The right way to attempt a paper
A 3-hour paper is a time-management game as much as a knowledge test. Attack it in three cycles — easiest first, hardest last — so you never lose marks you already know.
1
Cycle 1: Sweep every EASY question
0 – 60 min- Go through all three subjects and solve only the questions you can finish quickly and confidently.
- These are the cheapest marks on the paper — never leave an easy question unsolved because you ran out of time.
- If a question does not click within ~1 minute, mark it for review and move on. Do not get stuck.
- Aim to finish one full pass of the whole paper by the end of this hour.
2
Cycle 2: Take on MEDIUM (and reachable HARD)
60 – 120 min- Now that all the sure marks are banked, invest time in medium questions and the hard ones that look approachable.
- Give each a fair attempt, but cap the time — if you are 3–4 minutes in with no path, park it for Cycle 3.
- Revisit anything you marked for review in Cycle 1; a fresh look often cracks it.
3
Cycle 3: Attack the VERY HARD & leftovers
120 – 180 min- Spend the final hour on the toughest questions and whatever is still open.
- Prioritise by marks-per-minute: a solvable hard question beats a very-hard gamble.
- Reserve the last 5–10 minutes to double-check answers, transfer any pending responses, and clear careless mistakes.
Why this works
- Easy-first guarantees you the marks you already know — before fatigue or a time crunch can take them away.
- Hard questions early are a trap: one tricky problem can eat 15 minutes and cost you five easy ones elsewhere.
- A first full pass tells you the shape of the paper, so you can budget the remaining time with confidence.
- Negative marking punishes rushed guesses — a calm, staged approach keeps accuracy high.
Common pitfalls
- Solving an easy question in the 2nd or 3rd hour — it should have been cleared in Cycle 1.
- Spending the first hour on very-hard questions and running out of time for easy marks.
- Getting stuck on one problem out of ego instead of moving on.
- Leaving no time at the end to review and transfer answers.
One-line rule
Easy first
→then Medium / Hard
→Very hard last
— never the other way around.