How to Manage Your Time in IGCSE Physics Exams

Running out of time in a physics exam means leaving marks on the table. A clear time plan prevents this.

The general rule

Calculate the time per mark for each paper:

Paper 2 (Multiple Choice): 45 minutes for 40 questions. That is roughly 1 minute per question. If a question takes more than 90 seconds, mark it and move on. Return to it after completing the rest.

Paper 4 (Theory): 1 hour 15 minutes for 80 marks (Extended). That is approximately 1 minute per mark. A 4-mark question should take about 4 minutes. A 6-mark question should take 6 to 8 minutes (allowing extra time for planning the answer).

Paper 6 (Alternative to Practical): 1 hour for 40 marks. That is 1.5 minutes per mark. Graph plotting and gradient calculations can take longer; budget extra time for these.

Pacing strategy for Paper 4

1. First pass (50 minutes): work through all questions in order. Spend the allocated time on each. If you get stuck, write what you can and move on.

2. Second pass (15 minutes): return to questions you skipped or found difficult. With fresh eyes, you may see the approach.

3. Checking (10 minutes): check calculation answers (re-do the arithmetic), check written answers (enough points for the marks?), check that nothing is blank.

What to do when stuck

If you cannot start a question:

1. Write down the relevant equation. This often earns a mark and may trigger the next step.
2. Extract the given values and write them with correct units.
3. Look at the marks available. Each mark usually corresponds to one step or one point.

If you cannot finish a question:

1. Write what you know.
2. Show any partial working. Examiners award method marks even if the final answer is wrong.
3. Move on. Spending 10 minutes on a 3-mark question steals time from easier marks elsewhere.

Common time traps

• Long written answers: students write too much for low-mark questions and not enough for high-mark questions. Match your answer length to the marks.
• Calculation errors: instead of recalculating the same wrong answer repeatedly, move on and check it later.
• Reading too fast: misreading a question wastes more time than reading it carefully twice.

Before the exam

Practice under timed conditions. Do at least 3 full past papers with a timer. This builds your internal sense of pacing so you do not need to check the clock constantly during the real exam.