Poor time management sinks S3 scores.

We all know the math: 150 minutes for 75 questions gives you exactly 2 minutes per question. But that’s not how you should think about it.

Treating every question equally is the fastest way to run out of time. Here is a breakdown of how to actually build speed and handle the clock on game day.

1. The "Accuracy First" Phase (Go Slow to Go Fast)

If you are sitting in March, you are likely in the early stages of prep. Your goal right now should be 100% accuracy — even if it takes you 15 minutes to solve a single stem.

You must learn to properly navigate, deconstruct, and solve the logic before applying pressure. Speed without accuracy is just practicing how to make mistakes faster. You will simply loop yourself into a cycle of poor scores.

2. Analyze Your Wins (The Secret Weapon)

Most students obsess over the questions they got wrong. You need to obsess over the questions you got right.

If you get a question correct, but it took you 4 minutes to solve, you effectively "failed" that question in the context of the exam. You need to review your wins to find the shortcuts you missed.

• Could you have used estimation?
• Could dimensional analysis have bypassed the formula?
• Did you read the whole text when the graph held the answer?

Finding a quicker path for correct answers is the highest-yield way to buy time.

3. Practice in "Sprints"

Stop timing yourself per question. It creates anxiety and isn't realistic. Instead, practice in blocks (or sprints) of 20–25 Questions.