Need serious help with PACING for the PAT

[UNCafDDS]

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I am getting really frustrated with PAT timing. I am pretty good at PAT when I am not timed. My best sections are cube counting and hole punching. But on the Bootcamp PAT practice tests I go WAY over my time allotment. Even going way over my time allotment, I am getting a 20. I fear that I will have a 10 by using the allotted time. I do not miss more than 5 in any section (again, not adhering to the allowed time).

How should I start pacing myself? Should I jump ahead to hole punching and cube counting in order to earn my "easy" points, and expect to run out of time and not finish all questions? Does it make sense to bounce around to the "easy" problems?

Is this normal - to not finish all questions or to have to guess in the remaining time?

Thank you for any advice here!

 

[I-hate-alginate]

Use the mark button as much as you can.

 

[woobb]

Hey there!

I skipped ahead and finished my best sections and saved the ones where I knew I would need more time/would be second-guessing myself for last. I did all my practice PAT this way, and on the real DAT, I had about 10 minutes of extra time remaining to check any marked questions 🙂

 

[amaghsou]

13 minutes for Keyhole
13 minutes for TFE
6 minutes for Angles
10 minutes for Hole Punching
8 minutes for Cube Counting
10 minutes for Pattern Folding

If you haven't moved to full length PATs, then I suggest you doing 15 problems from the generators allotting yourself the time schedule above. Just open up Online Timer and run it on the side as you are doing these.

Every test is different, but generally, most agree that the latter 3 (Hole, Cube, and Pattern) are easier on the real thing. I would focus on the first 2 sections. If there was a section I'd skip until the end, it would definitely be angles. Your chance of getting these wrong are usually much higher than other sections.

 

[Bingwen]

13 minutes for Keyhole
13 minutes for TFE
6 minutes for Angles
10 minutes for Hole Punching
8 minutes for Cube Counting
10 minutes for Pattern Folding

If you haven't moved to full length PATs, then I suggest you doing 15 problems from the generators allotting yourself the time schedule above. Just open up Online Timer and run it on the side as you are doing these.

Every test is different, but generally, most agree that the latter 3 (Hole, Cube, and Pattern) are easier on the real thing. I would focus on the first 2 sections. If there was a section I'd skip until the end, it would definitely be angles. Your chance of getting these wrong are usually much higher than other sections.

Thanks for the timing break down I am starting to get more serious about my PAT studying and having a better idea of where to start my times is nice. 🙂