Score improvement depends on your starting point and study intensity, but most students see 2-4 point gains (on the 118-132 scale) with focused preparation over 4-8 weeks. Students who struggle with reading speed or question interpretation often see the biggest improvements by working with a tutor to identify their specific weak areas—whether that's passage comprehension, time management, or recognizing question patterns. Consistent practice with real AAMC materials and targeted strategy refinement are key to meaningful gains.

Effective pacing starts with understanding your personal reading speed and question-answering rhythm. A tutor can help you develop a strategic approach: some students benefit from skimming the passage first, others from reading actively with annotation. The goal is finding a balance where you spend roughly 3-4 minutes reading and 4-5 minutes answering questions per passage. Practice tests are essential—they reveal where you're losing time and help you calibrate your strategy before test day.

Start by taking a full-length practice test under timed conditions, then review your performance by question type (main idea, inference, author's tone, etc.) and passage subject matter (natural sciences, social sciences, humanities). You'll likely notice patterns—maybe you struggle with dense biology passages or miss inference questions consistently. A tutor can help you analyze these patterns in depth, pinpoint whether your issue is comprehension, strategy, or confidence, and create a targeted plan to address them.

Most students benefit from 4-8 weeks of focused Verbal Reasoning preparation, though this varies based on your baseline skills and target score. If reading comprehension is a significant weakness, you may want to start earlier and build foundational skills. A structured study schedule typically includes 3-4 practice passages per week initially, increasing to full-section practice as test day approaches. Working with a tutor helps you stay on track and adjust your timeline if you're progressing faster or need more time in specific areas.

Test anxiety in Verbal Reasoning often stems from time pressure and unfamiliar content. Building confidence through repeated practice with real AAMC passages helps normalize the experience and reduces anxiety on test day. A tutor can teach you grounding techniques—like strategic breathing between passages or positive self-talk when facing difficult material—and help you develop a pre-test routine. Understanding that you don't need to understand every word in a passage (just enough to answer the questions) can also ease the pressure you put on yourself.

A tutor can diagnose your specific challenges—whether that's reading speed, comprehension, question interpretation, or test anxiety—and create a personalized study plan. They'll teach you proven strategies for different passage types, help you practice under realistic time constraints, and review your mistakes in depth to prevent patterns. For Madison students preparing for medical school, having expert guidance ensures you're using your study time efficiently and building the critical thinking skills that Verbal Reasoning demands.

Official AAMC materials are essential—they're the only source that perfectly mirrors the real test's difficulty, style, and question patterns. Start with individual passages from AAMC's Question Packs, then progress to full sections and practice tests. While other prep companies offer supplemental materials, AAMC content should form the foundation of your practice. A tutor can help you use these materials strategically: identifying which passages to tackle first based on your strengths, reviewing mistakes systematically, and tracking improvement over time.