Most students struggle with pacing because they either spend too much time on difficult passages or rush through questions and miss details. The Critical Reading section requires balancing careful reading with time management—you need about 1-2 minutes per question, but that varies based on passage difficulty. A tutor can teach you strategic skimming techniques, help you identify which questions to tackle first, and build speed through timed practice so timing pressure doesn't derail your accuracy.

The best way is to take a full-length practice PSAT and analyze your results by question type: vocabulary-in-context, main idea, inference, detail recognition, and tone/author's purpose. Varsity Tutors connects you with tutors who can review your practice tests, identify patterns in your mistakes, and pinpoint whether you're struggling with reading comprehension, understanding question formats, or managing time. This diagnostic approach saves you from studying everything and lets you focus on what actually moves your score.

Vocabulary is important but not the whole picture—roughly 20-30% of Critical Reading questions test vocabulary directly through context clues, while the rest focus on comprehension and analysis. Rather than memorizing long word lists, effective preparation teaches you how to use surrounding text to figure out unfamiliar words. Tutors focus on high-frequency PSAT vocabulary and strategies for tackling unknown words in context, which is far more efficient than rote memorization.

Most students benefit from taking 3-5 full-length practice PSATs spread across their study period, with at least one taken early to establish a baseline and identify weak areas. Taking too many without focused review wastes time; taking too few means you miss the chance to build stamina and test familiarity. A tutor can create a study schedule that spaces out practice tests strategically, ensures you review every mistake, and gradually builds your confidence and speed.

Test anxiety often stems from unfamiliarity with the format, uncertainty about strategies, or past performance struggles. When you work with a tutor, you build confidence through repeated exposure to question types, learn concrete strategies you can rely on, and get comfortable with timed conditions in a low-pressure environment. This combination of skill-building and confidence-boosting makes test day feel much more manageable, and you'll know exactly what to expect.

Your first session typically focuses on assessment and goal-setting. The tutor will likely have you take a practice test or review one you've already taken, discuss your target score, understand your timeline, and identify your biggest challenges. From there, they'll create a personalized study plan that outlines which skills to tackle first and how often you should meet. This foundation ensures your tutoring is focused and efficient from day one.

Look for tutors with strong reading comprehension skills, familiarity with PSAT format and scoring, and experience helping students improve their scores. Ideally, they should understand the nuances of different question types and have strategies for addressing common student challenges like timing and inference questions. Varsity Tutors connects you with expert tutors who have proven track records helping students in Buffalo and beyond master Critical Reading content.