Look, if it sounds too good to be true it probably is. You want a no nonsense GMAT tutor who can help you define realistic goals and achieve your ultimate objective:
GET INTO BUSINESS SCHOOL
The best GMAT Tutor will cut to the chase
An MBA candidate looking for a gmat tutor reached out to me with the following request:
I will pay you 10,000 € to help me score a 700+ on the gmat in 1 month.
MBA candidate and GMAT prep student
My answer was NO.
He had tried most top gmat prep online courses available, signed up for their tutoring sessions, attended online gmat classes, and used up the credits to consult with their online gmat tutors.
I turned him down and explained why (I am paraphrasing now):
Your foundations in math and reading comprehension are not developed enough to achieve a 700+ GMAT in 1 month. Either pursue another goal or give yourself more time.
After a long conversation he expressed his gratitude and wished he had met three years prior. The funny is that if he indeed had met me 3 years prior he probably would not have taken my advice.
A good gmat tutor will amplify your efforts to achieve your goals, and ALSO
save you time and be honest about your prospects of achieving your target gmat score.
GMAT hacks or tips and tricks don’t work when you take the GMAT
The gmat is a computer-adaptive test – the gmat scoring algorithm assesses your performance as you answer each question and adjusts the difficulty of the problems based on your performance. Because the gmat is timed, you have very little time to answer each question. Unless your verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning skills are very well developed, you will not have the time to execute consistently and solve quantitative and verbal problems at a 700+ level score.
A hack, tip, or trick simply won’t matter. All it can do is give an already strong candidate a little extra edge on the actual test. A significant improvement in a short amount of time is possible with a few gmat tutoring sessions but other criteria are required as I will describe below.
A gmat private tutor is much more than a 99-th percentile gmat score on the real gmat
Any serious test prep service hires 99th percentile test takers. But the a great gmat coach is a lot more than that.
The gmat tutor overlapping set. An intersection of:
- A master test taker who scored in the 99th percentile.
- High empathy – most tutors take high performance for granted. You need a gmat instructor who can appreciate that the ‘obvious’ is not so obvious, and explain seemingly complex ideas in simple terms.
- A great motivator. This can be hard and you want someone who can help keep your chin up.
GMAT strengths and weaknesses
Another business school candidate reached out with the following message:
“My GMAT strengths lie in the quantitative section and data sufficiency. I am particularly good at identifying patterns and working with numbers to solve problems. Additionally, I have a strong understanding of basic math fundamentals such as algebra, geometry, and probability. My weaknesses are in the verbal section, primarily reading comprehension and sentence correction. Although I understand the concepts in all sections, I struggle with applying them during timed practice tests. To improve my weaknesses, I have been utilizing official gmat prep tests and studying strategies to help me better comprehend reading material quickly and accurately answer questions about it. Additionally, I have been focusing on strengthening my grammar skills by reviewing verb tenses, conjunctions, adjectives/adverbs and other important aspects of English language.
Nevertheless, I cannot seem to improve my score in a meaningful way. Can you help me?”
This is not uncommon. An expert gmat tutor understands that solving under timed conditions is a different ball game. Most gmat courses fail to account for improving performance under timed conditions. This was the main problem in that student’s gmat preparation: failing to account for improving her work under timed conditions.
After years of experience, I found that this is the hardest thing to improve. You can solve thousands of problems, but if you don’t change how you solve them to fit in, on average, 2 minutes per question, you will not make a meaningful improvement.
A gmat prep diagnosis might surprise you
Gmat score improvements don’t simply happen when you improve your math or English. Because the GMAT is a quantitative and verbal reasoning test, many hidden variables come into play that an online diagnostic is unlikely to identify.
Consider what reasoning means:
The act of reading or consuming a set of information, understanding it, and make inferences based on that information.
What you need for a 700+ or 90th+ gmat score
- Mental stamina, focus, and anxiety management
- High level verbal comprehension of the English language
- An intuition for good grammar
(This is less relevant now that sentence correction has been removed.
- Excellent ability in basics of linear equations, arithmetic, and mental maths
- Skill in paraphrasing large bodies of text into either simple mathematical equations or few words.
Any decent gmat tutoring package must include a diagnosis of the above and regular evaluation.
How gmat online tutoring should work
A thorough diagnosis and review of your official scores
This includes an assessment of the above skill set and gmat history, weighed against your gmat goals. I sometimes turn people away because their target gmat score is unrealistic in the time frame they envision. In many cases, they agree that more time is required and we develop a strategy that factors in their career goals, admissions applications, and plan B. You don’t want to be left hanging if your objectives don’t work out.
