How much time you get per question
About 14 seconds on average. The trick is that you should not spend 14 seconds on every question.
The maths
720 seconds divided by 50 questions is 14.4 seconds. Some questions take three seconds (a vocabulary pair you know). Others take thirty (a two-step word problem). Your plan is to spend little on the first kind so you can afford the second.
A pacing plan that works
Check the clock at the quarter marks. If you are behind, the fix is to skip sooner, not to read faster.
- After 3:00 you should be around question 12 or 13
- After 6:00, around question 25
- After 9:00, around question 37 or 38
- In the last minute, answer everything left, even by guessing
The 25-second rule
On our practice test we flag any question that takes more than 25 seconds, because that is roughly where staying on a question stops paying for itself. Your pace map after each test shows exactly which questions went over.
Try it on the clock
A full 50-question test with a pace map shows you exactly where your time goes.
Start the free testKeep reading
Last reviewed 15 November 2026. Independent practice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to Wonderlic, Inc. “Wonderlic” is a trademark of its owner.