Your first session focuses on assessment and strategy. Your tutor will review your practice test scores, identify patterns in the questions you're missing, and discuss your timeline and goals. You'll also get a sense of your tutor's teaching style and can ask questions about their approach to SAT Math preparation. This foundation helps create a personalized study plan tailored to your needs.

Long Beach students typically struggle with three main areas: pacing (running out of time on harder problems), understanding the specific question formats (especially grid-ins and multi-part questions), and gaps in foundational algebra or geometry skills. Many students also struggle with the transition from calculator to no-calculator sections, or with applying multiple concepts to solve complex problems. Targeted tutoring addresses each of these systematically.

Confidence comes from preparation and familiarity. Working with a tutor helps you practice under timed conditions, master question formats, and develop strategies for difficult problems—all of which reduce anxiety on test day. Your tutor can also teach you techniques to manage stress during the test, like knowing when to skip a problem and come back to it, which keeps you calm and focused.

Practice tests are essential—they're the most accurate predictor of your actual SAT score and reveal exactly where you need to improve. Most tutors recommend taking full practice tests every 2-3 weeks, then reviewing mistakes in detail to understand why you got them wrong. This cycle of testing, analysis, and targeted practice is what drives real score improvement.

Look for tutors with strong math backgrounds, proven SAT prep experience, and a track record of helping students improve their scores. They should be familiar with the current SAT format, understand common student mistakes, and be able to explain concepts clearly. Varsity Tutors connects you with expert tutors who specialize in SAT Math and can show you their experience and approach.

Most students benefit from 1-2 sessions per week over 8-12 weeks, though this depends on your starting score and target score. If you're aiming for a significant improvement or have limited math background, more frequent sessions help you stay on track. Your tutor can recommend a schedule based on your goals and how quickly you're progressing.

The no-calculator section tests your conceptual understanding and mental math skills, while the calculator section allows you to verify answers and handle complex calculations. A good strategy is to practice both sections separately to understand their different demands, then learn which problems benefit most from calculator use. Your tutor can help you develop efficient techniques for each section and know when to rely on calculation versus problem-solving skills.