Most students struggle with pacing because they either read too slowly and run out of time, or rush through passages and miss important details. The Critical Reading section requires balancing careful comprehension with speed, which is a skill that improves significantly with practice. A tutor can help you develop a personalized reading strategy—whether that's previewing questions first, annotating strategically, or practicing timed drills—so you finish with confidence rather than panic.

Vocabulary is important but not the whole story—context clues and reading comprehension matter just as much. While the PSAT does test vocabulary in context questions, you can often determine the answer by understanding how the word functions in the passage, not by knowing the definition beforehand. A tutor can teach you how to use surrounding sentences and paragraph structure to decode unfamiliar words, plus help you build a targeted vocabulary list based on commonly tested words.

Taking 4-6 full practice tests under timed conditions gives you realistic data about your performance and builds test-day stamina. More importantly, the work happens after each test—analyzing which question types trip you up, reviewing your errors, and adjusting your strategy. A tutor can guide you through this process, helping you spot patterns in your mistakes and refine your approach rather than just taking test after test without improvement.

You'll encounter several key types: main idea/purpose questions, detail questions, inference questions, and vocabulary-in-context questions. Each type requires a slightly different approach—for example, main idea questions reward big-picture thinking, while detail questions require careful re-reading. Understanding how to quickly identify what each question is asking and where to find the answer in the passage is a learnable skill that tutors focus on extensively.

Test anxiety often stems from feeling unprepared or unsure of your strategy, which tutoring directly addresses by building your confidence through repeated practice and clear technique. Learning a consistent approach to each passage and question type removes the guesswork and gives you something concrete to focus on instead of worry. Many students also benefit from practicing relaxation techniques during timed drills so they're familiar with staying calm under pressure on test day.

Taking a diagnostic practice test is the fastest way to identify patterns—whether you're missing inference questions, struggling with dense passages, or running out of time. After reviewing your results, you can categorize errors by question type and passage difficulty to see where to focus your energy. A tutor can analyze your diagnostic results with you and create a study plan that prioritizes your biggest gaps, saving you time and keeping your prep efficient.

Varsity Tutors connects you with expert tutors who have deep experience preparing students for the PSAT and understand the specific challenges of the Critical Reading section. When you reach out, you can describe your goals and current score range, and we'll match you with someone who has a proven track record helping students like you. Your tutor will personalize your prep based on your learning style and timeline, whether you need help starting from scratch or fine-tuning your approach before test day.