Looking at the JLPT website and its example questions I come across this one
on N3. It wants to know which sentence is correct, 今ごろ is the key word.

>   1. それでは今ごろテストを始めます
>   2. 今ごろ東京では桜が咲いているでしょう
>   3. 今ごろ現金で支払うことが少なくなった
>   4. 今ごろ雨が降りそうな天気だ。
>

The answer is 2. I guessed correctly. But…why is this so?

Number 3 seems a bit wrong. It should be something more like recently than
about now. Number 4 stands out as totally wrong. Why would you say about now
it looks like rain?

1 however…I’m not sure why 1 can’t be correct. Translating it to English- “the
test will be starting about now” seems a pretty sensible sentence. The person
overseeing the exam would never say such a thing of course but I could well
imagine the mother of a school boy who doesn’t know the exact time the test is
starting but knows it is 3ish, looking up at the clock and saying that.

What is so different about the Japanese nuance that this doesn’t work?

What would be a more natural word to use in that situation?

Is 今ごろ meant for more solidly known facts or...what?
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question
jlpt
Use of 今ごろ "about now" in Japanese
You can get the question right just by knowing how to use 今ごろ, which you did
by following your gut feeling (which is also good technique). The other
technique is to try spot a close alternative to what is given, in this case,
words similar to 今ごろ:

  1. 今から: In that case, I am starting the exam from now.
  2. 今ごろ*＝ about now or: Around this time (of year) the Sakura are in full bloom.
  3. 近ごろ (ちかごろ）＝ nowadays, somewhat similar to 最近 (Thank you Chocolate)
  4. 今にも＝at any moment: Weather that looks like it is about to start raining at any moment.

*Correct answer

There may be other alternatives and sometimes it seems some words might work
in more than one option but the examiners are looking for the best or most
natural answer.
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answer