The most frequent errors fall into a few categories: misunderstanding pronoun-antecedent agreement, struggling with comma rules and sentence boundaries, and misconstruing what a question is actually asking. Many students also rush through passages, missing context clues that help answer rhetorical and word-in-context questions.

Another major issue is pacing—students spend too much time on difficult questions and run out of time for easier ones later. Additionally, many test-takers don't fully grasp the test's focus on conciseness and clarity, adding words when deletion is the correct answer. A tutor can help you develop a strategic approach to each question type and avoid these costly mistakes through targeted practice.

If you're starting from a baseline score and aiming for meaningful improvement, plan for 4-8 weeks of focused preparation, dedicating 3-5 hours per week specifically to Writing and Language. This timeline allows you to learn grammar rules, understand the test's format and question types, and build confidence through repeated practice.

Students in the Los Angeles area often benefit from starting their prep 2-3 months before test day, which gives you time to take full-length practice tests, review mistakes, and address weak areas without rushing. If grammar isn't your strongest area, you may want to start earlier or increase your study hours. Working with a tutor can accelerate your progress by focusing your study time on what actually moves your score, rather than reviewing concepts you've already mastered.

The Writing and Language section gives you 35 minutes for 44 questions—roughly 48 seconds per question. Most students struggle with pacing, either moving too quickly and making careless errors or dwelling too long on difficult questions. A smart strategy is to move through the passage at a steady pace, flagging any questions you're unsure about and returning to them after you've answered the easier ones.

Practice tests are essential for building your timing rhythm. Work through full passages under timed conditions to see where you naturally slow down, then develop techniques to address those bottlenecks. Common time-savers include learning to quickly identify sentence boundaries, recognizing common grammar rules, and understanding that the majority of questions test basic mechanics rather than complex concepts. A tutor can help you refine your pacing strategy based on your personal strengths and weaknesses.

Yes, but not in the way many students assume. While strong reading skills help with the rhetorical and word-in-context questions on the Writing and Language section, this is only about 20% of the test. The majority of questions focus on grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure—skills you can master regardless of your reading level.

That said, understanding the broader context and flow of a passage does help you answer those rhetorical questions and recognize when sentences are awkwardly constructed. The best approach is to focus your tutoring time on the grammar mechanics that dominate the section, then build confidence with the context-dependent questions. This ensures you're not just improving reading comprehension, but actually targeting the skills that will raise your Writing and Language score most efficiently.

Varsity Tutors connects you with expert tutors who specialize in SAT test prep and have deep knowledge of the Writing and Language section's specific challenges. When you work with Varsity Tutors, you're matched with a tutor who understands not just grammar rules, but how to teach test-taking strategy and timing—skills that are just as important as knowing the content.

Look for tutors who offer diagnostic assessments to pinpoint your weak areas, provide practice materials and feedback on full-length sections, and can explain why certain answers are correct in a way that makes sense to you. The best tutors combine subject expertise with flexibility in teaching style, adjusting their approach based on how you learn. Varsity Tutors makes it easy to connect with someone who's the right fit for your needs and goals.

Aim for at least 3-4 full-length practice tests under realistic timed conditions. This gives you a solid sense of your pacing, helps you get comfortable with the test format, and provides real data about where you're making mistakes. After each test, you should spend significant time reviewing not just the questions you got wrong, but also why you made errors—was it a knowledge gap, a careless mistake, or a timing issue?

Beyond full tests, doing focused drills on individual question types and passages is equally valuable. Many students focus too much on volume (taking tons of tests) and not enough on quality analysis (deeply understanding their mistakes). Working with a tutor means your practice becomes more efficient—you'll get guidance on which practice tests to use, how to analyze your results, and which specific question types deserve the most attention based on your score goals.