Be aware of what you can realistically do in the allotted time. If you have one hour per question, you might allow around 10 minutes to consider the question and jot down notes, then 45-50 minutes writing time. But don't be tempted to skimp on one question to lavish time on another, urges Williams. "The first 50% of marks in any question are much easier to pick up than the next 20%," she says.