Timed Practice Strategy

With 69 questions in 26 minutes, you have approximately 23 seconds per question. This lesson provides a comprehensive strategy for managing time, making rapid decisions, understanding the scoring system, and maximising your band score under exam conditions.

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The Time Budget

Component	Time
Total exam time	26 minutes (1,560 seconds)
Number of questions	69
Average time per question	~22.6 seconds
Time per scenario (typically 2–4 questions)	~45–90 seconds

How 23 Seconds Feels

23 seconds is not a lot. To put it in context:

• You can read a short scenario in about 8–10 seconds
• You can evaluate a single action or consideration in about 3–5 seconds
• You have no time for deliberation on most questions

This means SJT is not a test where you carefully weigh every option. It is a test where you apply trained judgement rapidly. The preparation you do before the exam is what matters most — in the exam itself, you execute.

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The Three-Phase Approach

Phase 1: Read the Scenario (8–10 seconds)

What to do	How to do it
Identify the setting	Hospital ward? GP surgery? Medical school? Social situation?
Identify the characters	Who is involved? What are their roles?
Identify the ethical tension	What is the core conflict? Patient safety? Confidentiality? Integrity? Hierarchy?
Identify the question type	Appropriateness (rate actions) or Importance (rate considerations)?

Phase 2: Rate Each Item (3–5 seconds per item)

What to do	How to do it
Apply the priority hierarchy	Patient safety → raising concerns → protocol → personal comfort
Use the quick-check	Safety check → professional standards check → degree check
Go with your trained instinct	Your first answer, informed by preparation, is usually correct
Do not second-guess	Changing answers under time pressure often makes them worse

Phase 3: Move On (1–2 seconds)

What to do	How to do it
Select your answer	Click/mark it confidently
Flag if uncertain	If you are genuinely torn, flag the question and move on
Do not dwell	The next question is waiting; time spent deliberating is time stolen from other questions

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First-Instinct Accuracy

Research on SJT-style assessments consistently shows that first instincts are more accurate than changed answers, provided the candidate has prepared adequately.

Why First Instincts Work

Reason	Explanation
Pattern recognition	Your brain recognises scenario types you have studied and applies the correct framework automatically
Overthinking introduces doubt	Deliberating too long allows irrelevant factors ("but what if...") to cloud your judgement
Emotional reasoning creeps in	The longer you think, the more likely you are to answer based on feelings rather than principles
Time pressure worsens later decisions	If you spend too long on early questions, you rush later ones and make more errors

When to Override Your First Instinct

Override your first instinct only if:

• You misread the scenario (e.g., you missed a key detail)
• You confused the question type (rated an action when you should have rated a consideration)
• You have a clear, principle-based reason for changing (not just a vague feeling)

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When to Deliberate vs Go with Your Gut

Deliberate (spend a few extra seconds)	Go with your gut (commit immediately)
The scenario contains an unusual or complex ethical dilemma	The scenario is a clear-cut patient safety, honesty, or confidentiality issue
Two options seem equally valid	One option is clearly more aligned with the priority hierarchy
The wording of the scenario contains a subtle detail that changes the answer	The scenario is a common type you have practised before
You genuinely cannot identify the ethical tension	The ethical tension is obvious

The 10-Second Rule

If you have spent more than 10 seconds evaluating a single action or consideration, commit to an answer and move on. The partial credit system means being one step off is only 1 mark lost — but running out of time on later questions could cost you many more marks.

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Managing the Band 1–4 Scoring System

How Bands Are Calculated

Your total raw marks across all 69 questions are converted into a band:

Band	Meaning
Band 1	Consistently strong alignment with expert panel judgement
Band 2	Mostly aligned, with some discrepancies
Band 3	Significant discrepancies from expert judgement
Band 4	Substantial misalignment with expected professional values

What the Partial Credit System Means for Band Scores

Because of partial credit: