Physics Sensei questions & answers
How Do I Stop Running Out of Time on Exams?
The exam is going okay. Then you look up at the clock, and there are five minutes left. You still have two problems you haven’t even read. You know you could have done them.
Running out of time feels like you’re just too slow. So next time, you try to write faster. It doesn’t help.
If you want to stop running out of time on exams, writing faster isn’t the answer. The time usually disappears in one or two places, and you can plan for both.
What’s really going on
Most students don’t run out of time because they’re slow at every problem. They run out because one problem eats the clock. You get stuck, but you’ve already put in eight minutes, so you keep going. Ten minutes later, you’re still stuck, and the easy problems at the end never get done.
The second time-eater is getting started. Deciding how to begin a problem can take longer than solving it, especially when you’re not sure which idea it needs.
Why going in order makes it worse
Most students do the exam in order: problem 1, then 2, then 3. That seems fair. But exams aren’t sorted from easy to hard. A tough problem early on can block every easy one behind it.
Points are points. An easy problem at the end is worth just as much as a hard one at the start.
Why it’s hard to change
Leaving a problem unfinished feels like giving up. And after you’ve spent time on it, walking away feels like wasting that time.
But the minutes you spent are already gone. The only question is where the next minutes go. Moving on isn’t quitting. You’ll come back with a fresh head.
The fix: two passes and a move-on rule
Change how you move through the exam. Then practice it at home, so it feels normal on exam day.
Try this on your next practice test: the two-pass exam
- Before you start, figure out your time per point. Divide the minutes by the points. For a 50-minute exam worth 100 points, that’s 1 minute for every 2 points.
- First pass: go through the whole exam and do every problem you know how to start. For each one, ask: What are they asking? What do I know? What’s the big idea?
- Use a move-on rule. If a problem has used up its time and you’re stuck, star it and go to the next one.
- Second pass: go back to the starred problems, easiest first.
- Save the last 3 minutes to look over your answers. Ask: Does it make sense?
Practice this at home with a timer and a mixed set of problems. Your first two-pass exam shouldn’t be a real one.
What changes
The first time you skip a problem on purpose, it feels uncomfortable. That’s normal.
After a couple of practice tests, the two passes feel natural. You reach every problem. And the starred ones often feel easier when you come back to them with a fresh head.
You’re not too slow. Your time just needs a plan.
Practice problems built for this
On Physics Sensei, every problem is solved step by step, and every one starts with the same questions: What are they asking? What do I know? What’s the big idea? The more problems you start this way, the faster starting gets. Each one asks you to try it first, then gives you one more like it, with new numbers.
Your next step: set a timer and try three mixed problems on Physics Sensei using the two-pass plan. Star any problem that takes too long, and come back to it last.
More questions about studying and grades? See them all here.
Raul, Physics Sensei
