Strategies for the Test: Keeping Track of Time
Before we jump into textual evidence, let's look at some simple strategies to help you balance the time you use during the test and help you keep track of the important parts of a text passage.
The exam is a timed test, meaning that if you take too long on one section, you may need to rush through another section or not complete the entire test. For this reason, it's essential to manage your time carefully. Review the resource on time management to help you balance the time you spend on each passage and not become "held up" anywhere in the test.
Time Management Testing Strategies
It's easy to lose track of time when taking a test. Test anxiety, interest in a specific reading passage, and uncertainty over an answer are all reasons why you may find yourself taking too much time in any given section. Since this test is timed, it's important to carefully balance your focus for each reading passage. Taking too long in a reading passage early on can make it hard to catch up and finish your test on time.
Before taking the test, review test instructions for timing. Make sure you know how much time you have for the entire test. Then review the test information for how many sections you need to complete. Use this to help you make a timed plan. For example, the test instructions may tell you that you'll have 55 minutes for the exam. The test information and sample tests tell you to expect about four reading passages, with 40 questions to answer. From that, you can figure out that you'll need to spend about three minutes reading each reading, and 1 minute on each question. That's not much time!
Once you know how you need to break up your time on the test, figure out what strategies will help you be the most successful.
As we move through Unit 1, we'll review strategies to help you manage this time. A few we'll cover are:
- Annotating as you read
- Previewing questions
- Making a plan
Have your time management strategy in place before you sit down to take your test. Knowing how you're going to manage your time effectively will help you avoid being anxious and complete each question within the allotted time.
Source: Saylor Academy
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