## The shape of the day

The written sections run as timed papers, one after another. Reading is roughly 45 minutes,
writing roughly 45, and listening roughly 30. Add registration at the door, the gap between
papers, and the wait for your speaking slot, and you should plan for most of a morning rather
than for the sum of those three numbers.

The speaking test is a separate, short appointment. It is a face-to-face conversation with one or
two examiners, typically 10 to 15 minutes, covering everyday ground: yourself, your work, your
city, your daily routine. You may be shown an image and asked to describe it.

## The clock does not stop

This is the part that catches people out. Once a section starts, it runs. There is no pausing to
think and no borrowing time from the next paper.

Two habits protect you:

1. **Work to a per-question budget.** In reading, if an item is not yielding in about a minute,
   mark your best guess and move on. You can come back.
2. **Leave the last few minutes for a sweep.** Fill every blank and re-read your writing tasks
   against the prompt. There is no penalty for guessing, so an unanswered question is a mark you
   have given away for nothing.

## Practise against a clock, not just against the material

Knowing the content and finishing in time are separate skills, and only one of them shows up in
untimed study. A candidate who can answer every reading question given unlimited time will still
fail if they have never done it under a running clock.

That is the single most useful reason to sit timed practice exams before the real one. The first
time you experience time pressure on this material should not be on exam day.