With sectional timers, time management is everything. Here's how to use each section's 15 minutes optimally — question-by-question pacing.
Each section gets exactly 15 minutes for 25 questions = 36 seconds per question average. But you shouldn't attempt uniformly — some questions deserve 10 seconds, others 60.
First 8 minutes: skim all 25, attempt easy ones (analogy, series, single-step coding) — target 15 done. Next 5 minutes: tackle medium puzzles (seating, syllogism). Last 2 minutes: guess strategically on the rest after eliminating options.
GK is the fastest section — most questions take 5–10 seconds. Aim to finish in 8 minutes. Use the remaining 7 to revisit flagged questions. Don't get stuck — if you don't know a fact in 5 seconds, mark and move.
First pass (10 min): attempt only 1-step and simple 2-step problems (~15 questions). Second pass (4 min): tackle moderate DI and arithmetic. Last 1 min: smart-guess the hardest questions.
Vocabulary (synonyms, antonyms, idioms, OWS) first — 5 minutes, target 10 questions. RC + Cloze next — 6 minutes, read questions first. Error/Improvement/Spellings — 4 minutes.
Skip-after-30-seconds rule: if you're not on a solution path in 30 seconds, mark for review and move. Don't second-guess: changing answers costs time and usually drops accuracy. Negative marking threshold: if you can eliminate 2 of 4 options, guess. Otherwise leave blank.
The exam rewards volume + accuracy, not perfection. A 47/25-correct with 8 wrongs beats a 35/35-correct with 0 wrongs.
More SSC preparation guides · Take a free mock test · Plans and pricing