Speak your answer out loud. Thinking silently and writing notes is not how interviews work.

Use the timer. Real interviews are time-boxed — practice under the same pressure.

Check the rubric after you answer, not before. It is more valuable as feedback than as a cheat sheet.

Follow-up questions are where interviewers form opinions. Practice those too.

Be honest with self-assessment. Identifying your gaps is more valuable than inflating your score.