Score improvement depends on your starting point and effort level, but most students see meaningful gains with focused, personalized instruction. If you're scoring in the mid-range, improvements of 3-5 points on the Reading Comprehension section are realistic with consistent practice and strategy refinement. Students starting at lower scores often see larger jumps as they learn fundamental approaches. The key is identifying your specific weak areas—whether that's timing, inference questions, or passage types—and drilling those systematically with a tutor's guidance.

Look for tutors who have scored well on the LSAT themselves (typically 160+), understand the test's structure deeply, and can explain reading strategies clearly. Ideally, they've helped multiple students improve their scores and can show you their approach to teaching active reading, question type recognition, and time management. Varsity Tutors connects you with experienced tutors who specialize in LSAT prep and can tailor their instruction to your learning style and specific challenges.

Practice tests are essential for LSAT prep—they help you identify patterns in your mistakes and build test-day stamina. Work through full practice tests under timed conditions, then review every single question you missed or found difficult with your tutor. This targeted review is where real improvement happens: your tutor can show you why you misread a passage, how to spot trap answers, or what strategy would have saved you time. Aim to complete 15-20 full practice tests throughout your study period, spacing them out over weeks rather than cramming them in.

Effective timing starts with reading at a sustainable pace—many students rush and have to reread passages, wasting time. Try spending 3-4 minutes reading and annotating each passage carefully, then 4-5 minutes answering questions. Some students benefit from skimming the questions first to know what to focus on; others do better reading the passage thoroughly without previewing questions. Your tutor can help you experiment with different approaches and settle on what works for your brain, then practice that method until it becomes automatic on test day.

Your first session typically involves a diagnostic assessment—your tutor will review your practice test scores, have you work through a passage or two, and identify your specific problem areas. Are you missing inference questions? Struggling with dense passages? Running out of time? Once they understand your baseline and challenges, they'll outline a personalized study plan and introduce you to strategies you can start using immediately. Come prepared with recent practice test results and be ready to discuss your timeline and score goals.

The LSAT uses passages from law, science, humanities, and social sciences, and you can't predict which topics will appear on your test day. However, most students find certain passage types more challenging—dense legal or scientific passages are common trouble spots. Rather than trying to master specific topics, focus on developing a flexible reading strategy that works for any passage type. Your tutor can expose you to a variety of passages and help you build confidence tackling unfamiliar material, which is the real skill the LSAT is testing.

Test anxiety often stems from feeling unprepared or unsure of your strategy—tutoring directly addresses both by building genuine skill and confidence. When you've practiced passages systematically, learned proven strategies, and reviewed your mistakes with an expert, you approach test day knowing you're ready. Your tutor can also help you develop mental strategies for managing pressure, like focusing on one passage at a time rather than worrying about the whole section. Regular practice under timed conditions, with feedback and encouragement, is one of the best anxiety remedies available.