🧠 Mastering TOEIC Time Strategy: Don’t Do the Test — Play the Game
Change your mindset from “understanding English” to “collecting points per minute.”
If you want to win at TOEIC Reading, stop thinking of it as “an English test” and start thinking of it as “a points-per-minute game.”
You don’t get bonus marks for reading every word. You get one point per correct answer — whether you answered it in 10 seconds or 2 minutes. The goal is to use your time where it brings the most points.
🚦 The Traffic Light Time Strategy
The biggest reason test takers run out of time? They don’t know when to stop.
The Traffic Light Strategy sets hard time boundaries so you can make better decisions section-by-section.
⏳ Part 5 — 30 Questions: Your Time Bank
These short grammar and vocabulary questions are your fastest points.
Do them first and decisively.
🟢 Green Zone — Under 8 minutes
On pace. Keep moving confidently.🟡 Yellow Zone — 8–10 minutes
You’re slowing down. Stop double-checking — trust your first answer.🔴 Red Zone — Over 10 minutes
Guess remaining, move immediately to Part 7.
Why: Every second you save here is time you can “spend” on the harder, longer Part 7.
⏳ Part 7 — 54 Questions: The Core Battle
This is where most points are lost — and most time disappears.
You’ve already bought yourself breathing room from Part 5. Now spend it carefully.
🟢 Green Zone — Under 32 minutes
You can work at a steady pace, even recheck a few.🟡 Yellow Zone — 32–36 minutes
Start skimming. Prioritise short passages and detail questions.🔴 Red Zone — 36–40 minutes
Stop. Guess remaining. Move to Part 6.
Why: Spending over 40 minutes here usually means you’ll leave other easier points unanswered.
⏳ Part 6 — 16 Questions: The Clean-Up Round
Short text completions that mix grammar and context. Do them last.
🟢 Green Zone — Under 7 minutes
Finish calmly.🟡 Yellow Zone — 7–9 minutes
Don’t reread. Make your best choice, move on.🔴 Red Zone — Over 9 minutes
Guess remaining. End the test without blanks.
Why: If you run out of time here, losses are minimal compared to missing long-text questions in Part 7.
🧠 ALT Score-per-Minute Tactics
Part 5 first — Quick, decisive answers build a time reserve.
Use saved time on Part 7 — Longer readings require more focus.
Part 6 last — Lower-risk if time runs out.
If you hit yellow or red in any section:
Stop deep reading.
Scan for names, numbers, or keywords.
If nothing clicks in 10 seconds, guess and move on.
Final Word
Top scorers don’t aim to “finish the test.” They aim to maximise points per minute.
Treat TOEIC like a game of time and points — not a test of patience — and you’ll walk out with a higher score.
For more strategies and resources to take control of TOEIC Reading time, visit the English Library Collection and start using the Traffic Light Method on your next practice test.
