Many students struggle with time management—40 minutes feels tight when you need to read the prompt, plan your essay, and write clearly. Others find it difficult to develop a nuanced argument that acknowledges competing perspectives rather than simply stating an opinion. A third common challenge is understanding what scorers are actually looking for: strong essays balance a clear position with evidence-based reasoning and thoughtful engagement with the topic, not just length or fancy vocabulary.

Score improvement depends on your starting point and effort level, but most students see meaningful gains within 4-8 weeks of focused practice. If you're scoring in the 4-6 range, reaching 8-10 is realistic with targeted instruction on argument structure and time management. The key is practicing full essays under timed conditions, getting feedback on specific weaknesses, and revising your approach based on what scorers actually reward—not just writing more.

Your first session typically focuses on understanding where you stand. You'll likely write a timed practice essay so a tutor can assess your current strengths and pinpoint specific areas for improvement—whether that's thesis clarity, evidence use, pacing, or argument development. From there, you'll work together to create a personalized study plan that targets your weaknesses while building on what you already do well.

Effective time management typically breaks down as: 5-7 minutes reading and planning, 30 minutes writing, 3-5 minutes reviewing. A strong structure includes a clear thesis in your opening, body paragraphs that each develop one main idea with evidence, and acknowledgment of alternative perspectives—even if you disagree with them. Many students benefit from using a simple outline or template during practice to build this structure into muscle memory, then gradually moving away from it as it becomes automatic.

Most students benefit from 8-12 full timed essays over their preparation period, combined with targeted practice on specific skills like thesis development or counterargument integration. Quality matters more than quantity—writing 20 essays without feedback won't help as much as writing 10 with detailed analysis of what worked and what didn't. Spacing practice over several weeks, rather than cramming, also helps you retain strategies and build confidence.

Varsity Tutors connects you with expert tutors who specialize in ACT Writing and understand the specific challenges students face with the essay section. When you get matched with a tutor, you can discuss your current score, target score, and preferred learning style—whether you want to focus on argument structure, time management, or building test confidence. Tutors work with you on a schedule that fits your timeline before test day.

Much of writing section anxiety comes from uncertainty—not knowing what scorers want or whether you're on the right track. Personalized tutoring builds confidence by demystifying the scoring rubric, showing you exactly what strong essays look like, and giving you repeated practice with immediate feedback. When you've written multiple essays under timed conditions and seen your skills improve, test day feels much less intimidating because you know you can handle the format and time pressure.