The Student Room Group

Maths Professional Skills test timing

Hiya,

I've got my skills test in a week and am really panicked over the fact you only get 18 seconds during the first part of the exam to answer your question. When at my own pace I can complete questions but it takes at least a minute for me! I do notice I tend to work much faster during exams than I do at home so hoping this will be the same but I just feel 18 seconds is really not enough time.

Do you have any advice? When I do practice timed questions I get in a flap because I can't do it to the time or end up guessing ridiculous answers!
Give me a sort of question that could come up and I will say if it may be doable?
Reply 2
Original post by monkeyman0121
Give me a sort of question that could come up and I will say if it may be doable?


1) In a year group of 110 pupils, 66 pupils have school dinners.
What proportion of the year group do not have school dinners? Give your answer as a decimal.

2) In a year group of 120 pupils, 75% achieved a Level 4 or Level 5 in
Key Stage 2 English. 65 pupils achieved a Level 4.

How many pupils achieved a Level 5?

3) In a year group of 120 pupils, 15 achieved an A* in GCSE English.
What percentage of the year group achieved an A* in GCSE English?

Here are some examples. As I said I find these perfectly fine to do at my own pace. They will be read to me through headphones twice and then the 18 seconds would begin.
Original post by tjmehhh
1) In a year group of 110 pupils, 66 pupils have school dinners.
What proportion of the year group do not have school dinners? Give your answer as a decimal.

2) In a year group of 120 pupils, 75% achieved a Level 4 or Level 5 in
Key Stage 2 English. 65 pupils achieved a Level 4.

How many pupils achieved a Level 5?

3) In a year group of 120 pupils, 15 achieved an A* in GCSE English.
What percentage of the year group achieved an A* in GCSE English?

Here are some examples. As I said I find these perfectly fine to do at my own pace. They will be read to me through headphones twice and then the 18 seconds would begin.


The first question is hard unless you know how to quickly use the long division method.

The second question is easy. Just find 75% of the total and take 65 off of it.

The third question is easyish. What I did is find 10 percent and then I noticed a quarter of that 10 percent can be added to get 15 so I got 12.5%.
Reply 4
Original post by monkeyman0121
The first question is hard unless you know how to quickly use the long division method.

The second question is easy. Just find 75% of the total and take 65 off of it.

The third question is easyish. What I did is find 10 percent and then I noticed a quarter of that 10 percent can be added to get 15 so I got 12.5%.


Hopefully exam mode will just kick in and I won't find it a problem...
Original post by tjmehhh
Hopefully exam mode will just kick in and I won't find it a problem...


It depends. Some questions you may need more time and in some less so just average 18.

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