An overhaul of your thought process
Some ideas cannot be transmitted via self-study gmat online courses available and a gmat prep course that includes one-on-one sessions with an experienced private tutor will be required. One of those ideas is solving more efficiently under timed conditions. Among the vast plethora of resources available, an attentive gmat tutor can pinpoint you to the information you need to do a lot more than you currently can with less effort. Excellent test prep is not about presenting you with a linear path. Instead, it factors in individual learning style and a student’s individual learning needs.
Regular assessment by your private tutor
This happens in two ways: assessing performance when I work with students during gmat lessons, but ultimately, on official gmat practice exams. A good benchmark is to spend 20 to 30 hours of self-study between practice tests.
How to determine if you are a good candidate for a big score improvement with gmat tutoring.
- You have not solved all the gmat problems in the official guide or other formats of gmat test prep.
- You have obsessed over gmat math (this is a common error) and neglected working on sentence correction, critical reasoning and reading comprehension.
- You have not hired any gmat tutoring services.
Why I became a gmat tutor
About a decade ago I was working on a startup in the transportation industry. Uber moved into Barcelona, Taxi syndicates were hard to work with, and so I decided to work in a domain I knew so well and to which I held all the keys. I’ve always had a knack for standardized tests and officially began my one-on-one gmat tutoring service.
One-on-one private gmat tutoring is more art than science
The gmat is one of the most exciting tests I have ever taken. All standardized tests present a challenge, but the GMAT is a test one takes relatively late in adulthood. Effecting change in oneself, let alone in others, requires a great deal of introspection and the patience to understand someone’s problems and develop a solution that works. It is a lot like therapy. One size does not fit all, and empathy pays a great deal.
The best gmat tutors will hold you accountable
If you want to get into business school or hit that 700 655+ on the new gmat focus, talk to me. I want to help you. The path may not be linear, and we may hit a few road bumps, but if you don’t give up on your goals, I wont.
Get in touch
Testimonials
I prepare the GMAT exam with Ayham and I couldn't be more grateful for his guidance and support throughout this journey. From the very beginning, he tailored my study plan to fit my unique needs, ensuring that I focused on areas where I needed the most improvement. This personalized approach made a significant difference in my understanding and confidence. What truly sets Ayham apart is his unwavering emotional support. The process of preparing for such a critical exam can be incredibly stressful, but he was always there to provide encouragement and reassurance. His dedication to his students is evident in how accessible he made himself; no matter the time or day, he was always available to answer any questions I had. In addition to his exceptional teaching, Ayham went above and beyond by assisting me with my university applications. He offered advice and guidance throughout the entire admissions process, making it much less daunting. If I ever had to take the GMAT again, I would not hesitate to choose Ayham as my instructor. His expertise, personalized approach, and genuine care for his students make him an outstanding educator. I highly recommend him to anyone preparing for the GMAT!
When I first started preparing for the GMAT, I felt completely overwhelmed and unsure of how to achieve the score I needed. I was lost, and the daunting task seemed impossible. That all changed when I found Ayham and his GMAT Buddy platform. From the beginning, Ayham's approach was incredibly personalized. He meticulously assessed my strengths and weaknesses, crafting a study plan that targeted the areas where I needed the most improvement. This tailored strategy made all the difference, transforming what felt like an insurmountable challenge into a manageable and structured process. One of the standout aspects of working with Ayham was his unwavering support. He was always available, promptly responding to my messages and providing extra GMAT questions and information whenever I needed them. His dedication was evident in the additional resources he provided, including videos that clearly explained the resolution of complex problems. These videos were particularly helpful, as they allowed me to understand the underlying concepts and approaches to different types of questions. Ayham's support extended beyond GMAT preparation. He also played a crucial role in my application process. He reviewed my essays with a keen eye, offering insightful feedback that greatly improved the quality of my submissions. Additionally, he provided invaluable tips for my interview process, which helped me feel confident and well-prepared. Throughout this journey, Ayham was not only a knowledgeable professional but also a kind and gentle mentor. His patience and encouragement were instrumental in keeping me motivated and focused on my goals. I cannot recommend Ayham and GMAT Buddy highly enough. His expertise, dedication, and personalized approach made a significant impact on my GMAT preparation and application process. If you're looking for a supportive and effective guide on your GMAT journey, Ayham is the person to turn to.
GMAT Buddy really helped me prepare for the exam. Ayham made the material easy to understand, and my overall score improved. I would highly recommend it to anyone studying for the GMAT.
Muy buen guÃa, profesor y apoyo. Sin duda ha sido una gran decisión pedirle soporte para la preparación del GMAT.
