Time management can make all the difference on the SHSAT. This exam gives students 180 minutes (3 hours) to tackle a lot of questions, and the pressure to finish on time is intense.
Many 8th graders feel anxious knowing they have to get through both the English Language Arts (ELA) and Math sections within that single time limit. Good pacing helps reduce stress by ensuring they don’t run out of time or rush through easy points.
If you have been wondering how to finish SHSAT on time, we’ll share some practical SHSAT test tips to help your students manage their time effectively. We’ll cover why pacing matters, SHSAT timing breakdown, and section-by-section tips.
Read ahead for some strategic SHSAT test-taking techniques that actually work.
Effective time management is a cornerstone of success on the SHSAT (Specialized High Schools Admissions Test).
The test is designed to assess a wide range of skills in a limited amount of time, and pacing plays a pivotal role in ensuring that students can fully demonstrate their abilities across all sections. With tight time constraints, poor pacing can easily lead to unfinished sections or rushed answers, both of which can negatively impact scores.
On test day, students face the challenge of balancing speed with accuracy. If a student spends too much time on any single question or section, they risk running out of time on others, leading to an incomplete test.
Conversely, rushing through questions without carefully considering their answers can lead to mistakes that could have been avoided with a more measured approach.
Proper pacing helps students allocate their time effectively across sections, ensuring they can complete each one while maintaining the accuracy necessary to score well. Therefore, mastering time management on the SHSAT is not just about finishing the test; it’s about giving each question the right amount of focus and energy.
Timing impacts performance in several significant ways on the SHSAT. The test is divided into multiple sections, each with its own time limit.
If students don’t manage their time effectively, they may find themselves spending too much time on certain sections and rushing through others, affecting both the quality and the accuracy of their answers.
Poor pacing on the SHSAT can result in several common mistakes that can significantly reduce a student’s overall performance. These include:
1. Spending Too Much Time on Difficult Questions
One of the most frequent pacing mistakes is spending too much time on questions that are particularly challenging. Students may get stuck on a single question, trying to solve it at all costs, while the clock keeps ticking. As a result, they might not have enough time to finish the remaining questions, ultimately sacrificing potential points in sections that could have been easier for them.
2. Rushing Through Easy Questions
On the flip side, students who feel pressure due to time constraints might rush through easier questions without fully reading them. This can lead to careless mistakes, especially in sections where speed is important, like math or vocabulary. Rushing to finish the test often results in missed points that could have been easily avoided with a little more time and care.
3. Skipping Questions
Another common mistake is skipping questions to save time without fully attempting them. While it's important not to dwell on tough questions, skipping too many can be detrimental. It means missing out on easy points, which can have a big impact on the overall score.
4. Underestimating the Time for Each Section
Many students underestimate how much time they need for each section and end up running out of time in the later stages of the test. Without knowing how much time to spend on each section, students may feel rushed or caught off guard when the timer runs out.
Unlike many standardized tests, the SHSAT does not split the exam into separately timed sections. You get a 180-minute block for the entire test.
Here are the basics of the format and timing:
Remember that there is no penalty for wrong answers on the SHSAT. Your score is simply the number of correct answers. That means you should attempt every question, even if it’s a guess. But to attempt every question, you need to manage your minutes wisely.
Now that you know the format and timing, let’s look at pacing strategies for each section.
The ELA section of the SHSAT includes both reading passages and revising/editing questions. Here’s how to keep a good pace in this portion of the test:
You’ll face several reading passages, some of them long. Practice reading passages efficiently. Focus on understanding the main idea and key details. Read the text carefully (don’t skim too much) but stay mindful of time.
The revising/editing items are shorter (sometimes just single sentences to fix, or a brief passage with grammar errors). These questions can often be answered faster than reading comprehension ones. One approach is to do the revising/editing questions first, since they’re more straightforward, and then move on to the reading passages.
If an ELA question (whether grammar or reading) is tricky, mark it and move on. It’s easy to lose track of time by rereading one tough passage or overthinking one grammar fix. Instead, answer the easier questions first. If a particular reading question is very detailed or confusing, you can skip it initially - answer the general questions about the passage, and come back if time permits.
