The clock plan
71 seconds, on average
27 questions, 32 minutes. Some take 30 seconds — bank that time for the ones that take two minutes. The average is a budget, not a limit.
Flag & return
Past your budget with no traction? Guess, flag, move on. A minute stuck is two easy questions you didn't reach. Spend the banked time on flags in a second pass.
Accuracy first in Module 1
Module 1 routing decides whether you reach the high-scoring Module 2. Never rush an easy question into a careless miss to save seconds.
Never leave a blank
No penalty for guessing. Every flagged question gets a best-guess bubble before you move on, so a time-out still leaves it answered.
Predict, then eliminate
Decide what the answer must do before reading the choices, then cross out wrong answers by naming the trap. Wrong answers come in six kinds:
- Too Broadclaims more than the text supports
- Too Narrowone true detail, not the whole answer
- Extremeright idea, dialed too far ("always," "proves")
- Outside Passageplausible but never stated
- Half-Rightone clause correct, the other wrong
- Wrong Relationshipright words, reversed logic
Your four reminders
Words in Context: cover the choices, predict your own word, substitute. The trap is the word's most common meaning — not the one the sentence needs.
Evidence & inference: the answer must be provable from the text alone. If you needed outside knowledge or a "probably," it's wrong. Match the claim to the exact line.
Conventions: strike the interrupters and find the true subject; use the Two-Clause Test on every boundary. Your ear is the trap — use the rule.
Transitions & synthesis: read both sentences and name the relationship before choosing; for synthesis, judge each choice against the stated goal, not against the truth.
Logistics checklist
- Bluebook ready: the College Board Bluebook app installed, updated, and signed in; complete exam setup the day before.
- Device & power: laptop or tablet charged to 100%, charger packed; know your school's device policy.
- Admission & ID: printed or saved admission ticket and an acceptable photo ID.
- Allowed tools: an approved calculator (Math section), pencils, and a watch with no connectivity.
- Arrive early: plan to be seated well before the start; account for check-in lines.
- The break: there's a break between sections — eat a snack, stand up, reset; don't review past sections in your head.
- Module 1 mindset: protect accuracy, flag-and-return, bubble every question.
- Sleep, not cramming: the night before is for rest. This card is your only review.
Take the final drill
Ten mixed questions, same blueprint as the Session-1 diagnostic. When you finish, the score panel shows your Session-1 baseline beside today's result — the whole point of the course in one screen.