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3 tasks, 3 clocks, no way back
~23 minutes total, split into 3 separately timed tasks. Here's the real time split, and how to pace each one.
The actual time split
Each task has its own clock, and once you move on, the previous task is locked — no going back.
From the exam's own timers
Build a Sentence — 5:50 (all 10 items)
Write an Email — 7:00
Write for an Academic Discussion — 10:00
≈ 22:50 total.
Pacing Build a Sentence
5:50 ÷ 10 items ≈ 35 seconds each. Exact-match, no partial credit — a fast wrong guess costs the same as a slow one.
90 seconds stuck on 1 item = 2.5 items' worth of time gone
Genuinely stuck? Best guess, move on — protect the other 9.
Pacing Email & Discussion
Open-ended — budget minutes, not seconds. Same plan-write-check instinct, different numbers.
The budgets
Email: ~1 min plan · ~5 min write · ~1 min check
Discussion: ~2 min pick · ~7 min develop · ~1 min check
The 1 rule for all 3
Never leave a task half-finished hoping to return — you can't. A completed, rougher response always beats an unsubmitted one.
Low on time? Check what you've written — don't start something new you can't finish.
DEB
4 things to know about the section's timing
Audio: DEB (ElevenLabs)