Guided Practice
Learn
This guided practice session focuses on applying pacing strategies in a structured environment. You will practice timing yourself while receiving feedback on your approach.
Pacing Practice Framework
- Warm-up phase: 2-3 easy questions to build momentum
- Core phase: Medium difficulty questions at target pace
- Challenge phase: Harder questions with strategic skipping
- Review phase: Return to skipped questions with remaining time
Time Targets by Section
| Section | Questions | Time | Per Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Reading/Writing | 54 | 64 min | ~71 sec |
| SAT Math | 44 | 80 min | ~109 sec |
| ACT English | 75 | 45 min | ~36 sec |
| ACT Math | 60 | 60 min | ~60 sec |
Examples
Example: Pacing a 10-Question Mini-Set
Scenario: You have 10 math questions and 12 minutes.
Strategy:
- Questions 1-3: 2 minutes total (quick, easy questions)
- Questions 4-7: 5 minutes total (medium difficulty)
- Questions 8-10: 4 minutes total (harder, may skip one)
- Remaining: 1 minute buffer for review
Practice Quiz
Test your understanding with these 10 questions. Click on each question to reveal the answer.
1. On the SAT Math section, approximately how long should you spend per question?
Answer: About 109 seconds (just under 2 minutes) on average. However, easier questions should take less time, leaving more time for harder questions.
2. You have completed 20 questions in a 60-minute math section. 25 minutes have passed. Are you on pace?
Answer: You should be at about 25 questions at the 25-minute mark (1 question per minute average). At 20 questions, you are 5 questions behind and need to speed up.
3. What is the purpose of the "warm-up phase" in pacing strategy?
Answer: To build momentum and confidence by completing easier questions quickly. This gets you "in the zone" and banks extra time for harder questions later.
4. On the ACT English section, you have 36 seconds per question. Is this enough time to read the entire passage first?
Answer: Generally no. Most ACT English strategies recommend reading paragraph by paragraph or even sentence by sentence, answering questions as you go rather than reading the whole passage first.
5. A question is taking you more than 2 minutes. What should you do?
Answer: Mark your best guess, flag the question, and move on. Return to it only if you have time at the end. Spending too long on one question hurts your overall score.
6. Why is it important to practice with a timer, not just untimed?
Answer: Timed practice develops pacing instincts, reduces test-day anxiety, and reveals your true performance level. Untimed practice can give you a false sense of your actual abilities.
7. You finish a section 10 minutes early. Is this good or bad?
Answer: It depends on your accuracy. If you finished early with high accuracy, you paced well. If you made many careless errors, you may have rushed. Use remaining time to check your work.
8. How should you adjust your pacing for questions you find particularly easy?
Answer: Complete them quickly but carefully - don't overthink. Bank the extra time for harder questions, but don't go so fast that you make careless errors.
9. What is a "time buffer" and why is it important?
Answer: A time buffer is extra time built into your pacing plan for unexpected difficulties or review. Aim to finish with 2-5 minutes to spare for checking flagged questions.
10. During practice, you consistently run out of time. What should you focus on improving?
Answer: Work on: (1) quicker recognition of question types, (2) more efficient reading strategies, (3) knowing when to skip and move on, (4) reducing time spent second-guessing yourself.
Check Your Understanding
You should now be able to:
- Apply the four-phase pacing framework
- Calculate target times for different test sections
- Recognize when you are ahead or behind pace
- Make strategic decisions about skipping questions
Next Steps
- Review any concepts that felt challenging
- Move on to the next lesson when ready
- Return to practice problems periodically for review