Review Your Mistakes
Learn
Reviewing pacing mistakes is different from reviewing content mistakes. This lesson focuses on analyzing how your time management affected your performance and how to improve.
Types of Pacing Errors
- Time sink: Spending too long on one or more questions
- Rush errors: Going too fast and making careless mistakes
- Abandonment: Running out of time and leaving questions blank
- Poor allocation: Not saving enough time for harder questions
Pacing Review Questions to Ask
- Did I finish the section? If not, how many questions did I miss?
- Which questions took longer than they should have?
- Did I skip strategically, or did I get stuck?
- Were my errors at the end due to rushing or running out of time?
- What is my ideal pace for this section type?
Examples
Example: Pacing Error Analysis
Situation: Student missed questions 55-60 because time ran out. Earlier, spent 4 minutes on question 23.
Analysis: The 4 minutes on Q23 (which should have been 1-2 min) ate into time for the last 6 questions. Even if Q23 was answered correctly, trading 1 right for 6 blank is a net loss of 5 questions.
Fix: Set a hard 2-minute limit. After 2 minutes, mark best guess and move on no matter what.
Practice Quiz
Test your understanding with these 10 questions. Click on each question to reveal the answer.
1. You finished a section with 15 minutes to spare but missed 8 questions. What type of pacing error is this?
Answer: Rush errors. You went too fast, likely making careless mistakes. Slow down slightly and use extra time to check your work.
2. How can you identify "time sink" questions from your practice tests?
Answer: Track time per question during practice (note the time when you start each one), or notice questions where you remember "getting stuck" or deliberating for a long time.
3. You left 5 questions blank at the end of a section. Is this always a pacing problem?
Answer: Usually yes - you should never leave questions blank since there is no penalty for guessing. Even if you run out of time, you should quickly bubble in guesses for remaining questions.
4. What is the relationship between accuracy and pacing?
Answer: There is a balance. Too slow = high accuracy but missed questions. Too fast = more attempts but more errors. Find your optimal pace through practice.
5. You notice all your errors are in the last 10 questions of each section. What does this suggest?
Answer: Either you are running low on time and rushing at the end, or fatigue is affecting your performance. Try to bank more time early and stay mentally fresh.
6. How can you practice improving your pacing without taking a full practice test?
Answer: Do timed mini-sections (10-15 questions with proportional time). This gives faster feedback cycles and lets you focus specifically on pacing.
7. You consistently spend too long on reading passages. What specific strategy might help?
Answer: Try active reading with annotations, skimming for structure first, or reading questions before the passage to know what to look for. Experiment to find what works for you.
8. What should you do differently in practice vs. on test day regarding pacing?
Answer: In practice, sometimes pause to analyze your pacing mid-section. On test day, do not pause - trust your practiced instincts and keep moving.
9. A question you skipped and returned to - you got it wrong. Was skipping a mistake?
Answer: Not necessarily. You have to look at the overall picture. If skipping let you answer 3 other questions correctly, then getting this one wrong still resulted in a net gain.
10. How often should you check the clock during a test section?
Answer: At designated checkpoints (e.g., every 15-20 questions), not constantly. Too-frequent checking wastes time and increases anxiety. Too rare and you might not notice pacing problems.
Check Your Understanding
You should now be able to:
- Identify the four types of pacing errors
- Analyze your practice tests for pacing problems
- Distinguish between content errors and pacing errors
- Create targeted plans to fix your specific pacing issues
Next Steps
- Review any concepts that felt challenging
- Move on to the next lesson when ready
- Return to practice problems periodically for review