Test Timer & Exam Clock
A calm, fullscreen countdown for tests and exams: set your time, add a label and optional warnings, and let the room focus. Free, with no sign-up.
Set your time, then press Start.
Settings are locked while the timer runs. Pause and reset to change them.
Shortcuts: Space start or pause · F full screen · Esc exit full screen
Pause and reset to change the test length, reading time or extra time.
Enter a number to see the time per question.
Sound & display Quiet by default
The timer finishes silently unless you choose a sound.
Keep this page open. Sound may be delayed or unavailable if your device locks or your browser suspends the page. This is not a certified timing instrument.
How to use the test timer
- Tap a preset such as 45 min or 1 h, or type your own test length.
- Add a label, for example “Math test – Unit 3”.
- Pick your warnings; 5 minutes left is on by default.
- Optional: add reading time or extra time (+25%, +50% or your own minutes).
- Press Start, then Full screen to show it on a projector or board.
Built for exam rooms and classrooms
This exam timer is made to be read from the back of a room. The digits fill the screen, the label sits above them, and an exam clock line shows the current time, the start time and the finish time, so nobody has to ask how long is left.
- Big fullscreen digits for projectors, smartboards, Chromebooks and phones.
- Current time, start time and finish time, in your device’s 12- or 24-hour format.
- Calm warnings with a text badge, never flashing.
- A quiet finish: “Time’s up – pens down” on screen with sound off, unless you choose a chime.
- A formal black-and-white look and dark mode.
- If you refresh or close the page by accident, reopen it in the same browser and the countdown carries on from its saved finish time.
For group work, tidy-up time and transitions, use our classroom timer for group work and transitions.
Extra time and reading time
Choose +25%, +50% or a number of minutes under Extra time. By default the extra time continues after the main time, so the screen shows both finish times: one for the room and one for students with extra time. You can also add it straight to the countdown, which suits a student working alone.
Example: 60 minutes + 25% = 75 minutes. A test that starts at 10:00 ends at 11:00 for most students and at 11:15 with extra time.
Reading time runs before the test starts. Pick 5, 10, 15 or 20 minutes and the timer moves straight into the test when it ends. Who gets extra time, and how much, depends on your school or exam board.
Common test lengths
| Length | Typical use | Set it |
|---|---|---|
| 30 min | Quiz or short test (or the 30 minute timer) | Set 30 min |
| 45 min | One class period | Set 45 min |
| 1 h | Unit test or mock paper (or the 1 hour timer) | Set 1 h |
| 1 h 30 | Longer exam paper | Set 1 h 30 |
| 2 h | Full exam paper | Set 2 h |
| 3 h | Long final or practice exam | Set 3 h |
Practising for the SAT, ACT, AP or other exams
Timed practice is the closest thing to the real day. Set the length of the section you are practising, add a label such as “Practice test – Math”, and keep the 5-minute warning on so you learn to pace the last stretch. You can pause if you need to stop a practice test. Section lengths change from time to time, so check the current official times on the exam provider’s own website before you set the timer. To spread your time evenly, use the pacing helper to divide the time by the number of questions. Studying for the test? Try the Pomodoro timer between practice papers.
Tips for a calm timed test
- Set up the timer and label before students arrive.
- Test the sound, or choose Sound off for a silent room.
- Turn on Keep screen awake so the display does not dim.
- Read out the finish time when you start.
- Copy the link so the same settings are ready next time.
Test timer questions.
Can I add extra time for students who need it?
Yes. Choose +25%, +50% or your own number of minutes under Extra time. The screen then shows a second finish time, and the extra time runs on after the main time ends (or you can add it straight to the countdown).
How do I work out 25% extra time?
Multiply the test length by 1.25: 60 minutes + 25% = 75 minutes. A test that ends at 11:00 then ends at 11:15 with extra time, and the timer does the sum for you.
Can I add reading time before the test starts?
Yes. Choose 5, 10, 15 or 20 minutes under Reading time first. It counts down first, labelled “Reading time”, and the test starts by itself when it ends.
Can I show the timer full screen on a projector or smartboard?
Yes. Press Full screen or the F key. The digits, label, warnings and finish time fill the screen, and ads are never shown in full screen. Press Esc to return.
Does it show the current time and the finish time, like an exam clock?
Yes. Under the countdown you see the current time, the start time and the finish time, plus a second finish time if you add extra time. It follows your device’s 12- or 24-hour setting.
Will it beep at the end? Can I make it silent?
It is silent by default. At zero it shows “Time’s up – pens down” (or the wording you choose) with no sound. You can pick a soft chime or a clear beep under Sound & display.
Can I get a warning when 5 minutes are left?
Yes. The 5-minute warning is on by default, and you can add 30, 15, 10 or 1 minute. Each warning shows a text badge and a gentle colour change, with an optional soft chime. Nothing flashes.
Can I use it to practise for the SAT, ACT or AP exams?
Yes. Set the length of the section you are practising and run it like the real thing, with warnings and a pause button. Check the current official section times on the exam provider’s website first.
Can I time each question separately?
No, this page times the whole test. For a pace target, divide the total time by the number of questions; the pacing helper under the timer settings does it for you.
What happens if I refresh or close the page by accident?
The countdown carries on. The timer saves its finish time in your browser, so a refresh, or reopening the page in the same browser, restores it. If it ended in the meantime, you see the result without a catch-up sound.
Can I pause the test timer?
Yes. Press Pause or the space bar, then Resume to continue. Reset asks for confirmation first, so a running test is not wiped by mistake.
Is it free? Do I need an account?
Yes, the test timer is free and needs no sign-up. There are no accounts. We use Cloudflare Web Analytics, which counts anonymous visits without cookies or personal data. Ads are shown by Google AdSense, which may use cookies and similar technology to show and measure ads; personalised ads only with your consent where the law requires it. See Privacy.
More ways to keep time.
Want the countdown inside your class website or learning platform? Embed Online Timer with a free iframe. Or go back to the Online Timer home page for quick countdowns.