Skip the Hard Ones
If a question is taking too long, skip it and come back later. Answer the easy ones first to lock in those points.
Get the easy points first. You'll feel calmer and sometimes later questions give you hints.
You get stuck on question 3 for 15 minutes while 40 easy ones sit there unanswered.
What's in it for you
Answer more questions in less time
By doing the easy ones first, you collect all the points you already know. Then you can spend the rest of your time on the hard ones.
Feel calm instead of stressed
Nothing is worse than being stuck on one question while the clock is running. Skipping it and coming back later takes all the pressure off.
Get hints from other questions
Sometimes a later question on the test gives you a clue for the hard one you skipped. You pick up free hints just by reading the rest of the test.
How to actually do this
Go through the whole test first
Answer every question you know right away. If you read a question and don't know it within 30 seconds, skip it.
Mark the ones you skipped
Put a small dot or star next to every question you skipped so you can find them easily when you come back.
Go back and try again
Once you finished the easy ones, go back to the hard ones with a fresh mind. You will be surprised how much easier they feel the second time around.
Alternative: Use AI to help
Use one of our AI prompts to practice timed tests. It will give you questions at different difficulty levels so you get used to skipping and coming back.
The science behind it
Getting stuck on a hard question does not just waste time. It actually makes you do worse on the rest of the test too. Here is why:
Stress makes you forget things
When you panic about one hard question, your stress goes up and it becomes harder to remember answers you definitely know. Skipping the hard one keeps you calm so the rest of the test goes smoothly.
Your brain keeps working on it
Even after you move on, your brain keeps thinking about that hard question in the background. By the time you come back to it, the answer often just pops into your head.
Want to feel calm and in control during tests?