Manage the Clock on Paper-Based Exams

By VeriScorePrep Team · 4 min

Paper-based exams (TEAS sections, some HESI administrations) allow return to prior items, which gives you a powerful pacing tool: flag-then-come-back.

The two-pass method

• Pass 1: Answer the items you can do quickly; flag the hard ones.
• Pass 2: Return to flags with remaining time.

This method achieves the same effect as flag-and-move on computer exams. It captures the easy points first and concentrates your hard time on hard items.

Mark carefully

On paper, flagging means marking the question booklet or scratch sheet, NOT the answer sheet. Transferring answer choices correctly is critical — a misaligned bubble sheet is a real and avoidable loss. Periodically confirm question number matches bubble number.

Allocate time

Reserve ~70% of each section's time for pass 1 (rapid) and 30% for pass 2 (flags + review). BLEED time saved on easy sections into hard ones only when the exam permits cross-section passage (TEAS does NOT allow returning to prior sections; HESI varies — confirm the rule for your exam).

End discipline

Never leave bubbles blank on a paper exam; there is no penalty for guessing. With one minute left, fill every empty bubble — a 25% guess beats a sure zero.