Varsity Tutors connects you with expert tutors who specialize in ISEE preparation and reading comprehension strategies. You can get matched with a tutor who understands the specific demands of the ISEE-Upper Level exam and can provide personalized 1-on-1 instruction tailored to your reading level and test goals. With 118 schools across Long Beach's 8 school districts, tutors are familiar with the academic standards students here are working toward.

Many students struggle with pacing—finishing all passages within the time limit—and distinguishing between details that support the main idea versus distracting information. Others find inference questions challenging because they require reading between the lines rather than finding explicit answers. A tutor can help you build faster, more accurate reading strategies and teach you how to annotate passages effectively to catch both obvious and subtle textual clues.

Vocabulary is important, but context is key—the ISEE-Upper Level tests your ability to determine word meaning from surrounding text rather than memorizing isolated definitions. Tutors focus on teaching you strategies to decode unfamiliar words using context clues, author tone, and sentence structure. This approach helps you handle any word you encounter on test day without needing to have studied every possible term.

Inference questions require you to read carefully and support your answers with evidence from the text. A tutor can teach you how to distinguish between what the passage explicitly states, what you can reasonably infer, and what goes beyond the text. Through guided practice with real ISEE passages, you'll learn to trace your thinking back to specific details and build confidence in your reasoning—a skill that transfers to all reading comprehension questions.

Your first session typically includes an assessment of your current reading speed and comprehension level, often using a practice ISEE passage. A tutor will identify your strengths—maybe you're strong at finding main ideas but struggle with tone—and create a personalized plan. You'll leave with concrete strategies to practice, and your tutor will adjust future sessions based on what you learned, ensuring every lesson builds toward your test-day goals.

Consistent, focused practice with feedback is more important than volume. Research on learning shows that spaced repetition and retrieval practice—revisiting challenging question types over time—build stronger comprehension skills than cramming. A tutor helps you practice strategically, reviewing your mistakes and adjusting your approach rather than just doing more passages. Most students see noticeable improvement within 4-6 weeks of regular tutoring combined with independent practice.

Time management on the ISEE-Upper Level is about reading efficiently without sacrificing comprehension. Tutors teach strategies like previewing questions before reading a passage, identifying key details on first read, and knowing when to skim versus read carefully. With practice under timed conditions, you'll develop a rhythm that works for your reading style. Your tutor can also help you recognize which passage types you naturally read faster and adjust your pacing accordingly.