Skip to content

Timer

Started

—

Finishes

—

1:30:00

No ads in fullscreen

My times

  • Nothing saved yet. Saved times stay on this device — no account, nothing uploaded.

An audio file up to 1 MB. It stays in this browser and appears as "My sound" in the Sound list.

Space
Start or pause
F
Fullscreen
Esc
Leave fullscreen
R
Reset
↑
Add a minute
↓
Take off a minute
M
Mute or unmute

No ads in fullscreen

Read next: How to do a mock exam at home that actually prepares youAll 8 timers

GCSE exam clock for the hall

JCQ rules require the start and finish times to be displayed where every candidate can see them for the whole paper. A projected clock does that and removes the board-and-marker version that gets rubbed out by accident.

FreeFullscreen, no ads

The short answer

Display the start time, the finish time and the time remaining for the whole paper, in a place visible to every candidate. Reading time counts separately and does not come out of the working time — set it here and the clock shows the reading period first, then starts the paper's own countdown, so the finish time written on the board always matches the screen.

How to use it

Three steps to a timer on the wall

  1. Step 1: Choose a time

    Pick a preset or set your own. The timer remembers what you used last on this device.

  2. Step 2: Press start

    Start the timer, then press F or the fullscreen button to fill the screen.

  3. Step 3: Run the room

    Space pauses, the up arrow adds a minute, R resets. Fullscreen shows the timer alone, with no ads and no navigation.

Running it well

Four things worth knowing

  • Calculate extra time before the paper, not during it

    Twenty-five per cent on a 1 hour 30 paper is 22 minutes 30 seconds, giving 1:52:30. Working that out while candidates are waiting is where mistakes happen. The preset above has it done.

  • Reading time is not working time

    Where a paper has supervised reading time, it sits before the exam and does not reduce it. Set it separately so the finish time the clock shows is the real one.

  • Write the same numbers on the board

    The clock and the board must agree. Candidates check both, and a mismatch during a paper is a query you have to answer in silence in front of everyone.

  • Project it, do not leave it on a laptop

    The requirement is that every candidate can see it. A screen at the front visible from the back row satisfies that; an invigilator's laptop does not.

In the room

Built to be read from the back row

A timer that only works on the person running it is not doing the job. The digits scale to the screen, the colour changes before the end, and fullscreen shows nothing else at all.

A teacher presenting to a classroom of students
Ads in fullscreenNone
Photo by Quilia on Unsplash

No ads on your big screen

Ads pay for this page, and they stay on this page. The moment the timer goes fullscreen there is nothing on screen but the time — no banners, no navigation, no surprises in front of a room.

  • Fullscreen shows the timer alone
  • Ad sounds can never clash with the alarm
  • Saved times stay on your device — no account
  • Works with an ad blocker, and offline once loaded
FAQ

Questions people ask

Anything we've missed?

Tell us

Does reading time count towards the exam time?

No. Where a paper allows supervised reading time, it runs before the paper starts and does not reduce the working time. Set it separately so the displayed finish time stays correct.

How do I work out 25% extra time?

Add a quarter of the paper's length. A 1 hour 30 paper becomes 1 hour 52 minutes 30 seconds; a 2 hour paper becomes 2 hours 30. The preset above covers the most common case.

Can candidates see a clock during a GCSE exam?

They must be able to see the start and finish times throughout, and a clock showing time remaining alongside them is normal practice. Check your centre's own instructions for anything specific to a paper.

What happens if the screen sleeps mid-paper?

It will not. The clock holds a wake lock while it runs, so a three-hour paper stays on screen without the display dimming or a screensaver appearing.

Time something specific

Related reading

Guides worth reading

Other timers

Built by Spolvero studio. We design apps and websites for other people too.

Need an app designed?