits. On the other hand, if we increase the price of tutoring after you have registered for tutoring, we will honor the prices that were previously in effect for any subsequent tutoring for six months from your most recent tutoring session (from your sign-up date if you have not yet started tutoring).