Self-study and private tutoring are excellent companions. Struggling with the questions on your own teaches you intangibles about your unique way of thinking and the test-taking process, while tutoring gives you the precise tools you need to compete with other smarties in the standardized exam Hunger Games. They are often pitted against each other, but the truth is that self-study and private tutoring are like peanut butter and jelly—successful separately but even better when combined. (If you don’t like the combination of peanut butter and jelly, I’m sorry to say, you can’t be helped.)
Tutoring has a consistent and substantially positive impact on a student’s ability to learn. It’s associated with better retention and academic performance. A 2015 study of archival data from a tutoring center found that individual tutoring hours increase SAT scores more than group tutoring hours. The same study also revealed that time spent in individual tutoring is associated with a higher SAT score, with each additional hour increasing the final score by more than two points. Starting to study earlier in the relevant year—rather than closer to the test date—also yields positive results. This makes sense in light of the fact that longer tutor-student relationships may produce better test results. Another study discovered that working with a private tutor has a statistically significant impact on ACT retest scores as well.
It is worth pointing out that the vast majority of test prep research is done with younger students in mind, certainly younger than the average LSAT student. There are good reasons to think this matters when we are talking about the success of tutoring as a test prep method. Young brains, in all of their neuroplasticity, generally learn better than adult brains. On the other hand, adults are better at ignoring distractions than adolescents. LSAT students also have more reason to fully lean into the tutoring process—it’s more likely that you are paying for your own tutoring rather than your parents. There’s also good reason to feel, as a world-weary 20-something, that your LSAT score is more important to your legal career than you once felt your SAT was to your academic future.
Whatever you decide is the recipe to success on your test prep journey, remember that private tutoring can enhance the positive effects of your test prep practices. MyGuru will be here to help you when you’re ready to take things to the next level!