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MasteryPrep’s Time Management Strategies for Test Prep Success

  • April 22, 2025

When it comes to standardized tests like the ACT and SAT, content knowledge is only part of the equation. Time management can make or break a student’s success on high-stakes assessments, regardless of how well they understand the material. 

Drawing on insights from MasteryPrep Professional Development sessions, Dr. Mya Asberry, Director of Instructional Services at MasteryPrep, explained at a recent webinar: “The ACT and SAT are both timed assessments, and students can miss out on valuable points if they have ineffective pacing. It’s super important that they’re able to manage their time effectively, therefore maximizing their opportunity to gain points.”

Even for untimed assessments like the TSIA2, effective time management helps students maintain focus and stamina throughout the test. Teaching students how to manage their time isn’t just about test performance—it’s developing a life skill that will serve them in college and beyond.

  • Time Management Strategies for Standardized Tests

During the webinar, Dr. Asberry offered four examples of time management strategies that teachers can share with students and integrate into their daily instruction.

RELATED RESOURCE:

Webinar Recording: Merging Test Prep Strategies with Everyday Classroom Teaching

Hear from Dr. Mya Asberry, Director of Instructional Services, about how educators can improve student outcomes without sacrificing valuable classroom time.

  • The Mark-and-Move Strategy

One of MasteryPrep’s most effective time management techniques is what they call “mark and move.” This strategy helps students avoid getting stuck on difficult questions that can drain precious minutes.

How It Works:

  1. Students identify questions they can answer quickly based on their skills or available strategies
  2. When encountering a difficult or time-consuming question, they:
    • Mark their best guess based on available information
    • Move on to the next question without spending excessive time
    • Leave a note to return if time permits

Dr. Asberry emphasizes that this approach requires training: “Students have to be trained to utilize your time to identify those questions that can either be answered quickly or strategized through…For [challenging] questions, the students need to be trained to mark and move.”

It all boils down to a “numbers game” where the goal is to accumulate as many points as possible. Getting stuck on a single difficult question can cost students multiple easier questions they might have answered correctly.

  • Establishing Pacing Guidelines

Another crucial strategy is teaching students specific pacing guidelines for each section of the test. These guidelines help students allocate appropriate time to each portion, ensuring they can attempt every question.

For example, on the ACT English section (which allows 45 minutes for 75 questions across 5 passages), MasteryPrep recommends:

  • 8 minutes per passage
  • 3 minutes to read the passage
  • 5 minutes to answer the questions

The key to making these guidelines effective is practice. Teachers can incorporate timed activities into their regular instruction, reminding students to focus on pacing rather than just test content.

"Students can often miss out on valuable points if they have ineffective pacing. It's super important that they're able to manage their time effectively, therefore maximizing their opportunity to gain points."

Dr. Mya Asberry
Director of Instructional Services
  • Implementing Mini-Tests

One of the most practical ways to help students develop time management skills is through regular mini-tests—short 5-10-question assessments that focus on both content and pacing.

When reviewing these mini-tests, teachers should focus not just on correct answers but also on how students managed their time. This is where MasteryPrep’s “strategy cycle” comes into play:

  1. Introduce a specific test-taking strategy (e.g., process of elimination)
  2. Model the strategy’s application on a specific question type
  3. Demonstrate the test-taking strategy
  4. Close the cycle with repetitive reinforcement (“When you see this type of question on the ACT, you’re not going to panic. What are you going to do?”)

By regularly implementing these mini-tests and focusing on specific strategies, teachers can help students develop automatic time management habits that will serve them well on test day.

  • Integrating Time Management Into Daily Instruction

Many teachers already use timing techniques in their classrooms, like bell ringers, “do now” activities, and timers for various tasks. These existing practices can be leveraged to reinforce test-specific time management skills.

Consider adding these elements to your existing timed activities:

  • Specific time allocations per question type
  • Verbal reminders about pacing strategies
  • Brief reflections on time usage after activities
  • Gradual reduction of time allowances as students become more proficient
  • The Payoff: Boost Student Confidence and Scores

When students master time management strategies on high-stakes tests, they not only improve their scores but also experience less anxiety on test day. By knowing how to allocate their time and having strategies for difficult questions, students approach tests with confidence rather than panic.

As Dr. Asberry emphasizes, the goal isn’t perfection—it’s maximizing opportunity: “Remember, that is the name of the game with ACT and SAT. How many points can I gain during this session? And if I leave questions blank, I’m leaving opportunity on the table.”

By incorporating these time management strategies into regular instruction, teachers can help students develop skills that will serve them well beyond standardized tests and into their college and professional careers.

MasteryPrep Professional Development for Teachers

Our high-impact professional development programs, offered online and in-person, empower teachers with practical, easy-to-implement test-prep strategies.
Learn More

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ACT® is the registered trademark of ACT, Inc. Some items in MasteryPrep programs are the copyrighted content of ACT, Inc. and are reproduced with permission. SAT® is a trademark of the College Board. MasteryPrep LLC has no affiliation with College Board MasteryPrep SAT programs are not approved or endorsed by College Board. The Texas Success Initiative Assessment 2.0 (TSIA2) is an ACCUPLACER® exam, which is a trademark of College Board. MasteryPrep has no affiliation with College Board or the Texas Success Initiative (TSI), and the TSIA2 Mastery program is not approved or endorsed by College Board or the TSI. WorkKeys® is a registered trademark of ACT, Inc. The WorkKeys programs are not approved or endorsed by ACT, Inc.

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