physical sciences timing

[da_donut]

Hi all,

I ran out of time during a practice aamc test on my physical sciences. How do you guys manage your time with this section? I know for verbal about 9mins a passage is good and I can watch my time there after each passage and know if I'm behind/ahead and how to pace myself. But with PS there are discretes as well so you can't do it as a per passage time. I wrote down my elapsed times every once in a while during it:

Question 19: 19mins
Question 28: 32mins
Question 45: 1hr
Question 54: 1hr 16mins
Question 60: 1hr 25mins
Question 68: 100mins

Anyone have a system based on "by question X you should be at time Y" to know if you're ahead or behind?

Thanks in advance!

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[IckeyShuffle]

Here is what i do. I give myself 9 minutes per passage using an analog watch. If i still dont know an answer past the 9 minute mark i make a guess and move on. 9 minutes is the ultimate stopping point. This is true regardless of what passage I am on. The first one, i know i have to be done by 9 minutes. The second, 18, third, 27, so forth and so on. Those are the last resorts. Usually i work faster than this, especially on the aamc tests so i am ahead of schedule. The kaplan ones usually take the full 9 minutes. I also make up a lot of time on the discretes. Then, once i get to the one hour mark, i gauge my timing. Hopefully at this point i only have a set of discretes and 4 passages which is doable in 40 minutes. The analog watch set to noon as the starting point really helps keep the timing precise. Hope that helps!

 

[estairella]

You should be at question 40 by 50 minutes.. in other words

25 minutes - #20
50 minutes - #40
75 minutes - #60
100 minutes - #80

But since there's only 77 questions, it leaves a leeway (about 3-4 minutes).

 

[DrBowtie]

You should be at question 40 by 50 minutes.. in other words

25 minutes - #20
50 minutes - #40
75 minutes - #60
100 minutes - #80

But since there's only 77 questions, it leaves a leeway (about 3-4 minutes).

Yep. I use that method as well.

 

[bananaboat]

You should be at question 40 by 50 minutes.. in other words

25 minutes - #20
50 minutes - #40
75 minutes - #60
100 minutes - #80

But since there's only 77 questions, it leaves a leeway (about 3-4 minutes).

++ i used it on saturday and i actually finished with 2 mins to check.

i'm nto sure 9 mins a passage is a good idea, some passages are so much simpler (for you personally, you might be really good at a specific topic). also, sometimes i know the answer is so simple but i just cna't seem to get it because of some stupid calculation error. after 1.5 mins of not getting it, i just tell myself i must move on. my problem is that i'm stubborn, and know i have the potential to possibly get it right. but i also have to remind myself that by moving on, i'll get to more easy questions.

 

[da_donut]

You should be at question 40 by 50 minutes.. in other words

25 minutes - #20
50 minutes - #40
75 minutes - #60
100 minutes - #80

But since there's only 77 questions, it leaves a leeway (about 3-4 minutes).

tried it out and worked great

thanks!!!

 

[deleted106503]

Hmm...I actually don't really time myself for PS or BS, only VR because I'm more pressed for time with that. What I normally do is just glance at my watch for PS and BS. I like to keep it around 1 min per question towards the start. So when I look at 20 mins past, I want to be done with the first 20 questions. This helps build a buffer towards the end for me where I have spare time to go over old questions. I usually have about 10 minutes left in PS and BS with this strategy.

 

[lakerlovin]

What do people that do all the discretes first use as a timing method? Kaplan teaches you to do the discretes first (15 minutes max for all of them), and then to move onto the passages. For those that use this strategy how do you keep track of time when going through the passages?

 

[ang15]

do you guys read the passages or just head for the questions and use the passages as needed....I am feeling sooooooo pressed for time.....please help.

How do you guys attack this section

 

[Kikaku21]

Ok here is my method.

If there are 9 passages, you get 9 minutes per passage. One minute for each free standing question. This finishes you 4 minutes early.

If there are 10 questions, 8 min/question.... etc.

 

[ang15]

Ok here is my method.

If there are 9 passages, you get 9 minutes per passage. One minute for each free standing question. This finishes you 4 minutes early.

If there are 10 questions, 8 min/question.... etc.

do you employ the strat of doing the non passage questions first.?