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Exam-Day Strategy for MCQ Tests: Time Management, the Two-Pass Method and Negative Marking

Months of preparation can be undone in two hours by poor time management or panic. The good news is that exam-day performance is a skill you can plan and practise. This guide covers the day before, the morning of the exam, the first five minutes in the hall and a proven method for moving through the paper.

By PunjabExams Editorial Team · Updated 29 October 2026 · 6 min read · How we prepare guides

The day before the exam

• Revise, do not learn. Go through your short notes, your error log and important formulas. Starting a new topic now usually creates anxiety rather than marks.
• Check the admit card carefully: reporting time, gate closing time, centre address, photo and the list of permitted items.
• Prepare your kit: admit card printout, original photo ID mentioned on the admit card, passport-size photographs if asked, a transparent pen if allowed, and nothing that is prohibited (phones, smart watches, calculators, notes).
• Visit or map the centre. If possible, travel to it a day earlier at the same time, or at least check the route and travel time.
• Sleep for 7–8 hours. Memory and attention suffer more from lack of sleep than from missing one last revision.

The morning of the exam

1. Eat a light meal you are used to.
2. Leave early enough to reach before the reporting time, not the gate-closing time. Security checks and biometric registration take time.
3. Avoid discussing "important questions" with other candidates at the gate; it only adds stress.
4. Take a few slow breaths before entering the lab or hall.

The first five minutes at the computer

Most computer-based tests show instructions and a demo screen before the timer starts. Use this time to:

• Confirm your name, photo and exam on the screen.
• Understand the question palette colours: not visited, not answered, answered, marked for review, and answered-and-marked-for-review. In many CBT systems, a question that is "answered and marked for review" is evaluated, while one only "marked for review" without an answer is not — read the instructions on your screen to be sure.
• Check how to switch sections and whether sections are timed separately.
• Note the marking scheme and whether there is negative marking.

The two-pass method

The biggest time trap in an MCQ exam is getting stuck on one hard question. The two-pass method avoids it.

Pass 1 — the sure-shots (about 70% of the time)

Go through the paper in your chosen section order. For every question:

• If you know it, answer it and move on.
• If you can solve it but it looks long, mark it for review and move on.
• If you have no idea, skip it without spending more than a few seconds.

Set a soft time limit per question — for example, around 45 seconds for GK and language, and around 75–90 seconds for maths and reasoning.

Pass 2 — the marked questions (about 25% of the time)

Return to the marked questions, starting with the ones you think you can solve. Now you are working with whatever time is left, without the worry that easy marks are still waiting at the end of the paper.

Final check (about 5% of the time)

Use the last few minutes to make sure every answered question is saved and that you have not accidentally left an answer you meant to give.

Sample time plan for a 120-minute, 100-question paper

Practise this plan in at least five mocks before the exam so that the timings feel natural.

Negative marking: when to guess

If a wrong answer costs a fraction of a mark, random guessing becomes risky. For a four-option question with +1 for correct and −0.25 for wrong:

So: guess only when you can eliminate at least two options, and be even stricter if the penalty is larger (for example −0.33 or −0.5). If there is no negative marking, answer every question.

Handling panic

• If you meet several hard questions in a row, remind yourself that they are hard for everyone; cut-offs reflect that.
• Skip, breathe and move to a section you are strong in.
• Never change an answer unless you find a clear reason; first instincts based on knowledge are usually better than second guesses based on anxiety.

After the exam

Note down the questions you remember, especially doubtful ones, while they are fresh. When the provisional answer key is released, compare carefully and raise objections, with evidence, within the deadline.

Practice questions

1. Q1. A paper has 100 questions in 120 minutes. If you reserve 20 minutes for review, how many seconds are left per question?

   • (a) 50
   • (b) 60
   • (c) 72
   • (d) 80
   Show answer

   Answer: (b) 60 — 100 minutes = 6,000 seconds ÷ 100 = 60 seconds per question.

2. Q2. With −0.25 for a wrong answer, which situation justifies a guess?

   • (a) You have no idea at all
   • (b) You can eliminate two of the four options
   • (c) The question is the last in the section
   • (d) You have time left
   Show answer

   Answer: (b) You can eliminate two of the four options — With two options eliminated, the expected gain per guess is clearly positive (about +0.38).

3. Q3. A candidate answers 72 questions: 60 right, 12 wrong, with −0.25 per wrong answer. What is the score?

   • (a) 57
   • (b) 60
   • (c) 63
   • (d) 54
   Show answer

   Answer: (a) 57 — 60 − 12 × 0.25 = 60 − 3 = 57.

4. Q4. In the two-pass method, a long but solvable question in pass 1 should be:

   • (a) Solved immediately whatever the time
   • (b) Marked for review and attempted in pass 2
   • (c) Answered with a guess
   • (d) Ignored completely
   Show answer

   Answer: (b) Marked for review and attempted in pass 2 — Marking it keeps time free for quicker questions first.

5. Q5. If there is no negative marking, the best strategy is to:

   • (a) Leave doubtful questions blank
   • (b) Answer every question
   • (c) Answer only sure questions
   • (d) Answer only half the paper
   Show answer

   Answer: (b) Answer every question — Without negative marking, a guess can only add marks.

Frequently asked questions

Should I start with my strongest section?

Usually yes. Starting with a strong, fast section builds confidence and banks marks early. Test the order in mocks first.

What should I carry to a computer-based test?

Only what the admit card allows: normally the admit card, a valid original photo ID and sometimes photographs. Electronic devices are prohibited.

What if I run out of time?

Do not panic-guess the remaining questions if negative marking applies. Use the last minute to make sure your answered questions are saved.

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