Scratch pad tips for ranked duels: work fast, stay accurate

Every Math Class match gives you a scratch pad: draw anywhere on the screen with your finger while the question is up, then punch your answer into the numpad. The pad wipes automatically between questions.

The controls

• Draw anywhere outside the answer box and numpad.
• Undo / redo your last strokes with the on-screen buttons.
• Clear wipes the pad instantly, faster than undoing three times.

When to use it

The scoring system gives you 5 seconds per question, with full points inside 1.5 seconds (see how scoring works). That splits questions into two kinds:

• Sight questions: single-step arithmetic you can do in your head. Don’t touch the pad; type immediately and take the 10.
• Working questions: multi-step PEMDAS, pre-algebra, bigger multiplications. Two seconds of scribbling beats five seconds of staring. A correct answer at the floor still banks 5 points and keeps your streak alive, which is worth more than a rushed guess that scores 0 and resets it.

Writing fast, staying legible (to yourself)

1. Write small, write once. Big loopy digits waste screen and time.
2. Only write the state you need. For 17 × 6, jot 102 as you carry, not the whole times-table ladder.
3. Clear, don’t erase. If the pad gets messy mid-question, one Clear tap is cheaper than untangling your own scrawl.
4. Practice the undo reflex. A stray stroke through your working costs more time to read around than to remove.

The meta-tip

The best players use the pad less over time. It is training wheels that teach you which question types you can promote to sight-reads. If you notice you are always padding square roots, that is the topic to drill.

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