Score improvement depends on the student's baseline performance and starting point, but most students see meaningful gains with focused, personalized instruction—often 5-15 percentile points or more. The key is identifying specific weak areas (like pattern recognition or verbal reasoning) and practicing targeted strategies. Consistent practice with realistic test questions and feedback typically yields the strongest results.

During the first session, a tutor will assess your student's current reasoning skills, identify specific strengths and challenges, and understand their testing goals. They'll likely walk through sample OLSAT questions across different sections to see how your student approaches problem-solving. This diagnostic helps create a personalized study plan focused on areas that need the most improvement.

Many students struggle with pacing—the test moves quickly and requires quick decision-making. Others find nonverbal reasoning sections challenging because they involve pattern recognition and spatial relationships that feel unfamiliar. Some students also experience test anxiety or second-guess their answers, which slows them down. Targeted practice with timed sections and confidence-building strategies address these issues directly.

Most students benefit from 4-8 weeks of consistent preparation, depending on their starting level and testing deadline. With personalized tutoring, even 2-3 sessions per week can build familiarity with question types, improve reasoning skills, and boost confidence. The goal is steady progress rather than cramming—regular practice with feedback helps students internalize strategies they can apply on test day.

A personalized approach works best—tutors typically assess which sections (verbal, nonverbal, or figural) are your student's weakest and prioritize those while maintaining strength in stronger areas. However, all sections require practice to build speed and confidence. Your tutor will create a balanced study plan that allocates more time to challenging areas while keeping overall skills sharp.

Practice tests are essential—they help students get comfortable with the format, build pacing skills, and reveal specific weak areas. Taking full-length, timed practice tests every 1-2 weeks lets tutors identify patterns in mistakes and adjust instruction accordingly. Regular practice testing also reduces anxiety by making the actual test feel familiar and manageable.

Varsity Tutors connects you with expert tutors in Grand Rapids who specialize in OLSAT preparation and understand the reasoning skills the test measures. You'll be matched with someone who fits your student's learning style and schedule. Simply share your student's current level, testing timeline, and goals, and we'll help you get started with personalized 1-on-1 instruction.