How to Time Yourself on a Mock Exam
When you time yourself on a mock exam, record what happens at two or three checkpoints. A final score can hide whether you ran out of time, misunderstood the instructions, or spent too long on one question. The checkpoint record tells you what to rehearse next.
Match the exam rules before you start
Use an instructor-approved sample paper, a reserved past paper, or questions with a key you have checked. Copy the actual duration, allowed resources and any mandatory sections onto a sheet. If you have approved timing accommodations, rehearse with your own timing. Cornell's practice exam guide recommends mirroring the time and allowed resources.
A short quiz on one lecture can help you check recall. For a full rehearsal, you also need the section mix and response formats your course expects. Use an instructor's blueprint when available. Leave questions with an uncertain key out of the score until you can check them.
Make a checkpoint card
Start with section weights if the instructor provides them. Reserve a small review buffer and adjust for tasks with fixed time or a required order. Write deadlines in elapsed minutes so you can use any clock.
| Checkpoint | Planned elapsed time | Actual elapsed time | What is unfinished? |
|---|---|---|---|
| First section | ___ | ___ | ___ |
| Second section | ___ | ___ | ___ |
| Begin final review | ___ | ___ | ___ |
Teaching example. A fictional 60-minute exam allocates 40 marks to short problems and 60 to an extended response. With five minutes held for checking, a first estimate is 22 minutes for the problems and 33 for the response. At minute 22, the student is still working on problem three. If the exam permits skipping, they mark the missing step and move on. At minute 55, they first check that both sections were attempted, then return to the marked step. The checkpoints are a rehearsal plan, so revise them if the course imposes a different order or if the extended response consistently needs more reading time.
Decide what the clock actually revealed
After the attempt, keep the original answer and try one unfinished item again without a clock before looking at the solution. Compare both versions with the official key, marking guide, or course notes. Carnegie Mellon’s exam review guide separates test-taking errors from difficulties with concepts, applications and directions.
- If you can explain a correct solution untimed, rehearse a checkpoint or a skip-and-return decision on a fresh item.
- If you still choose the wrong method, repair the topic with a course example before the next timed attempt.
- If you missed a condition or a command word, underline it on a fresh question and explain how it changes the expected answer.
- If the key is doubtful, record the uncertainty separately and check with the source or instructor.
Log one change for your next rehearsal. For example, “At minute 22 I will move to the long response if course rules allow it. Before then I will retry a fresh problem on the method I could not select.”
Build your next attempt from course material
If you have a permitted lecture PDF but no spare questions, use the Notoo mock quiz generator for draft questions and check each answer against the source. The guide to turning lecture notes into a practice test can help you fill the gaps in your blueprint. Time the resulting paper yourself using the checkpoint card.
For ongoing preparation, open Notoo, set an exam date, attach your allowed course materials and use the short diagnostic and daily review to revisit the topic that slowed you down. Reserve a fresh paper or section for the next timed attempt, then compare the two checkpoint cards.