RAC (Devices) Exam Time Management: Pacing 120 Questions in 150 Minutes

The RAC (Devices) exam has 120 multiple-choice questions and gives you 150 minutes. That works out to 75 seconds per question, which sounds comfortable until you meet a long scenario question that takes three minutes to read. Good time management is a skill you can train, and a timed mock exam is the best place to train it.

Practise with the free RAC (Devices) mock exam, which runs a 150-minute countdown and auto-submits when time is up, just as you would face on exam day.

The basic arithmetic

Item	Value
Questions	120
Total time	150 minutes
Average time per question	75 seconds
First pass at 60 seconds per question	120 minutes
Time left for review at that pace	30 minutes

Aiming for about 60 seconds per question on a first pass leaves a buffer for harder scenario questions and for returning to flagged ones. Treat these as targets to test in your mocks, not fixed rules.

Use checkpoints

Checking the clock after every question wastes time. Check at fixed points instead:

By question	Aim to be at or under
30	30 to 35 minutes
60	60 to 70 minutes
90	90 to 105 minutes
120	120 to 125 minutes

If you are behind at a checkpoint, speed up on the easy questions rather than rushing the hard ones.

Do a two-pass strategy

1. First pass. Answer everything you can quickly. If a question is taking more than about two minutes, choose your best answer, flag it and move on.
2. Second pass. Return to the flagged questions with the time you saved. Questions often look easier once the pressure is off, and later questions can jog your memory.
3. Final check. Make sure no question is left unanswered.

Leaving a question blank is never better than a considered guess, so confirm in the exam instructions how unanswered questions are treated, and answer every question unless told otherwise.

Where time gets lost

• Long scenario stems. Read the question being asked first, then read the scenario for the facts you need.
• Two answers that both look right. Pick the one that best fits the question word (“BEST”, “FIRST”, “MOST appropriate”), flag it and move on.
• Unfamiliar terms. Do not spend minutes recalling a definition. Use elimination and move on.
• Second-guessing. Changing answers without a clear reason rarely helps. Change an answer only when you spot a specific mistake.

More on reading questions and eliminating options in how to answer RAC (Devices) exam questions, and on the structure of the paper in exam format and strategy.

How to train pacing with mocks

• Sit your first mock with the timer on and note where you were at each checkpoint.
• After the paper, record how many questions you flagged and how many minutes were left.
• In the next mock, target the checkpoints above and see whether your accuracy holds when you speed up.
• In your final mock, copy exam-day conditions exactly: one sitting, no breaks beyond what the exam allows, no notes.

The free mock saves your progress on the same device if you close the tab, but the timer keeps running, so plan to finish in one sitting. After the mock, read how to read your mock exam score to see whether misses came from knowledge gaps or from time pressure. Confirm the current exam length and rules with RAPS; AptSkill MedTech is not affiliated with or endorsed by RAPS.

Frequently asked questions

How much time do I get per question on the RAC (Devices) exam?

With 120 questions in 150 minutes, the average is 75 seconds per question. Many candidates aim for about 60 seconds on a first pass to keep time for review.

Should I skip hard questions?

Yes, temporarily. Choose your best answer, flag the question and come back after the first pass. This protects time for the questions you can answer quickly.

What happens when time runs out in the free mock?

The mock submits automatically at 0:00 and scores what you have answered, so you practise finishing within the limit.

Talk to the AptSkill team

If pacing is your main concern, tell us your exam session and your last mock result.