Grade: Grade 12 Subject: SAT/ACT Skills Unit: College Readiness SAT: ProblemSolving+DataAnalysis ACT: Math

Timed Drill Practice

Learn

Success on the SAT and ACT requires not just knowledge, but the ability to apply that knowledge quickly and accurately under time pressure. This lesson teaches you how to build speed while maintaining accuracy.

Understanding Time Constraints

Test Section Questions Time Seconds per Question
SAT Reading/Writing 54 64 min ~71 sec
SAT Math 44 70 min ~95 sec
ACT English 75 45 min 36 sec
ACT Math 60 60 min 60 sec
ACT Reading 40 35 min ~52 sec
ACT Science 40 35 min ~52 sec

Time Management Strategies

  1. Two-Pass Strategy: First pass: answer questions you know quickly. Second pass: return to harder questions.
  2. Time Checkpoints: Set mental checkpoints (e.g., "I should be at question 15 by the 10-minute mark").
  3. Strategic Skipping: If a question takes more than 90 seconds, mark it and move on.
  4. Answer Every Question: No penalty for guessing on either test. Never leave blanks.
  5. Pace, Don't Race: Rushing causes careless errors. Aim for steady, confident progress.

Building Speed

  • Pattern Recognition: Recognize question types instantly to know your approach
  • Calculation Shortcuts: Memorize common values (squares, fractions, percentages)
  • Strategic Reading: Read questions first, then find relevant information in passages
  • Elimination Speed: Quickly cross off obviously wrong answers

Examples

Example 1: Quick Calculation

Problem: What is 15% of 80?

Slow Method: 0.15 x 80 = 12

Fast Method: 10% of 80 = 8, half of that (5%) = 4, so 15% = 8 + 4 = 12

Time Saved: 5-10 seconds

Example 2: Strategic Elimination

Problem: If x^2 = 49, what are all possible values of x?

Answer Choices: A) 7 B) -7 C) 7 and -7 D) 49

Strategy: Immediately eliminate D (49^2 = 2401, not 49). Recognize that both +7 and -7 squared equal 49. Answer: C

Time: Under 15 seconds

Example 3: Checkpoint Awareness

Scenario: ACT Math section, 60 questions in 60 minutes

Checkpoints:

  • Question 15 by minute 15
  • Question 30 by minute 30
  • Question 45 by minute 45
  • Question 60 by minute 60 (or earlier for review time)

If Behind: Speed up on easy questions, skip time-consuming ones for now

Practice

Instructions: Set a timer for 8 minutes. Complete all 10 questions. Track how many you finish and how many you get correct.

1. (48 seconds) If 3x + 7 = 22, what is the value of x?

A) 3 B) 5 C) 7 D) 15

2. (48 seconds) A shirt originally costs $40. It is on sale for 25% off. What is the sale price?

A) $10 B) $15 C) $30 D) $35

3. (48 seconds) Which sentence is grammatically correct?

A) The team are playing their best game.

B) The team is playing its best game.

C) The team is playing their best game.

D) The team are playing its best game.

4. (48 seconds) If the area of a square is 64 square inches, what is its perimeter?

A) 8 inches B) 16 inches C) 32 inches D) 64 inches

5. (48 seconds) What is the slope of the line passing through points (2, 5) and (6, 13)?

A) 1 B) 2 C) 4 D) 8

6. (48 seconds) A bag contains 3 red marbles and 5 blue marbles. What is the probability of drawing a red marble?

A) 3/8 B) 5/8 C) 3/5 D) 1/3

7. (48 seconds) Simplify: 2(3x - 4) + 5x

A) 11x - 8 B) 11x - 4 C) 6x - 8 D) 6x - 4

8. (48 seconds) If f(x) = x^2 - 4, what is f(-3)?

A) -13 B) -7 C) 5 D) 13

9. (48 seconds) The ratio of boys to girls in a class is 3:4. If there are 28 students total, how many are girls?

A) 12 B) 14 C) 16 D) 21

10. (48 seconds) What is 20% of 20% of 100?

A) 2 B) 4 C) 20 D) 40

Answer Key (check after completing)

1) B 2) C 3) B 4) C 5) B 6) A 7) A 8) C 9) C 10) B

Check Your Understanding

1. How many seconds per question should you average on the ACT English section?

2. Describe the "two-pass strategy" in your own words.

3. Why is it important to answer every question, even if you're not sure?

4. What should you do if you realize you're falling behind your time checkpoints?

5. From the timed practice above, calculate your accuracy rate (correct/attempted) and your completion rate (attempted/10).

Next Steps

  • Practice timed drills daily, even if just 5-10 questions
  • Track your speed AND accuracy over time
  • Identify which question types slow you down most
  • Move on to the Review Mistakes lesson to learn from errors