Ayham is a real GMAT Buddy from start to finish. Not only he delivers a taylor-made advisory service to the specific needs of the student, but he also cares about you and gives you real support in the most difficult moments. He is available virtually 24/7 and quickly responds to important/urgent requirements of the student, which is extremely important during some situations of the MBA application process. As a professional, and as a person, I would like to highlight his kindness, patience, and empathy with the student. In my case, he helped me to improve from an official 580 up to an official 670 on the GMAT, after only 4 months. For me, it was particularly difficult to improve, since I had already exhausted all the official material and mock tests attempts (done them twice) and had no additional official material to practice on. It also was quite harsh for me to keep improving, since I am not a native English speaker and have had little exposure to the language during my whole life, and I needed to completely reconfigure my Verbal Reasoning, how I processed information, and how I read (also poor reading skills). Ayham designed a completely customised strategy for me, which I followed and managed to get the result that I needed. Thank you very much for your support, Ayham. It has been a pleasure. Mario
I highly recommend GMAT Buddy. With Ayham’s assistance I was able to improve my GMAT score in short order. His programe is tailored for each student and focuses on your strength and weaknesses, allowing you to focus and organize your time.
Exceptional tutor, with a remarkable blend of empathy, precision and generous support.
Ayham helped me enormously on my GMAT preparation to pursue my MBA. He is very patient and focuses on your abilities rather than a pre-assembled program. Also, he provides you with tools beyond academics to help you get the best performance possible.
Great preparation, tailor made to the student's needs. GMAT Buddy can help students of all levels of expertise ace the GMAT. With one on one lessons to improve test strategies and reasoning, as well as recommended tasks to prepare outside class, GMAT Buddy can really take students to the next level. From my personal experience, I did some initial prep for the GMAT on my own, but it was only after GMAT Buddy that I truly grasped the concepts and jumped to the next level. 100% recommend this
Great help for the GMAT prep. Highly reccomend working with Ayham. I contacted him for a last push during my study for the GMAT, and quickly identified my weaknesses to work on! Great experience!
Gmatbuddy and Ayham are a must when it comes to GMAT preparation, specially under tight deadlines or if you are struggling with how to prepare it. I got a recommendation from the admission team of the business school I was planning on attending and I am sure that I made the right decision, as I would not have made it without him. Ayham helped me to achieve the score I needed to secure admission and was key to boost my score from 570 to 680 in 3 months, something that I thought could not be possible. He has done so by his unique approach to the exam and his one-on-one sessions. The program and the way you study will be tailored to your specific needs, which I found to be unique compared to other programs. Also, the way the program is taught focuses on strengthen your foundations and the way you approach the exam, not just repeating questions over and over (which you will eventually have to do, of course). Ayham has helped me to think differently, faster, and more efficiently, which really helps to approach the test questions in a more clear and easier way. The method was easy to follow, well-structured and almost fun (as fun as studying for the GMAT can be). It consists in numerous courses and quizzes that cover all topics included on the exam, with detailed presentations and explanatory videos that made my life way easier. You can also track your progress easily and very intuitively to understand what your weak areas are, how long you take per question, and what is the most efficient way of solving them. Furthermore, one-on-one sessions with Ayham are what puts it all together. He is an outstanding teacher, his explanations are clear and concise, technically he is excellent and there is no question he cannot answer. Nevertheless, for me his greatest asset was his ability to motivate you and make you believe that you can achieve your goal, even when you are really struggling and think it is not possible. He is always available, listens, cares and has great emotional intelligence to guide you through the sometimes-painful process of studying for the GMAT. Therefore, for me Ayham does not only prepare you for the GMAT, but also teaches you how to think in a more efficient and clear way. You will not only invest on skills that are valuable to get a great GMAT score, but also on skills that will be key to perform at your highest in business school and at your job. In conclusion, I am very grateful to Ayham and I definitely recommend him to anyone who is looking to prepare for the GMAT, as his tailored method and unique counseling will enable you to ace the exam and learn to think differently, faster and more efficiently.
Ayham from Gmatbuddy comes highly recommended by both family and friends, and it's not hard to see why. As someone who had been out of the classroom for over seven years, I needed all the help I could get to prepare for the GMAT exam, and Ayham's helpful attitude and availability proved invaluable. What sets Ayham apart is his unique method of preparing for the GMAT exam that delivers significant score improvements in a shorter time frame. The method is easy to follow, not overwhelming, and even enjoyable. However, it's the personal touch and one-on-one sessions with Ayham that truly make the difference. Throughout my preparation process, Ayham was always there for me, regardless of the time zone differences due to my frequent travels. He provided clear explanations to all my doubts, listened to my concerns, and provided much-needed encouragement. I was amazed at how he taught me to approach complex problems with simple solutions, which accelerated my progress significantly. I highly recommend Gmatbuddy and Ayham to anyone looking to prepare for the GMAT exam. Ayham's personalized counseling and unique approach to teaching will give you the ability to see through problems and boost your progress greatly. I'm grateful to Ayham, and I'm not sure I would have made it into an MBA program without his guidance.
