Practice Session Design

How you practise matters as much as how much you practise. Poorly designed practice — doing random questions without a plan, without time pressure, and without reviewing errors — produces slow and inconsistent improvement. Well-designed practice — progressive, targeted, and reflective — produces measurable gains week over week. This lesson provides a complete framework for structuring your VR practice from first session to final preparation.

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The Four Phases of VR Practice

Phase 1: Foundation (Untimed)

Duration: 1–2 weeks Purpose: Build accuracy and understand the question types

Activity	How	Duration
Read lessons on VR strategy	Study question types, TFC framework, reading techniques	2–3 hours total
Complete passages untimed	Focus on applying the decision tree correctly	30–45 mins per session
Write out reasoning	For each question, note why you chose your answer	5–10 mins per passage
Review answers	Check accuracy and understand every error	15–20 mins per session

Targets:

• 85%+ accuracy on TFC questions
• 80%+ accuracy on free-text questions
• Confident use of the decision tree

When to move on: You are consistently above 80% accuracy without time pressure.

Phase 2: Speed Introduction (Relaxed Timing)

Duration: 1–2 weeks Purpose: Begin applying skills under mild time pressure

Activity	How	Duration
Complete passages with a timer	Set 2 min 30 sec per passage (generous)	30 mins per session
Track completion and accuracy	Record both metrics after each session	5 mins per session
Practise scanning techniques	Use keyword scanning and first-sentence reading	15 mins per session
Review errors	Focus on time-pressure errors vs comprehension errors	15 mins per session

Targets:

• 80%+ accuracy
• 100% completion (all questions attempted)
• Developing a natural scanning rhythm

When to move on: You complete all questions within the time limit with 80%+ accuracy.

Phase 3: Test Conditions (Strict Timing)

Duration: 2–3 weeks Purpose: Build speed and resilience under realistic pressure

Activity	How	Duration
Full timed sections	11 passages, 21 minutes, no pauses	25 mins per session
Implement two-pass strategy	First pass (18 mins), second pass (3 mins)	Part of timed sessions
Track detailed metrics	Accuracy by question type, flag count, error categories	10 mins per session
Targeted drills	Focus on weak areas identified by error tracking	15 mins per session

Targets:

• 70%+ accuracy
• 95%+ completion (nearly all questions attempted)
• 5–8 flags per section
• Reducing dominant error type week over week

When to move on: You are consistently above 70% accuracy with full completion under test conditions.

Phase 4: Refinement and Maintenance (Final Week)

Duration: 1 week Purpose: Fine-tune and build confidence

Activity	How	Duration
Full timed sections (2–3 total)	Realistic conditions	25 mins each
Light targeted practice	Only on your weakest remaining area	15 mins per session
Strategy review	Re-read key lessons; confirm your approach	20 mins total
Mental preparation	Visualisation, relaxation, confidence-building	10 mins per day

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Structuring a Single Practice Session

The 45-Minute Session (Recommended)

Block	Activity	Duration
Warm-up	1–2 passages untimed, to get your mind into VR mode	5–7 minutes
Main practice	Timed passages or full section (appropriate to your phase)	20–25 minutes
Error review	Check answers, categorise errors, identify patterns	10–12 minutes
Reflection	Note what went well, what to focus on next session	3–5 minutes

The 20-Minute Session (When Time Is Limited)