Your first session typically focuses on assessment and goal-setting. A tutor will review your current MCAT score (or baseline diagnostic if you haven't tested yet), discuss your target score and medical school timeline, and identify which sections need the most work. This helps create a personalized study plan that prioritizes high-impact areas, whether that's organic chemistry, passage-based reading, or test pacing strategies.

Pacing is one of the most common MCAT challenges, and it's highly coachable. Tutors teach strategic approaches like identifying high-yield questions first, managing time per passage, and recognizing when to skip difficult problems. Working through full-length practice tests under timed conditions with feedback helps you internalize these strategies and build the confidence to execute them on test day.

Uneven section performance is very common—many students excel at chemistry but struggle with reading comprehension, or vice versa. A tutor can focus your sessions on your weakest sections while maintaining your strengths through targeted practice. This personalized approach is much more efficient than generic study plans, allowing you to maximize score improvement where you need it most.

Practice tests are essential—they're the best predictor of your actual MCAT performance and reveal exactly where your knowledge gaps and timing issues are. A tutor helps you use practice tests strategically: reviewing your mistakes to identify patterns, analyzing which question types trip you up, and adjusting your study plan based on results. Most students benefit from taking 8-10 full-length practice tests throughout their prep.

Absolutely. Test anxiety often stems from feeling unprepared or uncertain about strategy, both of which tutoring directly addresses. As you master content, practice under realistic conditions, and develop a clear test-day plan, confidence naturally builds. Many students also benefit from discussing anxiety management techniques and building mental resilience during their tutoring sessions.

Most students prepare for 3-6 months, depending on their starting point and target score. Those starting with scores in the 490-500 range typically need longer prep, while students already scoring 500+ may need 3-4 months. A tutor can assess your baseline and create a realistic timeline based on your goals, existing knowledge, and availability for study hours each week.

The best MCAT tutors have scored competitively on the exam themselves (typically 510+), have medical school experience or strong science backgrounds, and understand the current MCAT format deeply. They should be able to explain complex concepts clearly, provide strategic test-taking guidance, and adapt their teaching to your learning style. Varsity Tutors connects you with expert tutors who meet these standards and have proven success helping students improve their scores.