Can You Achieve a 700+ GMAT Score Without Help?

Is it possible to get a 700 on GMAT by self-study?

Those of you who are preparing for the GMAT have probably come across the price tag of a private tutor. You are not alone if the cost is a bit off-putting. Too often those put off by the price of a private GMAT tutor attempt to achieve a 700+ score on their own. Some are successful. Many more are not. There is more to achieving a 700+ than what meets the eye.

We here at Apex have helped dozens of clients achieve a 700+ on the GMAT. All of whom realized during their prep that the only way to achieve their goal is with help. Asking for help is a noble thing to do and, more often than not, those highly successful individuals you see attend a top-ten B-school didn’t go it alone. They had help. Often, in the form of a private tutor.

But we are not here to convince you that a private tutor is the be-all and end-all to GMAT studying. In this article, we break down whether you are one of those few who are able to achieve a 700+ GMAT score without the support of a private tutor.

YES, you can! But…

To answer your question. Yes. It is possible to achieve a 700+ on the GMAT without hiring a private GMAT tutor. But just because one can doesn’t necessarily mean one should. What do we mean by this? Well, studying – as you are well aware – is stressful. Attempting to ‘go it alone’ is even more stressful.

Let’s assume you study 10 hours a week, and you notice practice exam after practice exam that you are not surpassing a 650 or 660. Sure, you can bump up the amount of hours you are studying, but this might just turn into a waste of time. You see, studying doesn’t always come down to the amount of hours you put into it. Achieving success on the GMAT is highly dependent on your testing strategy. A strategy that even an extra 5 hours of studying won’t help you fix.

Your testing strategy is EVERYTHING.

The testing strategy you choose to adopt is the one that can make, or break, your GMAT goal. If you are determined to ‘go it alone’ and not hire a private GMAT tutor, then watch videos where professionals can help break down different types of test-taking strategies.

Here, for example, Mike explains where test-takers go wrong when it comes to studying for the GMAT quantitative portion. While this strategy might suit some, it doesn’t fit everyone. This is where a private tutor comes into play, they are able to work with your strengths and weaknesses and find a strategy that is best for you. For many of our clients attempting to surpass the 700 mark, getting an objective and professional perspective is what pushes them towards their goal.

The Pros and Cons.

Weigh out the pros and cons. Studying, if you do it right, is time-consuming. GMAT private tutors, if you choose a good one, are pricey. And while a private tutor may not reduce your studying time to 0.5 hours a week, what they can do is guide you towards your goal without having you waste your precious time. An excellent one-on-one GMAT instructor has a keen eye, and is able to notice where you might be struggling – or excelling – without you ever knowing it. And while a private tutor may be pricey, at the end of the day achieving your goal of a 700+ GMAT score will pay back the cost of a private tutor 10-fold. Don’t believe us? Getting a high GMAT score can open doorways to top B-schools and even future professional opportunities.

It comes down to Statistics.

Still wondering whether you can achieve a 700+ GMAT score on your own? Take a look at some of the GMAT percentiles from 2020. Only about 20% of the test takers achieve a 700+ score. And the majority of them utilize help in some form or another. We have found very few individuals who are able to achieve a 700+ purely on their own. And while it is possible, sometimes skill isn’t the only factor at play for achieving a 700+.

As we talked about earlier, strategy plays a huge factor in your abilities as does looking at things from a fresh perspective. If achieving a 700+ on the GMAT was easy, well, then everyone would do it! But it is difficult for a reason. B-Schools want to be sure that their students are up for the challenge of an MBA. And just like you won’t go through business school all alone, why expect to go through the GMAT studying experience all by yourself as well?

Apex’s Approach to 700+ GMAT Score

We here at ApexGMAT pride ourselves on helping clients achieve a GMAT score above a 700+. We often get clients coming to us who have found themselves plateauing around the 660 mark after attempting a 700+ on their own. We are able to develop a strategy with them. Keeping in mind their strengths and weaknesses. And because all of our tutors have scored above a 770 on the GMAT and have years of tutoring experience behind them, we are well equipped to help any type of learner.

If you are interested in speaking with one of our GMAT tutors, you can sign-up for a complimentary, 30-minute, consultation call. You can also learn more from our past clients who were able to achieve their 700+ score with us!

Contributor: Dana Coggio

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