Many test-takers struggle with time management—the exam requires you to read passages quickly while maintaining comprehension and accuracy. Others find inference questions tricky, as they require you to read between the lines rather than locate explicit information. Personalized 1-on-1 instruction can address your specific weak areas, whether that's vocabulary recognition, identifying main ideas, or analyzing rhetorical strategies. A tutor can also help you develop pacing strategies so you complete all sections with confidence.

Most candidates benefit from 4-8 weeks of focused preparation, depending on their baseline reading skills and familiarity with test format. If you're juggling other responsibilities or teaching commitments, personalized tutoring can accelerate your progress by targeting exactly what you need to work on rather than generic test prep. Varsity Tutors connects you with expert tutors who can create a customized study plan and track your improvement on practice passages.

Your first session is diagnostic and collaborative. A tutor will assess your current reading comprehension level, discuss your test timeline, and identify which question types or passage genres challenge you most. Together, you'll establish clear goals and create a personalized study roadmap. This foundation ensures that every session after that focuses on your unique needs rather than generic test prep.

Effective strategies include active reading (annotating key details and main ideas), previewing questions before reading passages, and practicing inference with context clues. Many students also benefit from learning how to eliminate wrong answers systematically and managing anxiety during timed sections. Personalized tutoring allows you to practice these strategies with real PRAXIS passages and get immediate feedback on what's working—so you can refine your approach before test day.

Score improvement depends on your starting point and effort, but students who work with personalized tutors typically see meaningful gains within 4-6 weeks of consistent practice. Research on 1-on-1 instruction shows it's one of the most effective ways to close learning gaps—tutors can pinpoint exactly where you're losing points and provide targeted strategies. Many students in St. Louis find that focused tutoring boosts both their confidence and their actual test performance.

Look for tutors with strong English language arts backgrounds, ideally with teaching experience or content expertise in reading comprehension and test preparation. They should be familiar with PRAXIS exam format and have a track record helping students improve their scores. When you connect with Varsity Tutors, you'll be matched with expert tutors who understand both the content and the test-taking strategies that lead to success.

The official PRAXIS website offers practice tests and study guides, and many test prep publishers provide additional passage sets and question banks. However, practice alone isn't always enough—you need expert feedback on why you're missing questions. A tutor can guide you toward the best materials for your level and help you analyze your mistakes so you don't repeat them on test day.