PET · 8% of test plan
Test Timing & Strategy for the PET Exam
B1 Preliminary candidates have limited time across all components. Reading and Writing runs 1 hour 30 minutes for 6 reading parts and 1 writing task. Poor timing — especially spending too long on Reading — leaves insufficient time to write a quality email. Knowing time allocations per part is essential.
Locale-specific study guides
Pass-rate data, regulatory context, and study tips for Test Timing & Strategy all change by candidate locale. Pick your context:
- Test Timing & Strategy · United StatesCalibrated for American candidates
- Test Timing & Strategy · United KingdomCalibrated for British candidates
- Test Timing & Strategy · IndiaCalibrated for Indian candidates
- Test Timing & Strategy · PhilippinesCalibrated for Filipino candidates
- Test Timing & Strategy · NigeriaCalibrated for Nigerian candidates
Common failure modes
These are the patterns that cause most candidates to lose marks on this topic. Recognising them in advance is half the work.
- !Spending 15+ minutes on each Reading part and not finishing the Writing task
- !Not checking reading answers before submitting
- !Starting the Writing task without planning, producing a disorganised response
Study tips
- 1Allocate 60 minutes for Reading (6 parts × 10 minutes) and 30 minutes for Writing (plan 5 + write 20 + check 5).
- 2For each Reading part, move on if stuck — return to difficult questions after completing all parts.
- 3In Writing, plan before you write: note the 3 content points and one sentence for each.
Sample PET Test Timing & Strategy questions
These sample items mirror the format and difficulty of real PET questions. Practice with thousands more on the free Koydo question bank.
- 1
In B1 Preliminary Reading/Writing, how much time should be allocated to the Writing email task?
- A10 minutes
- B20–30 minutesCorrect
- C45 minutes
- D5 minutes
Why this answer?
The Writing task requires a 100-word email covering 3 points. Allocating 20–30 minutes allows 3–5 minutes planning, 15–20 minutes writing, and 3–5 minutes checking. Less than 20 minutes risks a rushed, incomplete response; more than 30 minutes leaves too little time for Reading.
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