Score improvement depends on your starting point and how much you practice, but most students see meaningful gains within 4-8 weeks of consistent work. If you're scoring in the mid-range, improvement of 3-5 points is realistic; larger jumps are possible if you're starting lower or have significant gaps in strategy. A tutor will identify whether your challenges are with reading speed, question comprehension, or logical reasoning—then target those specific weaknesses with practice and feedback.

Your first session focuses on assessment and strategy. You'll typically work through a practice passage or two while your tutor observes your approach, timing, and reasoning. This helps identify your specific pain points—whether you're rushing through passages, misunderstanding question stems, or struggling with comparative reading. From there, your tutor will create a personalized study plan that targets your weaknesses and builds on your strengths.

Effective strategies include active annotation (marking main ideas and argument structure as you read), previewing questions before diving into the passage, and practicing the "roadmap" technique to understand passage organization quickly. Different strategies work for different readers—some students benefit from reading the passage first then questions, while others preview questions to know what to look for. A tutor will help you test different approaches and find what works best for your reading style and pace.

Practice tests are essential—they help you build stamina, get comfortable with test conditions, and identify patterns in your mistakes. Most students benefit from taking full-length practice tests every 1-2 weeks, then reviewing them with a tutor to understand why they missed questions and how to avoid similar errors. This cycle of practice, review, and targeted improvement is what drives real score gains.

Look for tutors with strong LSAT scores themselves (typically 160+) and proven experience teaching Reading Comprehension specifically—not just general test prep. They should understand the nuances of LSAT logic and question design, and be able to explain why answers are correct or incorrect clearly. Varsity Tutors connects you with tutors who have deep expertise in LSAT preparation and can teach you the reasoning skills the test actually measures.

Test anxiety often stems from feeling rushed or unprepared. Building confidence through consistent practice with real LSAT passages helps—when you've seen similar material and strategies work repeatedly, test day feels less intimidating. Your tutor can also teach you pacing techniques and mental strategies to stay calm under pressure, plus help you identify whether anxiety is a timing issue (you need better speed) or a confidence issue (you need more practice).

Most students benefit from 1-2 sessions per week over 6-12 weeks, depending on their timeline and starting score. If you're preparing for an upcoming test date, more frequent sessions help you stay focused and get faster feedback on your practice. Between sessions, you'll do independent practice on passages and full tests, then review your work with your tutor to refine your approach and build momentum toward your target score.