Many independent and selective schools in the Fresno area use ISEE scores as part of their admissions process. A strong performance on the Reading Comprehension section demonstrates your readiness for advanced academic work and can significantly impact your admission chances. With personalized tutoring, you can develop the focused strategies needed to tackle complex passages and answer types effectively.

Many students struggle with managing time across multiple passages, distinguishing between main ideas and supporting details, and making accurate inferences from text. Others find it difficult to answer questions that require analyzing an author's tone or purpose, or to eliminate incorrect answer choices that contain partially true information. Personalized tutoring helps you identify your specific weak areas and build targeted strategies to overcome them.

Varsity Tutors connects you with expert tutors who assess your current reading level and test-taking habits during an initial session. Your tutor then creates a customized study plan that focuses on your individual challenges—whether that's vocabulary building, inference skills, or time management. You'll work through practice passages with detailed feedback, learn proven strategies for different question types, and gradually build confidence through targeted practice.

Vocabulary plays a significant role in reading comprehension, as unfamiliar words can slow you down and affect your understanding of passages. However, the ISEE tests comprehension more than pure vocabulary knowledge—you can often determine word meanings from context clues. A tutor can help you build a strategic approach to handling challenging vocabulary, including techniques for using surrounding text to infer meaning and deciding when to move forward without knowing every word.

Your first session focuses on assessment and goal-setting. Your tutor will likely have you complete a diagnostic reading passage or practice section to understand your current strengths and areas for improvement. You'll discuss your timeline, target score, and any specific concerns about the test format. This foundation helps your tutor design a personalized plan that addresses your unique needs and learning style.

Tutors typically use official ISEE practice materials, released test sections, and carefully selected passages that mirror the actual test's difficulty and style. Your tutor may also introduce you to reading strategies and annotation techniques through model passages before you apply them to full practice sections. This combination of guided instruction and independent practice helps you build both skills and test confidence.

Many students begin to see noticeable improvements in accuracy and speed within 4-6 weeks of consistent tutoring, though the timeline depends on your starting level and how frequently you work with a tutor. With focused practice on specific strategies and regular feedback, you can develop stronger analytical skills and test-taking habits. Your tutor will track your progress through practice sections and adjust the plan as needed to keep you moving toward your goals.