Score improvement depends on your starting point and how consistently you apply feedback. Students who work with tutors typically see the most gains by focusing on their weakest areas—whether that's analyzing complex rhetoric, managing essay timing, or strengthening argument construction. Many students improve by 1-2 score points by targeting specific skills like thesis development or evidence integration, especially when they combine tutoring with regular practice essays.

The biggest challenges are managing time across three essays, distinguishing between rhetorical analysis and argument essays, and avoiding summary instead of analysis. Many students struggle to identify sophisticated rhetorical devices beyond basic ones, rush through the multiple-choice section, or write theses that don't directly address the prompt. Des Moines students often benefit from focused practice on pacing strategies and learning to annotate efficiently under pressure.

Your first session focuses on understanding where you stand. You'll likely work through a practice essay or multiple-choice section so your tutor can identify your specific strengths and gaps—whether that's thesis clarity, evidence selection, or time management. From there, your tutor will create a personalized plan targeting the skills that will have the biggest impact on your score, whether that's rhetorical analysis techniques or essay structure.

Most students benefit from taking a full-length practice test every 2-3 weeks, especially in the months leading up to the May exam. This gives you time to practice between tests and track improvement in specific areas. Your tutor can help you review each test strategically—focusing on patterns in your mistakes rather than just going through every question—so you build skills rather than just repeating the same errors.

The key is spending your first 5-10 minutes planning each essay rather than jumping straight into writing. Many students allocate roughly 40 minutes per essay, leaving time for a quick review. Your tutor can help you develop a pre-writing routine—annotating the prompt, identifying your main point, and outlining evidence—that becomes automatic under pressure. Practice essays with a timer builds the muscle memory you need to pace yourself on test day.

Rhetorical analysis asks you to examine how an author persuades their audience—you're analyzing their techniques, not arguing your own position. The argument essay requires you to take a stance on a prompt and support it with evidence and reasoning. Many students confuse these by either summarizing the passage instead of analyzing it, or by arguing a position in the rhetorical analysis essay. Your tutor can help you nail the distinct requirements of each format through targeted practice.

Building confidence comes from consistent practice and knowing your process. When you've written dozens of practice essays and reviewed your patterns, you trust your skills more. Your tutor can help you develop strategies like reading prompts twice before writing, taking 30 seconds to breathe between essays, and focusing on what you can control rather than the score. Many students find that mock exam sessions with timed conditions reduce anxiety significantly by making the real test feel familiar.