How to Time Exam Practice Papers
Doing past papers under timed conditions is one of the most useful ways to prepare for exams. Here is how to do it well.
Why timing matters
Knowing the material is only half of an exam. The other half is showing what you know in the time available. Many students lose marks not because they cannot answer a question, but because they spend too long on early questions and run out of time for the last ones.
Timed practice shows you how fast you really work, where you get stuck and how much time is left for checking. It also builds the stamina to concentrate for a full paper, which can be a long time if you are used to short revision sessions.
Work out your minutes per mark
Look at the front cover of the paper. It tells you the total time and the total marks. Divide the time by the marks to get your time per mark.
| Paper length | Total marks | Time per mark |
|---|---|---|
| 1 hour 30 minutes (90 min) | 80 | About 1 minute 7 seconds |
| 1 hour 45 minutes (105 min) | 80 | About 1 minute 19 seconds |
| 2 hours (120 min) | 100 | 1 minute 12 seconds |
| 1 hour 15 minutes (75 min) | 70 | About 1 minute 4 seconds |
These are examples only, so always use the numbers on your own paper. A 6 mark question at about a minute a mark deserves roughly 6 or 7 minutes. If you are still writing at 12 minutes, it is time to move on and come back later.
Plan checkpoints before you start
Before you press Start, write down where you should be at certain times. For a 90 minute paper you might aim to finish Section A by 30 minutes, Section B by 75 minutes, and leave the last 10 to 15 minutes for the long question and checking.
During the practice, glance at the timer at each checkpoint. If you are behind, you know to speed up. If you are ahead, you can spend a little longer on the harder questions.
Setting up a realistic practice
- Find a quiet space and clear your desk of everything you would not have in the real exam.
- Put your phone in another room. Use a computer, tablet or a second device for the timer.
- Open the exam timer and enter the exact length of the paper.
- Press Start and do not pause. In the real exam the clock does not stop.
- When the alarm sounds, stop writing, even mid-sentence. Mark where you got to.
- Mark the paper with the official mark scheme, and note which questions took too long.
Building up to full papers
If full papers feel overwhelming, build up. Start by timing single questions or one section at a time using the minutes per mark figure. Move on to half papers, then full papers in the weeks before the exam. Doing at least two or three full papers under real timing before each exam is a sensible goal for many students.
Extra time and access arrangements
If you have been granted extra time, often 25%, practise with it. Multiply the paper length by 1.25 and enter that into the timer. For a 90 minute paper, that is 1 hour 52 minutes 30 seconds. Practising with your actual time helps you plan your checkpoints properly. Your school or college exams officer can confirm exactly what you are entitled to.
After the practice
- Note the questions where you ran over time. Were they hard, or did you write more than the marks needed?
- Compare your answers with the mark scheme to see how much detail is really required.
- Track your score and time across papers. Seeing both improve is a great confidence boost.
- Practise the topics that slowed you down, then try another timed paper.
For teachers running mocks
Press Fullscreen on the exam timer to show a large countdown on the board. It is clear from the back of a room, and the remaining time also shows in the browser tab. For practice in class this works well; for formal exams, follow the rules and clock set by your exam centre.
Related timers and guides
- Exam Timer: a timer for practice papers
- 25 Minute Pomodoro Timer: focused revision sessions
- The Pomodoro Technique: A Practical Guide: the Pomodoro Technique for revision
Frequently asked questions
How do I work out time per mark?
Divide the total exam time in minutes by the total marks. For example, 90 minutes for 80 marks is about 1.1 minutes per mark.
Should I pause the timer during practice?
Try not to. The real exam will not pause, so practising without breaks builds the stamina you need.
How many past papers should I do?
It varies, but doing at least two or three full papers under timed conditions for each exam is a good target.
How do I set up 25% extra time?
Multiply the paper length by 1.25. A 1 hour paper becomes 1 hour 15 minutes, and a 90 minute paper becomes 1 hour 52 minutes 30 seconds.