Pacing Pilot Worksheet
Pacing Pilot
Your Flight Plan for Test Day Success
Pilot:
Date:
Subject:
Mission Briefing
Total Time Available
minutes
Total Questions
questions
Math Pit Stop
Calculate your speed limit per question:
Total Mins
÷
Total Qs
=
Mins / Q
Scratchpad / Show Your Work
Flight Checkpoints
25%
Target Question Time Used
50%
75%
Divert Protocol
Step 1: Read Question
Do I know how to solve this right now?
YES
SOLVE & MOVE
NO / UNSURE
SKIP & FLAG
End of Mission Goal
Return to "Skip & Flag" questions ONLY when the rest of the test is complete!
Pilot's Commitment
"If I find myself spending more than ______ minutes on a single question, I will flag it and move on because..."
Stay Calm
Fly Straight
Keep Moving
Pacing Pilot Presentation
Testing Tactics
Pacing
Pilot
Mastering your time and staying in control during the EOG.
The Time Crunch
Why do students run out of time?
They get anchored by a single hard question.
Calculate Your Speed Limit
Total Minutes
120
Total Questions
40
3 Minutes / Question
Flight Checkpoints
1/4
Quarter Way
Am I on Question #10?
1/2
Halfway Point
Am I on Question #20?
3/4
Home Stretch
Am I on Question #30?
The Divert Protocol
If you hit a question that feels like a mountain:
- Stop after 60 seconds
- Flag it on your paper/screen
- Move to the next question
Golden Rule
Every point counts exactly the same!
Don't sacrifice 10 easy points later for 1 hard point now.
Your Turn
Open your Pacing Pilot Worksheet and start building your flight plan!
Testing Tactics Teacher Guide
Testing Tactics
Teacher Facilitation Guide: Pacing Pilot
Time Estimate
45 Mins
Core Objectives
- Students will calculate their personal "Speed Limit" (minutes per question) for a specific test.
- Students will identify three "Checkpoints" to monitor their progress during the test.
- Students will internalize the "Divert Protocol" for strategic skipping and returning.
Teacher's Note
"Anxiety often comes from a lack of control. By giving students a concrete flight plan, you transition them from reactive 'panic' to proactive 'piloting'. The goal is to make the clock an instrument they use, not a threat they fear."
Facilitation Steps
1
The Problem (5 mins)
Ask students: "Have you ever gotten stuck on a question and felt the clock ticking? How did that feel?" Briefly discuss the 'Anchoring' effect where one hard question steals time from several easy ones later.
2
Calculating Speed Limits (10 mins)
Hand out the Pacing Pilot Worksheet. Use the slides to model the math. Differentiation Tip: Provide a pre-filled table of common time/question ratios for students who struggle with long division.
3
The Divert Protocol (15 mins)
This is the most critical part. Explain that 'Skipping' is a strategic weapon, not a sign of failure. Practice a '60-second rule': if you can't see the path to the answer in 60 seconds, you flag it and move on.
4
Checkpoints (10 mins)
Help students calculate their specific checkpoint questions. If a test is 40 questions and 120 minutes, they should be at question 20 by minute 60.
Key Questions
- • "Is it better to get 1 hard question right but miss 5 easy ones at the end?"
- • "Why is it important to flag the questions you skip?"
- • "What will you do if you reach a checkpoint and you're behind schedule?"
Pro-Tips
Encourage students to write their "Checkpoints" on the front of their test booklet or scratch paper the moment the timer starts. This offloads the mental effort of remembering their plan while they are testing.