The Math section has 57 questions ranging from easy arithmetic to complex word problems. Effective pacing here ensures you can attempt all math questions in the time you allotted. Use these strategies:
Quickly scan the first few math questions to gauge their difficulty. Typically, SHSAT math questions don’t necessarily go from easiest to hardest in order, but many early questions are straightforward. Solve the ones you find easy or familiar right away - this earns you points and warms you up. If you hit a problem that looks very hard or time-consuming it’s perfectly okay to skip a difficult question when you first encounter it and come back later.
An important pacing technique is “skip and return.” If you can’t see how to solve a math problem within about 30 seconds of reading it, skip it and move on.
Do this deliberately: go through the entire math section hunting for all the questions you know how to do, and mark the ones that you skipped. Once you reach the end (or when your planned time for math is almost up), circle back to the tougher problems.
By doing this, you ensure you’ve answered all the questions you can answer correctly, and you save the potentially time-draining questions for last.
Even the official SHSAT student handbook advises: “Don’t spend too much time on a difficult question. Come back to it later if you have time.”
The five grid-in math questions require you to find the answer without multiple-choice help. Treat them like any other question - if a grid-in seems straightforward, do it; if not, skip and return.
One tip is to make sure you double-check your work on grid-ins if you have time at the end, because a small arithmetic error can lead to a wrong answer with no answer choices to catch the mistake.
Since you may be allocating roughly 90 minutes for Math (if splitting evenly), consider setting a couple of internal checkpoints. For example, when about 45 minutes are gone, aim to be roughly halfway through the math questions.
Always keep an eye on the clock (wear a watch on test day, since you can’t guarantee a clear view of a clock in the room).
Better pacing doesn’t happen by accident - it comes from practice. If you’ve been wondering how to finish the SHSAT on time, the answer lies in building strong pacing habits through consistent practice.
Here are some effective methods and SHSAT test-taking techniques to improve your timing:
Take small sets of SHSAT questions (for example, 10 math problems or one reading passage with questions) and do them with a timer running. This helps you develop a sense of how long a certain number of questions should take.
For instance, you might give yourself 15 minutes to answer 10 math questions and see if you can do it. Timed drills train you to work with urgency and not get too comfortable.
There is no substitute for doing full 3-hour practice tests under real conditions. Simulate the test day - find a quiet spot, set a 180-minute timer, and take the entire SHSAT in one go. This builds stamina and lets you test out your pacing strategy (like 90/90 split or any other division of time).
Afterwards, review how you used your time. Did you spend too long on the ELA and have to rush through math? Or vice versa?
Get in the habit of timing everything you practice. This doesn’t mean you have to rush everyday practice, but periodically timing yourself on practice sections will build that internal clock.
By test day, managing 3 hours won’t feel foreign. Knowing how to pace yourself is a skill - and like any skill, it improves with repetition.
One of the unique things about the SHSAT is that you get to choose the order of sections. During your practice tests, experiment with doing Math first versus ELA first.
Some students find they perform better by getting Math out of the way early, especially if math is a strong suit (it can boost confidence). Others prefer to tackle ELA first while they’re fresh, especially since reading comprehension can require a lot of focus.
After each practice test or timed exercise, review not just the questions you got wrong, but also how you managed your time.
Did you notice that you rushed through the last 5 questions of each section? Or maybe you finished early but got a bunch wrong in a particular passage - possibly from rushing. Knowing this, you can adjust your strategy (maybe skipping those tough ones faster next time).
Smart test-taking can save you precious minutes.
By practicing under timed conditions and using these strategies, you’ll build an instinct for pacing. Over time, you’ll know what 5 minutes or 15 minutes feels like during the test, and you’ll be able to adjust on the fly.
Now, let’s see how EdisonOS can assist in this process.
EdisonOS makes it easier to build pacing skills by replicating the real SHSAT experience and providing useful performance insights. Here's how:
Good pacing on the SHSAT doesn’t happen overnight. It builds with consistent, timed practice and clear goals. Start by learning the test structure. Decide how you’ll split your time between ELA and Math. Then practice under real conditions- using a timer, tracking your time, and reviewing what worked and what didn’t.
It’s okay to struggle at first. The more you practice, the better your instincts become. Over time, you’ll stop rushing, reduce careless mistakes, and feel more in control on test day. Strong pacing is not about speed alone- it’s about working smart.
Using tools like EdisonOS helps make that process easier. From full-length mock tests to detailed time tracking and progress reports, EdisonOS supports tutors and students every step of the way.
With the right plan and the right tools, better pacing and better scores are within reach.
Book a demo with EdisonOS today.
.webp)
