Timing challenges are one of the most common issues students face on Critical Reading. A tutor can help you develop a pacing strategy—like tackling easier questions first, knowing when to skip and return to harder passages, and practicing active reading techniques to process passages more efficiently. With targeted drills and timed practice tests, you'll build the speed and accuracy needed to complete the section confidently.

The PSAT Critical Reading section includes vocabulary-in-context questions, main idea and supporting detail questions, inference questions, and tone/purpose questions. Each question type requires different strategies—for example, vocabulary questions often have context clues, while inference questions require careful reading between the lines. A tutor can teach you to recognize each question type and apply the most effective approach for each.

Practice tests are essential—they help you identify patterns in your mistakes, get comfortable with the test format, and build stamina for the full section. Most students benefit from taking full-length practice tests every 1-2 weeks, then reviewing mistakes with a tutor to understand why you got questions wrong. This combination of practice and targeted feedback is what drives real improvement.

While some vocabulary knowledge helps, the PSAT focuses more on your ability to use context clues to figure out word meanings. Rather than memorizing lists, you'll benefit more from learning how to identify context clues in passages and understanding common word patterns and roots. A tutor can teach you these strategies so you can tackle unfamiliar words confidently on test day.

Your first session is all about assessment and planning. Varsity Tutors connects you with a tutor who will review your current reading level, discuss your goals, and likely have you work through a practice passage or two to identify your specific challenges—whether that's pacing, vocabulary, inference questions, or something else. From there, you'll develop a personalized study plan tailored to your needs.

Test anxiety often stems from uncertainty about what to expect or doubt in your abilities. Working with a tutor builds confidence through repeated exposure to the test format, mastery of strategies, and consistent success on practice problems. As you develop a clear approach to each question type and see your scores improve, the anxiety naturally decreases.

Varsity Tutors connects you with tutors who have deep expertise in PSAT preparation and the Critical Reading section specifically. You'll be matched with someone who understands your learning style and goals, and you can start working together on a schedule that fits your needs. The process is straightforward—just tell us what you're looking for, and we'll handle the matching.