Your first session focuses on understanding where you stand and where you want to go. Varsity Tutors connects you with a tutor who will review your diagnostic practice test results (or administer one if you haven't taken it yet), discuss your target score and timeline, and identify which sections need the most work—whether that's the Chemical and Physical Foundations, Biological and Biochemical Foundations, Psychological Concepts, or Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills. Together, you'll create a personalized study plan that fits your schedule and learning style.

Timing struggles are one of the most common MCAT challenges—you have roughly 1.5 minutes per question across 230 questions over 7.5 hours. Expert tutors teach you to recognize question patterns, skip strategically when stuck, and practice timed sections repeatedly to build speed without sacrificing accuracy. The key is deliberate practice: working through full-length practice tests under real conditions, reviewing your timing on each section, and adjusting your approach based on where you lose time. Most students need 4-6 weeks of consistent timed practice to feel confident with pacing.

The MCAT has distinct sections with different skill sets—CARS (reading and reasoning) challenges many science-focused students, while the science sections require both content knowledge and application. Personalized tutoring lets you focus your effort where it matters most: you might spend 60% of sessions on your weakest section while maintaining your strengths through strategic practice. Your tutor can also help you understand whether you're struggling with content gaps, question interpretation, or timing in that specific section, which completely changes the study strategy.

Most students benefit from taking 8-12 full-length practice tests during their MCAT prep, spaced throughout your study timeline. The first 2-3 are diagnostic and help identify weak areas; the middle tests let you practice new strategies and build stamina; the final 3-4 simulate test-day conditions and build confidence. Your tutor will recommend a testing schedule based on your timeline and progress, and more importantly, will help you review each test thoroughly—understanding why you missed questions matters far more than the raw score.

Test anxiety often stems from feeling unprepared or uncertain about question formats—personalized tutoring builds confidence by ensuring you truly understand the material and know exactly what to expect. Your tutor can teach you specific test-day strategies (like how to manage difficult passages, when to move on, and how to stay calm under time pressure) and help you practice these strategies repeatedly until they become automatic. Many students also benefit from discussing their anxiety directly with their tutor, who can provide perspective on realistic expectations and help you develop a mental game plan for test day.

Look for tutors who have scored well on the MCAT themselves (typically 510+), have experience teaching MCAT content, and understand the test's structure deeply—not just individual topics. Ideally, your tutor should be familiar with current MCAT trends, know which topics appear most frequently, and have strategies for the specific challenges of each section. When you connect with Varsity Tutors, you can discuss your tutor's background, score, teaching approach, and experience with students at your target score level to ensure a strong fit.

Most students prepare for 8-16 weeks depending on their starting point and target score—students aiming for 500+ typically need 8-10 weeks, while those targeting 510+ often benefit from 12-16 weeks. With personalized tutoring, you're studying more efficiently than self-study alone, so you can often compress your timeline. Your tutor will help you create a realistic schedule that balances content review, practice problems, full-length tests, and weak-area drilling, and will adjust the pace based on your progress toward your target score.