What happens if you leave or pause a mock test

Once a mock's timer starts, leaving the screen does not stop the clock. Here is what to do if a mock is interrupted, and why a paused mock is not a rehearsal.

14 Nov 2026 2 min read Updated 14 Nov 2026

A mock test is built to rehearse exam conditions, so it behaves like one: once the timer has started, the clock keeps running if you leave the screen.

If you need to leave mid-mock

Finish or submit before switching apps. Coming back to a paper that has been ticking without you gives you a score you cannot use — it measures the interruption, not your preparation.

If you are interrupted anyway, treat that attempt as practice, not as a measurement. Note the time lost, submit whatever is complete, and take your next full mock under clean conditions.

Pausing is for before the timer, not during

You can set up, read the instructions and get your desk ready at your own pace. That is the point of the pre-mock screen.

Once the paper starts, there is no meaningful pause: an exam does not pause, and neither does the rehearsal for one. This is deliberate — a mock you can stretch to five hours teaches you nothing about a three-hour paper.

Submitting early

Submitting early is allowed and often the right call. If you have answered what you can and the remaining time would only produce guesses, submit and use the report.

A completed attempt with lower marks is far more useful than an unfinished attempt with no report.

Why the report can look harsh

The report marks what you submitted. Blank answers, unattempted parts and answers without working are counted against you, because that is what the real paper does.

If a mark looks wrong, check the question's suggested answer before assuming a scoring bug — the most common cause is an answer that was correct in content but did not match what the question asked for.