Many students struggle with recognizing which factoring method to use for different expressions—whether it's greatest common factor, trinomial factoring, difference of squares, or grouping. Another frequent challenge is working with negative coefficients and keeping track of signs throughout the process. Personalized tutoring helps identify exactly where a student gets stuck and builds confidence through targeted practice on those specific problem types.

During the first session, a tutor will assess your current understanding of factoring by reviewing some practice problems and listening to how you approach them. This helps identify knowledge gaps—whether you need to strengthen foundational skills like finding the greatest common factor or jump into more complex trinomial factoring. From there, the tutor creates a personalized plan to build your skills step-by-step.

Consistent, focused practice is more important than quantity—working through 10-15 problems daily with immediate feedback is more effective than rushing through 50 problems without understanding. Spaced repetition (reviewing problems over multiple days) helps move factoring skills into long-term memory. A tutor can guide you through the right practice problems at the right pace, helping you avoid the frustration of repetitive errors.

Factoring questions on standardized tests often appear in disguise—you might need to factor to simplify an expression, solve an equation, or find specific values. The tests rarely ask you to factor in isolation; instead, they test whether you can apply factoring as a tool to solve multi-step problems. Tutoring includes practice with test-style questions and strategies for recognizing when factoring is the right approach.

Varsity Tutors connects you with expert tutors who specialize in algebra and factoring. After you share your learning goals and schedule, you'll be matched with a tutor experienced in teaching factoring to students at your level. The tutor will work with you using a personalized approach tailored to how you learn best.

Most students start with greatest common factor (GCF), then move to factoring trinomials of the form ax² + bx + c, followed by special patterns like difference of squares and perfect square trinomials. Finally, they learn factoring by grouping for more complex expressions. A tutor will move you through this progression at a pace that ensures you're confident at each stage before advancing.

Absolutely. With personalized tutoring, you can work through foundational gaps quickly while building real confidence in the topic. Many students catch up within a few weeks of focused sessions because a tutor can pinpoint exactly what you're missing and address it directly, rather than moving at a class pace. Getting support early prevents factoring from becoming a barrier to success in algebra and beyond.