Score improvement depends on your starting point and study intensity, but most students see meaningful gains (3-7 points) with focused practice over 4-8 weeks. Students who identify specific question types they struggle with—like comparative reading or inference questions—and practice targeted strategies often improve faster than those doing general review. Working with a tutor helps you diagnose exactly where you're losing points and develop efficient strategies rather than spending time on areas you've already mastered.

Your tutoring should focus on three core areas: developing an efficient passage-reading strategy that captures structure and main ideas, mastering the question types (main point, inference, comparative reading, etc.), and practicing under timed conditions to build speed without sacrificing accuracy. Many students benefit from learning how to annotate passages effectively and how to eliminate wrong answers systematically rather than searching for the "perfect" answer. A tutor can help you create a personalized study plan based on your diagnostic test results and identify whether your bottleneck is reading speed, comprehension, or test anxiety.

Practice tests are essential—they reveal your actual pacing, accuracy patterns, and question-type weaknesses under realistic conditions. Most test prep experts recommend taking full practice tests regularly (every 1-2 weeks) and reviewing them thoroughly to understand not just what you got wrong, but why. Between full tests, targeted practice on specific question types and passages helps reinforce strategies. A tutor can help you interpret your practice test results to identify whether you need to work on reading speed, critical thinking, or test anxiety management.

Effective pacing comes from balancing careful reading with efficient question answering—typically 8-9 minutes per passage plus questions. Rather than reading faster, most students improve by reading actively (annotating structure and main ideas) so they can answer questions without rereading entire passages. Some students benefit from spending slightly more time on the initial read to avoid confusion, while others need to practice moving faster through familiar question types. Personalized instruction helps you find the right balance for your reading style and identify which passages or question types are slowing you down.

All question types appear regularly on the LSAT, but most students find certain types more challenging—comparative reading questions and inference questions are common trouble spots because they require careful reasoning beyond surface-level comprehension. Main point and detail questions tend to be more straightforward once you've read actively. Rather than avoiding difficult question types, targeted practice on the ones that challenge you most is more effective. A tutor can help you develop specific strategies for each question type and practice them until they become automatic.

Your first session typically includes a diagnostic assessment—either reviewing your recent practice test results or completing a timed reading comprehension section—to identify your specific strengths and weaknesses. You'll discuss your LSAT timeline, target score, and any particular challenges you're facing. From there, your tutor will outline a personalized study plan focused on the areas where you can make the biggest improvements, whether that's strategy refinement, question-type mastery, or confidence building under pressure.

Look for tutors with strong LSAT scores themselves (typically 160+), direct experience teaching Reading Comprehension, and familiarity with the current LSAT format. Ideally, they should be able to explain not just correct answers but why wrong answers are traps, and they should understand the psychological side of test prep—managing anxiety and building confidence. Varsity Tutors connects you with expert tutors who have proven success helping students improve their Reading Comprehension scores and can tailor instruction to your specific needs and learning style.