Guide
Timed exam sits, marking, and paper answers
Practise under real conditions: reading time, writing time, handwritten answers by QR, and honest self-marking.
4 min read
Knowing the content and performing in an exam are different skills. Timed sits train the second one: real reading and writing time, a countdown, and marking against the actual solutions.
Running a sit
- Build a practice exam on the Exams page — pick the subject and the topics or knowledge points to cover — or open a saved one.
- Start the sit. Reading time comes first: read the paper, plan your attack, no answering yet.
- Writing time begins with a countdown. Answer in the app, or on paper if that's how you'll sit the real exam.
- Writing on paper? Scan the QR code with your phone to photograph your handwritten working and attach it to the question.
- When time's up, self-mark each answer against the solutions and examiner guidance.
Watch out for
- Marking generously — your marks feed your readiness forecast and review schedule, so a soft mark now means a nasty surprise later.
- Pausing mid-sit to look things up — you're training exam conditions; note the gap and revise it after.
- Only ever practising untimed — pacing is a skill that just doesn't develop without a clock.