Score improvement depends on your starting point and study intensity, but most students see meaningful gains within 4-8 weeks of focused preparation. Students who start in the low-to-mid range often improve 5-10 points, while those already scoring higher may see 3-5 point increases as they refine strategy and eliminate careless errors. Consistent practice with timed passages, combined with targeted feedback on your reasoning process, is key to sustainable improvement.

Start by diagnosing your specific challenges: Are you running out of time? Missing the main idea? Struggling with specific question types (main point, inference, function, etc.)? A tutor can identify which of these is holding back your score and prioritize accordingly. Most students benefit from learning a consistent passage-reading strategy first, then practicing question-type-specific techniques, and finally building speed through timed drills.

Practice tests are essential—they're the only way to experience realistic timing pressure and identify patterns in your mistakes. You should take full-length practice tests regularly (typically every 1-2 weeks once you've built foundational skills), then review them carefully to understand why you missed questions. A tutor can help you analyze your practice test performance to spot recurring weaknesses, whether that's comprehension issues, timing problems, or test anxiety affecting your accuracy.

There's no one-size-fits-all approach—the best strategy depends on your reading speed and comprehension style. Some students read the passage thoroughly first then answer questions quickly, while others skim strategically and refer back to the text. The key is finding your rhythm through deliberate practice and testing different approaches. A tutor can help you experiment with pacing, teach you how to identify and skip trap answers faster, and build the stamina to maintain focus through all four passages.

Yes—the LSAT emphasizes certain question types more heavily: main point/primary purpose, inference, and function questions appear most frequently. Mastering these three will have the biggest impact on your score. Secondary question types (author's tone, specific detail, logical structure) also appear regularly but are often easier once you understand the passage. A tutor can teach you the distinct reasoning required for each type so you're not wasting time on inefficient approaches.

Dense passages (especially in philosophy, science, or law) are common on the LSAT, and you don't need to understand every detail to answer questions correctly. The key is learning to identify the main argument or structure quickly, then use the questions to guide you back to relevant sections. Tutors can teach you techniques like annotation strategies, how to recognize common passage structures, and how to stay calm when you encounter unfamiliar subject matter—skills that transfer across all passage types.

Your first session focuses on assessment and goal-setting. A tutor will review your practice test results or administer a diagnostic to understand your current performance, identify patterns in your mistakes, and learn about your timeline and target score. From there, they'll create a personalized study plan that addresses your specific challenges—whether that's comprehension, timing, question-type mastery, or test anxiety—so every session builds toward measurable improvement.