Most students see meaningful improvement with focused practice—typically 20-50 points over several months of consistent study. Your actual improvement depends on your starting level, the specific grammar rules you need to strengthen, and how regularly you practice. Working with a tutor helps identify your exact weak areas (like comma usage or sentence fragments) so you can target practice more effectively rather than studying everything broadly.

Students often struggle with subject-verb agreement, comma placement, and recognizing wordiness or awkward phrasing. Many also miss questions because they read too quickly and don't catch subtle errors, or they second-guess correct answers. Understanding the test's specific grammar rules and practicing with real PSAT passages helps you develop the precision needed—it's different from just being a good writer.

You have roughly 35 minutes for 44 questions, which means about 48 seconds per question. The key is reading each passage carefully but efficiently, then working through questions methodically rather than rushing. Many students benefit from practicing with timed drills to build speed without sacrificing accuracy—a tutor can help you identify whether you're rushing through errors or getting stuck on difficult questions and wasting time.

Taking full practice tests every 1-2 weeks helps you track progress and get comfortable with the test's format and pacing. Between full tests, focused practice on specific grammar topics (like comma rules or parallel structure) is more efficient than random review. Many students find that doing timed sections 2-3 times per week, combined with reviewing mistakes carefully, leads to faster improvement than occasional full tests alone.

A tutor can diagnose exactly which grammar rules and question types trip you up, then create a personalized study plan targeting those gaps rather than having you review everything. They'll also teach you test-specific strategies—like how to spot errors quickly and avoid common traps—and help you practice under timed conditions so you build both accuracy and speed. For students in Murrieta with busy schedules, personalized instruction is often more efficient than generic test prep.

Look for someone with strong knowledge of grammar and PSAT-specific question formats, plus experience helping students improve their scores. They should be able to explain why answers are correct (not just what the right answer is) and adapt their teaching to your learning style. Varsity Tutors connects you with expert tutors who understand both the writing skills and the test strategy needed to succeed on the PSAT.

Test anxiety often makes you rush or second-guess correct answers. Building confidence through repeated practice with real PSAT passages helps—when you've seen similar questions many times, they feel less intimidating. A tutor can also teach you pacing strategies and how to manage your time so you're not panicking about running out of time, which often reduces anxiety naturally as you prove to yourself you can handle the section.