Pacing and the Two-Pass Method · Lesson 3

Math: easy first, mark and return

Math has 45 questions in 50 minutes: 3,000 seconds, or about 67 seconds a question (66.7 to one decimal place). Every 9 questions get 10 minutes, which makes a handy checkpoint: question 9 at 10 minutes, 18 at 20, 27 at 30, and 36 at 40.

Some questions take much longer than others, so a good plan does not spend time evenly. Move briskly through the questions you know well, and carry the time you save into the ones that need it.

Even-pace checkpoints in Math
Questions finishedMinutes usedMinutes left
91040
182030
273020
364010
45500

The 2-minute cap. If you've spent 2 minutes on a question and still don't have a clear path to the answer, it's a second-pass question: bubble your best guess, note it, and move on. Two minutes is already about twice the average, so going past it takes time that easier questions later on could use.

The cap isn't a judgment about the question; it's a rule for you. A question you couldn't crack at minute 2 often looks easier on the second pass, after the rest of the section is done.

Worked example Easy

On an even pace, about how many minutes should the first 15 Math questions take? Round to the nearest minute.

  1. 11 minutes
  2. 15 minutes
  3. 16 minutes
  4. 17 minutesAnswer

How to solve it

  1. Each question gets 3,000 ÷ 45 = 66.67 seconds (to two decimal places).
  2. 15 is one-third of 45, so the first 15 questions get one-third of 3,000 seconds: 1,000 seconds.
  3. 1,000 ÷ 60 = 16.67 minutes, which rounds to 17 minutes.

Why each choice is right or wrong

  • A. Incorrect. 11 minutes is 15 questions at the English pace of 42 seconds (630 seconds, or 10.5 minutes); Math allows about 67 seconds a question.
  • B. Incorrect. 15 minutes gives each question exactly 60 seconds, a little less than the Math average of about 67 seconds.
  • C. Incorrect. 16 minutes cuts off the decimal: 16.67 minutes rounds up to 17, not down to 16.
  • D. Correct. 15 questions are one-third of 45, so they get one-third of 50 minutes: 16.67 minutes, or 17 to the nearest minute.

Worked example Medium

Sana plans to spend 50 seconds on each of Math questions 1 through 30. If she wants to finish exactly when the 50 minutes end, how many seconds can she spend on each of questions 31 through 45?

  1. 60 seconds
  2. 67 seconds
  3. 100 secondsAnswer
  4. 167 seconds

How to solve it

  1. Questions 1–30: 30 × 50 = 1,500 seconds.
  2. Time left: 3,000 − 1,500 = 1,500 seconds for the 15 questions from 31 to 45.
  3. 1,500 ÷ 15 = 100 seconds each.

Why each choice is right or wrong

  • A. Incorrect. 60 seconds treats the 1,500 seconds left as 15 minutes; 1,500 seconds is 25 minutes, and 25 minutes shared by 15 questions is 100 seconds each.
  • B. Incorrect. 67 seconds is the even pace for the whole section; her faster start leaves more than that for the last 15.
  • C. Correct. 30 × 50 = 1,500 seconds used, 3,000 − 1,500 = 1,500 left, and 1,500 ÷ 15 = 100 seconds each.
  • D. Incorrect. 167 seconds reads 25 ÷ 15 = 1.67 minutes as if it were 167 seconds; 1.67 minutes is 100 seconds.