TestPrep

Timed or untimed practice: when to use each

Untimed practice builds method; timed practice builds pace. How to move from one to the other, with the official pace per question for each exam.

Checked against official sources on 22 September 2026.

Speed is a result of method, not a substitute for it. Practise a new question type untimed until you can solve it reliably, then add a clock.

The official pace per question

Exam and sectionOfficial timeAverage per question
SAT Reading and Writing64 minutes for 54about 71 seconds
SAT Math70 minutes for 44about 95 seconds
GRE Verbal Reasoning41 minutes for 27about 91 seconds
GRE Quantitative Reasoning47 minutes for 27about 104 seconds
GMAT Quantitative Reasoning45 minutes for 21about 129 seconds
GMAT Verbal Reasoning45 minutes for 23about 117 seconds
GMAT Data Insights45 minutes for 20about 135 seconds

PTE Academic tasks run on their own fixed preparation and response timers, so pace is set by the task rather than by a section clock.

A simple progression

  1. Untimed sets on one skill until accuracy is high.
  2. Timed sets on that skill at the official pace.
  3. Mixed timed sets across a section.
  4. A full-length practice test.

The practice-set builder offers timed sets at exactly these paces, or untimed sets.

Build a practice set