How to Choose Between a GMAT Course, Tutor, and Self-Study
Should you study on your own, take a GMAT course, or hire a tutor?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but in this article, we’ll break down the pros and cons of each option, and help you make the best decision for your situation.
If you have time, start with GMAT self-study
The advantages of studying on your own are obvious. You’ll save a ton of money by using inexpensive, off-the-shelf materials, such as the GMAT Official Guides, mba.com practice tests, free study plans, or free video courses. Also, self-study is flexible, allowing you to get a feel for the GMAT on your own terms.
You won’t spend much money, and you’ll be really, really happy.
Um… right?
When GMAT self-study goes wrong
Unfortunately, there are three major limitations to a self-study program.
- You’ll need to be great at self-diagnosis and problem-solving, since you’ll address your weaknesses on your own.
- It can be overwhelming to figure out where to begin and how to spend your study time.
- Self-study demands considerable self-discipline to maintain a study plan over time.
If you’re introspective and self-motivated, you’ll probably have a wonderful experience studying on your own. But if you’re like many GMAT students, you might struggle to understand why your scores aren’t budging, or how best to invest your study time.
As soon as you realize that your self-study efforts aren’t paying dividends, we recommend investing in a course or tutoring immediately. If you’re struggling to put in enough homework hours, the structure of a course – or the nagging of a tutor – might be exactly what you need. If you can’t figure out why you aren’t improving – or have no idea where to start – some sort of expert help is certainly worth the investment.
Of course, if you just need a bit of fine-tuning – or if your self-study efforts are clearly paying off – there’s absolutely no good reason to hand your wallet over to a test-prep company.
If you need structure on a budget, start with a GMAT course
If you want to avoid the brain damage of creating your own GMAT study plan, a GMAT course might be the perfect fit.
Thanks in part to the wonders of the internet, GMAT courses come in a wide variety of formats. At one end of the spectrum are on-demand courses, which usher you through online GMAT lessons at your own pace. Other online courses feature live instruction, and if you’re supremely old-school, you could even attend lessons in a physical classroom.
While courses are usually excellent for learning the test’s content, the drawback is that courses offer limited individual feedback, since they are generally designed for a broad audience. Many courses focus narrowly on the content itself, and they may not help students who struggle with subtler issues such as bad test-taking habits, imprecise reading skills, or test anxiety.
But if you need some structured guidance – particularly on quant topics – GMAT courses can be a budget-friendly way to move your studies forward.
Need to save time? Invest in GMAT tutoring
Obviously, one-on-one GMAT tutoring isn’t cheap, and unless you’re an heir to the Walmart fortune, you might hesitate to make that investment. Most test-takers who hire a tutor do so as a last resort, after they’ve failed to achieve their target score through self-study or an inexpensive course.
Why might you want to hire a tutor at the very beginning of your studies? The biggest reason is to save time.
Because a tutor provides one-on-one guidance tailored to your unique needs, it’s typically the most efficient way to prepare. A skilled tutor will aggressively target your most consequential weaknesses, in addition to handling tasks such as choosing practice materials and analyzing your results. That allows you to focus exclusively on improving your GMAT skills – and when the process is managed properly, every minute of your studies is maximized.
If tutoring goes well, you’ll save an enormous amount of time. Of course, that time savings comes at a higher financial price than courses or self-study.
“Help, I don’t know why I’m struggling with the GMAT!”
If your scores are flatlining and you don’t know why, we strongly recommend seeking help ASAP, regardless of where you are in your studies. We frequently meet students who develop terrible test-taking habits without realizing it – and until a coach helps you identify and change those habits, studying might do more harm than good, since it might just reinforce those bad habits.
So if you’re struggling to diagnose your own GMAT issues, please invest in support of some sort sooner rather than later – regardless of your score goals or timeline.
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