Running out of time is one of the most common ACT Reading challenges—you have 35 minutes to read and answer 40 questions. A tutor can help you develop a pacing strategy that works for your reading speed, such as skimming strategically, prioritizing question types, or adjusting how much time you spend on each passage. Practice tests are essential here; they help you find the rhythm that maximizes both accuracy and speed without sacrificing comprehension.

ACT Reading questions focus on main ideas, supporting details, word meanings in context, author's tone and purpose, and inference skills. Understanding the specific format of each question type—and practicing how to approach them—makes a huge difference. A tutor can walk you through real examples, show you which strategies work best for each type, and help you recognize question patterns so you're not caught off guard on test day.

Taking a full-length practice test under timed conditions is the best way to identify your weak areas. You'll see which passages trip you up, which question types you consistently miss, and whether your struggles are about comprehension, speed, or strategy. Varsity Tutors connects you with tutors who can analyze your practice test results, pinpoint patterns in your mistakes, and create a focused study plan that addresses your specific gaps rather than wasting time on skills you've already mastered.

Your first session is about getting to know each other and understanding where you're starting from. The tutor will likely discuss your current score (if you have one), your target score, and when you're taking the test. They may also have you work through a few sample ACT Reading questions to see your approach and identify immediate opportunities for improvement. This foundation helps them design a personalized study plan that fits your timeline and learning style.

Yes—anxiety often stems from feeling unprepared or unsure of your strategy, both of which tutoring directly addresses. As you practice with a tutor, build confidence in your approach, and see your skills improve, test anxiety naturally decreases. Additionally, tutors can teach you techniques like time management, how to stay focused on harder passages, and how to recover if you feel stuck—all of which reduce stress and help you perform closer to your actual ability on test day.

Most students benefit from 1-2 sessions per week, though the right frequency depends on your timeline and how much independent practice you're doing between sessions. If you're preparing for the ACT in a few months, weekly sessions combined with consistent practice tests work well. Your tutor can help you create a realistic study schedule that balances tutoring sessions, practice tests, and review time so you're making steady progress without burning out.

Traditional vocabulary memorization isn't the best use of your time for ACT Reading—the test focuses more on understanding words in context and making inferences than on obscure vocabulary. Instead, a tutor can teach you strategies for decoding unfamiliar words using surrounding clues and understanding how context shifts meaning. This approach is faster to develop and more directly applicable to the actual test format.