Your first session is about understanding your baseline and goals. Your tutor will likely review your diagnostic test score, discuss which sections feel most challenging, and ask about your target law school and timeline. This helps them create a personalized study plan that addresses your specific needs—whether that's mastering Logic Games, improving reading speed, or building test confidence. You'll also get a sense of the tutoring approach and can ask questions about pacing and expectations.

Logic Games require a completely different skill set than the other LSAT sections—they demand visual-spatial reasoning and pattern recognition that many students haven't practiced before. A tutor can teach you the fundamental diagramming techniques and game types so you recognize patterns quickly, then help you build speed through timed practice. With consistent work on game setup and strategy, most students move from finding this section impossible to solving games accurately within the time limit.

Most students benefit from 2-4 months of preparation, though this depends on your starting score and target score. A typical schedule might include 1-2 tutoring sessions per week combined with independent practice between sessions. Your tutor will help you build a realistic timeline based on your goals and can adjust the pace as needed. Starting earlier gives you more time to work through practice tests and reinforce weak areas without last-minute cramming.

Test anxiety often stems from unfamiliarity with the test format or lack of confidence in your abilities—both things tutoring directly addresses. By practicing with real LSAT questions and full-length timed tests, you build familiarity and develop a sense of control over the material. Your tutor can also teach you pacing strategies and help you identify which sections to prioritize, giving you a concrete plan to follow on test day. This preparation translates to real confidence when you sit for the actual exam.

Reading Comprehension on the LSAT tests your ability to understand complex passages and answer questions about main ideas, structure, and inference—not just recall. Many students struggle with pacing and identifying what the test makers actually care about. A tutor can teach you annotation strategies, help you recognize question types, and show you how to eliminate wrong answers efficiently. With targeted practice, you'll learn to read strategically and answer questions faster without sacrificing accuracy.

Practice tests are essential—they're the most accurate way to measure your progress and identify patterns in your mistakes. Taking full-length, timed practice tests under realistic conditions helps you build stamina and get comfortable with the test's pace and format. Your tutor will use practice test results to pinpoint which question types trip you up and which sections need more focus. Regular practice tests also help you track improvement over time and build confidence heading into test day.

Look for tutors with strong LSAT scores themselves and proven experience teaching the test's unique sections and strategies. Ideally, they should be familiar with recent LSAT formats and have a track record of helping students improve. Varsity Tutors connects you with expert tutors who understand the test inside and out and can explain complex concepts clearly. When you connect with a tutor, ask about their approach to each section and how they personalize instruction based on student needs.