Your first session focuses on assessment and goal-setting. A tutor will review your practice test results, identify patterns in your mistakes (timing issues, conceptual gaps, careless errors), and understand your target score. From there, they'll create a personalized study plan that prioritizes the topics and question types where you'll gain the most points, rather than starting from scratch with the entire curriculum.

The three most common struggles are pacing (running out of time on harder problems), conceptual gaps in algebra or functions, and misunderstanding what a question is actually asking. Many students also struggle with the grid-in format or don't know when to use calculator vs. no-calculator strategies effectively. Tutors help you tackle these by teaching efficient problem-solving methods, filling knowledge gaps, and building familiarity with every question type through targeted practice.

Practice tests are essential—they're the best way to identify weak areas, build stamina for the full 80-minute section, and get comfortable with the actual test format and timing. Most students benefit from taking 3-4 full practice tests during their preparation, then reviewing every single mistake with a tutor to understand why they got it wrong. This combination of practice and targeted review is much more effective than just doing random problem sets.

Effective pacing comes down to knowing when to skip difficult problems and come back later, recognizing which question types you solve fastest, and practicing under real time constraints. Tutors teach you to spend 30-45 seconds on easy questions, 1-2 minutes on medium ones, and strategically guess or skip the hardest problems to maximize your score. With practice, you'll develop an instinct for which problems are worth your time and which ones aren't.

Look for tutors with strong math backgrounds, proven SAT teaching experience, and ideally a track record of helping students improve their scores. The best SAT Math tutors understand not just the content but the test strategy—they know which concepts appear most frequently, how to decode tricky wording, and how to help you manage anxiety on test day. Varsity Tutors connects you with expert tutors who specialize in SAT Math and can tailor their approach to your specific needs.

Most students benefit from 8-12 weeks of preparation, with 1-2 tutoring sessions per week depending on their starting score and target. If you're aiming for a 650+, weekly sessions combined with 5-7 hours of independent practice works well. Your tutor will help you create a realistic schedule that fits your school commitments while giving you enough time to practice between sessions and reinforce what you're learning.

Confidence comes from preparation and familiarity. When you work with a tutor, you practice under timed conditions repeatedly, master the question formats, and develop strategies that feel automatic on test day. Tutors also teach stress-management techniques like controlled breathing and positive self-talk, plus help you understand that mistakes during practice are learning opportunities, not failures. This combination of skill-building and mental preparation significantly reduces anxiety.