Score improvements depend on your starting point and how much you practice, but most students see meaningful gains with focused preparation. With consistent study and personalized instruction targeting your specific weak areas—whether that's vocabulary, reading comprehension, or grammar—students typically improve by 50-100+ points over several months. The key is identifying exactly which question types and skills are holding you back, then practicing strategically rather than just reviewing content.

Most students struggle with pacing—the Reading section requires speed and accuracy, and many run out of time. Others find the question formats confusing, especially dual-part Reading questions that ask you to identify evidence for your answer. Vocabulary in context questions trip up students who rely on memorization rather than understanding how words function in passages. Working with a tutor helps you develop strategies for each challenge, whether that's improving reading speed, mastering question formats, or building contextual vocabulary skills.

Most students benefit from 2-4 months of consistent preparation, dedicating 5-10 hours per week to focused study. If you're starting with a lower baseline score or aiming for a top-tier college, you might want 4-6 months. The timeline also depends on your current skills and how much time you can realistically commit. A tutor can help you create a personalized study schedule that fits your timeline and targets your specific needs rather than generic test prep.

Practice tests do two critical things: they help you get comfortable with the format and pacing, and they reveal exactly which question types and skills need work. Taking full-length practice tests under timed conditions shows you where you lose points—whether it's on vocabulary questions, inference questions, or specific passage types. Reviewing your mistakes with a tutor helps you understand why you missed questions and develop strategies to avoid those mistakes on test day.

Both sections are equally weighted in your Verbal score, so you need to strengthen both. However, your personal focus depends on where you're weakest—some students naturally excel at grammar but struggle with reading comprehension, while others have the opposite challenge. A tutor can diagnose which section is dragging down your overall score and create a study plan that balances improvement in both areas while maximizing your time investment.

Your first session focuses on understanding your current skills and goals. You'll likely take a diagnostic practice test or work through sample questions so a tutor can identify your specific strengths and weaknesses—whether that's pacing issues, vocabulary gaps, or trouble with certain question formats. From there, the tutor creates a personalized study plan tailored to your timeline and target score, so every session builds toward measurable improvement.

Test anxiety often stems from feeling unprepared or unsure of your strategy. Working with a tutor builds confidence by ensuring you understand the material and have practiced extensively with real question formats under timed conditions. Tutors also teach practical strategies like time management techniques, how to skip difficult questions strategically, and mental approaches to staying calm. The more prepared and practiced you feel, the less anxiety impacts your performance on test day.