Score improvement depends on your starting point and commitment level, but most students see meaningful gains within 4-8 weeks of focused preparation. Students who work on specific weaknesses—like timing strategies or question-type patterns—often improve by 2-4 points on the ACT scale. The key is identifying whether your challenges are conceptual (understanding the text) or strategic (managing time and question formats), then addressing them directly.

Your first session typically includes a diagnostic assessment—either a practice test section or a discussion of your recent ACT attempts—to pinpoint your specific weaknesses. A tutor will review your pacing patterns, accuracy by question type, and comprehension strategies, then create a customized plan targeting your biggest opportunities for improvement. This foundation ensures every subsequent session builds directly on what you need most.

Effective strategies include active reading techniques (annotating key ideas, tracking author tone), strategic skimming (previewing questions before reading the passage), and practicing question-type recognition to answer more efficiently. Many high-scoring students also use the "question-first" approach for certain passage types, reading questions before diving into dense text. The best strategy depends on your reading speed and comprehension style—a tutor can help you test and refine approaches that work for your brain.

For meaningful improvement, most students benefit from 3-4 practice sessions per week, with each session lasting 45-60 minutes focused on specific skills or full-length practice tests. Noticeable improvement typically appears within 3-4 weeks of consistent practice, though reaching your target score may take 8-12 weeks depending on your starting point and goals. Consistency matters more than intensity—regular practice with feedback beats cramming.

Varsity Tutors connects you with expert tutors who specialize in ACT Reading and understand the test's specific demands. When you get matched with a tutor, you can review their background, teaching approach, and availability to ensure a good fit for your learning style and schedule. Most tutors offer flexible sessions that work around your school and extracurricular commitments.

Test anxiety often stems from time pressure or uncertainty about question formats—both manageable through familiarity and confidence-building. Practicing full-length sections repeatedly helps normalize the experience and reduces panic during the actual test. A tutor can also teach breathing and mental strategies to stay calm under pressure, plus help you build confidence by tracking your progress and celebrating improvements along the way.

Start by identifying which passage types—literary fiction, social studies, natural science, or humanities—consistently trip you up, then focus on understanding why (unfamiliar vocabulary, complex sentence structure, or question format confusion). Targeted practice on just those passage types, combined with strategy adjustments, typically yields faster improvement than general review. A tutor can help you decode difficult passages and develop customized approaches for each type.