Grade: Grade 10 Subject: SAT/ACT Skills Unit: Timed Modules SAT: ProblemSolving+DataAnalysis ACT: Math

Timed Drill Practice

Learn

Timed drills are short, focused practice sessions designed to build your speed and accuracy under pressure. The goal is not just to get answers right, but to get them right quickly and efficiently.

Why Timed Drills Matter

  • Build automaticity: Frequent practice makes common problem types feel automatic
  • Reduce test anxiety: Familiarity with time pressure reduces stress on test day
  • Identify weak spots: Timed conditions reveal which topics need more work
  • Improve pacing: Learn to budget time across different question types

How to Use Timed Drills

  1. Set a timer before you begin
  2. Work through problems in order (don't skip around initially)
  3. If stuck for more than 90 seconds, mark and move on
  4. After the drill, review every problem - right or wrong
  5. Track your accuracy and time to measure progress

Target Times

For the SAT, aim for about 1 minute 15 seconds per question on average. For the ACT, aim for about 1 minute per question. These drills will help you develop that pace.

Examples

Watch how to approach problems efficiently while maintaining accuracy.

Example 1: Efficient Calculation

Question: What is 25% of 84?

Slow approach: Convert to decimal (0.25), multiply (0.25 x 84 = 21)

Fast approach: 25% = 1/4, so divide by 4: 84 / 4 = 21

Time saved: ~10 seconds

Example 2: Strategic Elimination

Question: If x² = 49, which could be the value of x - 3?

A) -10   B) -4   C) 4   D) 10

Fast approach: x = 7 or x = -7. So x - 3 = 4 or x - 3 = -10. Check options: A and C work!

Answer: Both A) -10 and C) 4 are valid (question asks "which could be")

Example 3: Pattern Recognition

Question: If 2^n = 32, what is 2^(n+2)?

Fast approach: Don't solve for n! 2^(n+2) = 2^n x 2² = 32 x 4 = 128

Time saved: ~20 seconds by not finding n first

Practice

TIMED DRILL: Set a timer for 10 minutes. Complete as many problems as you can accurately. Mark any you skip.

1. Solve for x: 5x - 12 = 3x + 8

2. What is the slope of the line passing through (2, 5) and (6, 13)?

3. If a shirt costs $45 after a 25% discount, what was the original price?

4. Simplify: 3(2x - 4) + 2(x + 5)

5. A circle has a radius of 6. What is its area? (Use pi = 3.14)

6. If f(x) = x² - 4x, what is f(5)?

7. What is the median of: 12, 8, 15, 3, 9, 21, 7?

8. Solve the inequality: 2x + 7 > 15

9. A rectangle has length 12 and width 5. What is its perimeter?

10. If 3/4 of a number is 60, what is the number?

11. What is the y-intercept of the line y = 3x - 7?

12. Factor: x² - 9

After the Drill

Record your results: _____ correct out of _____ attempted in 10 minutes.

Target: 10+ correct with 80%+ accuracy

Check Your Understanding

Reflect on your timed drill performance.

  1. How many questions did you complete in 10 minutes?
  2. What percentage did you get correct?
  3. Which problem type took the longest? Why?
  4. What strategy could help you go faster next time?

Next Steps

  • Repeat this drill in 2-3 days and compare your results
  • Focus extra practice on problem types that slowed you down
  • Move on to the Review Mistakes lesson to analyze your errors
  • Gradually reduce your target time as you improve