Scratch pad tips: do your working without leaving the race
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)
- Write small, write once. Big loopy digits waste screen and time.
- Only write the state you need. For 17 × 6, jot
102as you carry — not the whole times-table ladder. - Clear, don’t erase. If the pad gets messy mid-question, one Clear tap is cheaper than untangling your own scrawl.
- 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’s training wheels that teach you which question types you can promote to sight-reads. If you notice you’re always padding square roots, that’s the topic to drill.