Objectives
By the end of this session
- Execute the 71-second-per-question budget with a flag-and-return habit.
- Identify your personal time-drain question types and apply skip rules.
- Complete a 12-question set at real module pace.
- Understand that Module 1 accuracy, not speed, decides your Module 2 route.
The budget
Seventy-one seconds
71s
per question, on average
27 questions in 32 minutes works out to about 71 seconds each. That's an average, not a limit — some take 30 seconds, which buys time for the ones that take two minutes.
What "accuracy decides routing" meansThe first module is the same for everyone. Do well and you earn the harder, higher-scoring second module. So in Module 1, protect accuracy: never rush an easy question into a careless mistake just to save seconds for a hard one you may miss anyway.
Reference
Time profiles by question type
| Question type | Typical budget | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Standard English Conventions (grammar) | ~40s | Short; rule-based. Bank time here. |
| Transitions | ~45s | Read two sentences, name the relationship. |
| Words in Context | ~50s | Predict, then match. Fast once practiced. |
| Central Ideas / Inference | ~75s | Requires reading the whole short passage. |
| Command of Evidence (text or data) | ~90s | Cross-reference claim and evidence/graph. |
| Rhetorical Synthesis | ~90s | Read the goal and all bullets. |
The protocol
Flag and return
First pass — answer what's quick
Go in order. If a question resolves in under its budget, lock it and move on. Bank the seconds the easy ones give back.
Flag, don't fight
If you're past the budget with no clear answer, mark your best guess, flag it, and move on. A minute spent stuck is two easy questions you didn't reach.
Second pass — spend the bank
Return to flagged questions with the time the easy ones saved. Fresh eyes on a hard question are worth more than grinding the first time.
Decision tree
When to skip
Have you read the whole question and choices once?No → finish reading; you can't decide to skip what you haven't seen.
Can you eliminate at least two choices?Yes → stay; you're close. No → consider flagging.
Are you over budget with no traction?Yes → guess, flag, move on. Come back on the second pass.
Is it your known time-drain type?Yes → guess-and-flag earlier than usual; protect the questions you convert reliably.
Never leave it blankThere's no penalty for guessing. Every flagged question still gets your best-guess bubble before you move on — so if you run out of time, it's already answered.