GMAT Class or GMAT Tutoring?

A common question that comes up in GMAT preparation is whether to take a GMAT class or to do private GMAT tutoring when preparing for the exam.  Like most things in life, the answer is, "it depends."  There are a number of things to consider such as: how much work do you need, what is your financial budget, what is your time budget and how disciplined are you.  Before we touch on these, I will say that minute for minute you are going to get more out of private GMAT tutoring than you will from a classroom; however, that does not necessarily mean that it is for everyone.

COST

One of the first issues people always address is the cost.  As these services can be expensive, it makes sense to weigh the pros and cons.  You will get more hours for a class (roughly 30) likely spending between $30-40 per hour; however, most classes focus on teaching you the fundamentals and don't allow for a ton of time getting into GMAT problems.  This can be good for the student who thinks they are unlikely to motivate themself to do the necessary preparation early on, and this is a pretty good rate for high quality instruction - You are going to pay north of $250 per hour for your classroom work in business school.  

Tutoring is going to cost you somewhere between $150 and $225 per hour.  This can be useful either for the student who is looking for more than what a classroom is going to offer and the student who is going to drift off during the class (you know who you are).  While the cost disparity may be high, you are going to get a much more focused 'course' in how to prepare.  In fact, you work is tailored to you.

TIME

Time is an interesting discussion because preparation is going to eat up a lot of time no matter what.  A classroom can be a great way for you to focus for a few hours each week, but you are still going to have to do another 10 or so per week outside of class.  Tutoring, on the other hand, is going to maximize the time you spend as you will focus mostly on your trouble spots.

HOW FAR DO YOU HAVE TO GO?

Depending on where you are, tutoring and class work have their benefits.  Honestly, most students can benefit from both.  Start building the skills and study routine in the classroom, and as you improve, move to some private tutoring.  This is a great way to supplement class work and make sure you have a laser sharp understanding of the topics.  You probably will get access to some different ways to think about problems as well, simply because there is not time to cover everything in class.

All in all, there are benefits to both.  And honestly, just about everyone can use some help from experts. When admission is getting more and more competitive, prep work is a smart ROI.  Considering a good score can translate into admission to top schools and hundreds of thousands of dollars in lifetime earnings, prep work at less than 1% of the total business school cost is a wise investment.