Your first session typically focuses on assessment and goal-setting. A tutor will review your baseline practice test scores, discuss your target law school and score goals, and identify which sections present the biggest challenges. From there, they'll create a customized study roadmap and may introduce you to specific strategies for your weak areas—whether that's time management on reading comprehension or recognizing logical reasoning question types.

Logic games require a unique skill set that many students haven't practiced before—diagramming relationships, visualizing constraints, and working under time pressure. A tutor can teach you proven diagramming systems, help you recognize game types quickly, and build the pattern recognition that turns games from your biggest weakness into a confidence builder. With consistent practice and feedback, most students see significant improvement in this section.

LSAT reading comprehension differs from typical reading—it rewards active annotation, question prediction, and understanding passage structure rather than memorizing details. A tutor can teach you efficient markup strategies, help you identify main arguments quickly, and practice the specific question types (main point, inference, strengthen/weaken) that appear repeatedly. Many students also benefit from working on pacing so they have time to answer all questions accurately.

Test anxiety often stems from unfamiliarity with the test format or uncertainty about your abilities. Tutoring helps by building genuine mastery through targeted practice and strategy, which naturally increases confidence. Additionally, a tutor can help you develop a test-day routine, teach breathing and focus techniques, and ensure you've taken enough full-length practice tests under timed conditions that the actual test feels familiar rather than intimidating.

Most students benefit from 2-4 months of focused LSAT preparation, though this varies based on your starting score and target. A typical schedule includes 1-2 tutoring sessions per week combined with independent practice and full-length practice tests. Your tutor will help you create a realistic timeline based on when you plan to apply to law school and your current diagnostic score, ensuring you have enough time to master weak areas without rushing.

Look for tutors with strong LSAT scores (typically 170+), law school experience, and proven success helping students improve their scores. They should understand the nuances of each section, stay current with LSAT format changes, and be able to explain complex logical reasoning or game concepts clearly. Varsity Tutors connects you with expert tutors who meet these standards and can provide personalized instruction tailored to your specific challenges.

Most students benefit from taking 15-20+ full-length practice tests under timed conditions to build stamina, identify patterns in their mistakes, and refine strategy. Your tutor will help you space these tests throughout your study period using spaced repetition principles—taking them regularly enough to build consistency but with time between tests for targeted practice on weak areas. This approach helps you see real score improvement rather than just becoming familiar with old tests.