Regardless your knowledge, bachelor, overall background or time that you need to dedicate to the GMAT, Gmatbuddy led by Ayham is just the perfect and more tailored mentoring programme that you can have in order to stand out and boost your GMAT. In my experience, Ayham has helped me greatly not only to score a better GMAT grade when I was struggling the most but also to learn faster, more efficiently and think differently to face my GMAT and MBA goals in a better way. Ayham is an outstanding professional and person. From a technical perspective he is excellent, he has been mentoring many students all over the world for years and he perfectly knows the best techniques to make sure that you succeed in your goals. Notwithstanding the aforementioned, I believe his greatest asset is his emotional intelligence and empathy towards his students as well as the way of transferring knowledge to others, he understands very well what is your greatest struggle and he tailors the programme to your needs. Additionally, he always gives his best in all his sessions and he is always willing to help more when needed. I recommend Gmatbuddy and Ayham 200%, without them, I would have not made it.
I 100% recommend GmatBuddy and Ayham. After 1 year studying a course and on my own, I couldn't reach the level I wanted on the GMAT. Once I started to work with Ayham, he guided me to learn from my mistakes and to focus on my weak areas. He also helped me to develop my skills and to confront the questions with the knoledge I had. He changed my way to approach the exam and made me improve my level. After a tough year, I accomplished to get a 700, and if it weren't for Ayham, I don't think I would have done it.
Thank you so much GmatBuddy! Ayham was invaluable in my preparation for GMAT. I had studied really hard for months, but was struggling so much with my anxiety and my head. The problem wasn't that I didn't know the stuff, but that my anxiety would invade my mind while studying. Ayham has great empathy and knows what are the key factors to overcome exam anxiety. He helped me a lot to understand that it's not about the score, but like a tennis match: you just have to focus on each poing, game by game, question by question. With that in mind, I was able to increase 90 points my score, which is what I need to apply to European B Schools. The main difference, is that with so many prep courses to choose from, you don't really know who's actually good or who just wants your money. With Ayham, I felt real support, he was there for me through every question and every concern. Thank you very much Ayham for everything!!
I really recommend GMAT Buddy as its impact on your preparation will be invaluable. Have you studied so hard but not improving anymore? That’s where I was but then this great tool came into action. As the most precious secrets, I was told about it by word of mouth (Man, you need to work on marketing!!). Ayham’s job is impressive and unique. Any GMAT prep course is able, with more or less success, to teach you the theory you need for the GMAT but most of the time that is not enough. In order to obtain the results you aim for, the work you need to do is at a much deeper level, in your head! Seems weird to say but it is true. Ayham has great empathy and the priceless ability to understand how your mind reasons and approaches the problems, even just after the introductive session. From there, he will prepare a tailored program in terms of time and preparation level in order to strenghten you weakest points, improve your time management skills, your decision making process but most of all how you tackle the excercises. Moreover, during the sessions and all the time you will be preparing for the test, Ayham will be in close contact in order to keep you motivated and have a clear view of your progression. If this is not enough GMAT Buddy offers in addition to the 1:1 sessions a great platform that will help you to study (or review) the theory you need with interactive courses, slides, videos and specific excercises that will boost your speed on the test. With Ayham’s help I was able to upscale my result from 540 to 680 in less than 5 weeks. To summarize, if you are now approaching the test or you feel stuck with a score that is not enough, trust me, GMAT Buddy is for sure the best resource you can use.
Before I met Ayham I took the GMAT once and did not achieve the score I needed to apply to an MBA program. At this time, I knew I needed to look for a GMAT buddy / instructor. A friend of mine recommended that I meet Ayham and give his lessons a try. From the very first day with him, I felt I was improving a lot in both the verbal and quant sections because Ayham teaches you how to efficiently put into practice all the knowledge you have for the test. Ayham makes special emphasis to help you understand what your weaknesses are and how to overcome them, and how to behave in case of crisis. In other words, he teaches you how to do the GMAT properly. He even provided additional tools to practice the verbal section, which in the end, has become one of my strengths on the test. Working with Ayham has been the best decision I’ve made since I’ve been practicing for the test. His motivational talks combined with his absolute mastery of the GMAT were the key to improve my score from 550 to 680 in less than a month.
