The biggest challenge is pacing—students often spend too much time on difficult questions and rush through easier ones, leaving points on the table. Many also struggle with identifying what the question is actually asking, since the Writing and Language section tests grammar, style, and rhetoric simultaneously. Additionally, students frequently miss questions about sentence structure, pronoun agreement, and rhetorical effectiveness because they haven't practiced these concepts in a test-like format. A tutor can help you recognize question types quickly and develop efficient strategies for each.

Your first session focuses on understanding where you stand. A tutor will likely review your recent practice test results or administer a diagnostic to identify your specific weak areas—whether that's grammar fundamentals, passage comprehension, or time management. From there, you'll work together to create a customized study plan that targets your biggest opportunities for improvement and fits your timeline before test day.

Practice tests are essential—they're the best way to get comfortable with the test format, build your pacing skills, and identify patterns in your mistakes. Taking full-length practice tests under timed conditions helps you learn how to manage the 44-minute Writing and Language section and reveals whether you're making careless errors or missing conceptual understanding. A tutor can review your practice test results with you to pinpoint exactly which question types and grammar rules need more focus.

The key is learning to triage questions quickly. Spend 30-45 seconds on straightforward grammar questions, but don't get stuck on complex rhetorical questions—mark them and come back if you have time. A tutor can teach you to recognize question types at a glance and develop a personal pacing strategy based on your strengths. Practice tests are your best tool here; each one you take helps you refine your timing until it becomes automatic.

Confidence comes from preparation and familiarity. When you work with a tutor, you practice the exact question formats you'll see on test day, which reduces uncertainty and anxiety. A tutor can also teach you test-taking strategies and help you develop a pre-test routine that calms your nerves. Many students find that understanding the 'why' behind correct answers—rather than just memorizing rules—makes them feel more in control during the actual test.

Look for a tutor with strong knowledge of grammar, rhetoric, and standardized test formats—ideally someone who has scored well on the SAT themselves or has extensive experience teaching test prep. They should be able to explain not just what the correct answer is, but why it's correct and why the other options are wrong. Experience working with students at your score level is also valuable, since tutoring strategies differ for students aiming to go from 600 to 650 versus 700 to 750.

Most students benefit from 6-12 weeks of focused preparation, dedicating 3-5 hours per week to Writing and Language specifically. If you're starting from a lower score or have significant gaps in grammar fundamentals, you may need more time. A tutor can help you create a realistic schedule based on your current score, target score, and test date—and adjust it as you progress through practice tests.