An effective 4-week plan typically dedicates the first week to diagnostic testing and identifying weak areas, weeks 2-3 to targeted skill-building and practice problems in those areas, and week 4 to full-length practice tests and timing refinement. This compressed timeline means you'll focus on high-impact improvements rather than comprehensive content review—working with a tutor helps you prioritize what matters most for your goals.

Reading comprehension typically takes longer to improve because it requires both strong vocabulary and strategic thinking about passage structure. However, the Math section often shows faster gains when you identify specific concept gaps and practice problem-solving strategies. The Writing and Language section falls in between—it responds well to targeted grammar review and practice with the specific question formats the SAT uses.

Timing anxiety usually stems from unfamiliarity with the test format and question types. Practicing full-length tests under timed conditions helps normalize the experience, while learning section-specific pacing strategies (like how long to spend per reading passage) builds confidence. Many students also benefit from learning stress-management techniques like strategic skipping and returning to harder questions—approaches that tutors can help you practice until they feel automatic.

Most students benefit from taking 3-4 full-length practice tests during a 4-week prep period—typically one per week, with the final test in your last few days. Each practice test should be followed by detailed review to understand why you missed questions and what patterns emerge. Between full tests, you'll focus on targeted drills in specific sections or question types based on your performance.

Varsity Tutors connects you with expert tutors who can create a personalized 4-week plan based on your diagnostic test results and score goals. Rather than generic prep, they'll identify your specific weak areas—whether that's data interpretation in math or inference questions in reading—and focus your limited time there. They'll also help you develop test-taking strategies, review practice tests to find patterns in your mistakes, and build the confidence you need for test day.

Your first session typically includes taking a diagnostic SAT practice test or reviewing your most recent official score, discussing your target score and any specific concerns, and identifying which sections or question types are causing the most trouble. From there, your tutor will outline a customized 4-week study plan that prioritizes the areas where you can make the biggest score gains.

A typical approach combines weekly tutoring sessions (1-2 hours) with independent practice between sessions. You'll spend time drilling weak areas, completing practice problem sets your tutor assigns, and taking timed sections or full tests. Most students see better results with 3-4 tutoring sessions spread across the 4 weeks rather than cramming them all at the start, allowing time to practice what you've learned before moving to new content.