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Myriora English › 11+ English › Chapter 4: Exam technique

Use the marks and the time

11+Chapter 4 · Lesson 1

In this lesson

Your turn

A paper has thirty marks and thirty minutes. How long should a four mark question take?

Show the answer

The answer is about four minutes! That's one minute for each mark.

The common mistake

Here's a common mistake. Spending ten minutes on one hard question. That time could earn more marks elsewhere. Mark it, move on, and come back.

Try it at home

Look at the marks on a practice paper together, and work out how many minutes each part should take.

Read the whole lesson

Hello, and welcome to Myriora English! In a test, time is part of the challenge. Two simple habits help. Use the marks, and keep moving.

Before you start, look through the paper. See how many marks each part has. Then you can plan your time.

Here's a rough guide. If a paper has forty marks and forty minutes, that's a minute for each mark. So a three mark question is worth about three minutes. Papers differ, so work it out from the front page.

Don't get stuck. If a question is taking too long, mark it and move on. Easy marks later on are worth just as much. Come back at the end, if you have time.

Let's try one together. A paper has fifty marks and fifty minutes. How long should a five mark question take? Here's a tip: find the minutes for one mark. Say it out loud!

The answer is about five minutes! That's one minute for each mark.

Here's a common mistake. Spending ten minutes on one hard question. That time could earn more marks elsewhere. Mark it, move on, and come back.

Your turn! A paper has thirty marks and thirty minutes. How long should a four mark question take? Pick the right card. You've got ten seconds, or pause the video. Go!

Time's up! The answer is about four minutes! That's one minute for each mark.

Quick review. Look through the paper first. Work out the minutes for each mark. If you get stuck, mark it and move on. Come back at the end. See you next time!