I would strongly recommend GmatBuddy to anyone struggling with GMAT. Ayham was my coach for about 2 months and he not only gave me the necessary tools to improve my score but he also helped me get the motivation and courage to keep trying when I was about to throw in the towel. Without his help I would have not been able to increase my score from 620 to 720, allowing me to get a place and also a scholarship to study in the school I wanted (IESE). The main difference of him compared to other GMAT prep programs is that he is able to identify your strengths so that you can take the most out of them. In my case, I was focusing too much on improving the quant and my score was not improving enough. He suggested me to work on my strength (verbal), of course wile keeping with the quant practice, and thanks to that I ended up getting a 99th percentile in verbal, which increased my overall GMAT by far. To sum up, GmatBuddy is definitely worth it! You you will feel accompanied during the process and you will get the necessary empowerment to master the GMAT!
Working with Ayham was a transformational experience. I only enrolled with GmatBuddy for 4 - 6 weeks before I had my GMAT retake and I was at a point where I felt I couldnt make any further improvements but Ayham proved me wrong. I realised a 130 points score increase in the 4 weeks that we worked together. I think the extra personal touch he gives makes all the difference. He does not roll out a one-size-fits-all approach that you would find with other generic programs but tries to understand each candidates weak areas and tailor programs to help address each of them and then he follows up continuously to ensure that the skills learnt are mastered. I struggled a lot with time management and stamina so Ayham taught me how to optimize my time; how to make the best decision on which question to give up and when and how to fight for every question till the very end. His technique of tackling the long verbal passages were very useful and helped me tremendously in increasing my verbal score. The score increase I had was all I needed to get into what I consider the best European MBA program - IESE.
I strongly recommend GMATBuddy and I personally felt that the classes I had with Ayham provided huge added value to my GMAT preparation. Through his guidance, I managed to upscale my GMAT result from 690 to 730 (at my first attempt) in just 8 weeks. He also supported me with the essays review during the application processes, that helped me secure a spot in three Top European Business Schools (INSEAD, IESE and IMD). As said above, I would underline 3 key highlights of Ayham's method that really "make a difference": 1) Fully-tailored resolution methods (for real)! While solving math section of GMAT, there is always some problem type that drives you nuts. In my case, even at University, I always struggled to solve permutations/combinations exercises. Ayham proposed me 3 different methods for solving them; one of them was extremely visual and intuitive and definitely helped me in tackling these exercises during GMAT test. 2) Realistic upscale Ayham is extremely meticolous in "upscaling" the preparation and set-up realistic objectives. In my case, we used the first sessions to improve my weak areas and then we moved forward to simulations. In general, he really cares about sthrengthening concepts and methodology at first rather than bumping straightforward to exams simulations (unless time constraints are strictly incompatible with this approach) 3) Psychologic preparation to exam Needless to say, but simulations and real exam are quite different matters. Ayham provided me with effective time management techniques, self-guidance methods for moments in which you literally "get stuck" during the test (it happens way more than I imagined) and several advices for speeding-up resolution of easy questions, in order to tackle the difficult ones. I feel that sessions with him were incredibly better than stremalined in-person/online GMAT courses. Also, I definitely recommend him for bridging the final prepration gaps... The ones that allow a candidate to consistently score 700+ in the test
My plan was to get a high or at least good enough GMAT score in order to have a strong application for IESE Business School Full-Time MBA program. I am spanish and with a business background, so due to the fact that the school looks more and more for diversity in all terms I had to make my application outstand a bit to have a chance. Mr. Ayham Shakra helped me increase my GMAT score from 620 to 700 in less than a month. We met in 10 occasions, he helped me understand what areas I needed to work more in, taught me about them and gave me tools and exercises to keep preparing by myself. Not only did he do a great job and very close follow up of my progression, but I would say we also had a good time working together (I hope he could also learn something from me). Ayham Shakra gave me personalized assistance in my preparation, with amazing tips and tricks to help me achieve my objective. Honestly, I did not have my best day at test day because Ayham deserved me to get at least a 730. However, the average at IESE's previous year class had been 680 so that was enough for me to apply. The experience was totally worth it and I did not only achieve the desired objective but also got to know a magnificent proffesional (also ex IESE MBA) and a friend who I keep contact with nowadays, and to whom I believe I owe a lot. In conclusion, Ayham Shakra and the tool he developed, GmatBuddy, are a great way to go. I totally recommend it, very good luck!
