Timing: flag and move on
Protect the paper when one question sticks.
← All countdown tipsOne stuck question can cost three later ones. Flag it, pick a holding answer, and come back with leftover time. Easy later questions are worth the same mark as the one you are fighting.
Picture it: Q8 must not eat four minutes
On a 30-question paper you have about a minute each. Spending four minutes on Q8 is how Q9–Q12 get rushed.
Remember — the 90-second rule
- If you have stared for more than about 90 seconds, flag and move.
- Leave a guessed letter so the line is not blank if time runs out.
- Come back in number order with whatever minutes remain.
Exam trap
Pride. “I’ll just try one more method.” That extra method is usually the next three questions you never reach.
✗ One more method on Q8
Two easy marks later disappear
✓ Circle it, guess, go
The paper is a set, not a duel
Decision patterns for this week
Not a calculation day — a timing script.
1 · Fog — No first step after two reads
- 1Guess the least-wrong option
- 2Mark the question number on the paper
- 3Start the next question cleanly
2 · Mid-paper — Check the clock once
On a 25-minute, 30-question paper you should be near Q15 at 12 minutes. Behind? Flag faster. Ahead? You can afford one extra look at a flagged item.
3 · Last five minutes — No new long methods
Fill blanks first, then return to flagged questions in number order.
4 · What not to flag
A question you already know how to finish — just finish it. Flag is for fog, not for tidy arithmetic.
Coach tip: practise the flag on this week’s mocks so it feels ordinary, not like giving up.
Tomorrow (D-3): blanks versus guesses — when to leave it and when to pick.
Next step
Practice link coming soon for this day — explore all practice topics.
WAGet this tip daily on WhatsApp →Practice locks the idea in. WhatsApp delivers tomorrow’s tip to your phone — same group as mock updates.