Strategies for retake at different center than first exam?

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Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
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I bombed my first exam. Badly. That was on May 13.

With the 16 day waiting period for a retake and my close approaching application deadline for grad school of June 15, it's becoming very unlikely I'll be able to schedule my retake at the same testing center-especially with the 50% extra time and one extra break accommodations I've been allotted.

I'm pretty positive I'll have to go to a different testing center for my retake. I even received a call from Pearson today that they are experiencing high volumes and won't be able to schedule anything for me for another two business days.

My commute will increase to 40 minutes to 1 hour for other "nearby" testing centers. I also understand that taking the exam in a different environment can affect my ability to do well as I'm not adjusted for it.

What are some tips I can keep in mind leading up to my second exam?

Thanks!

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by [email protected] » Wed May 17, 2017 10:09 am
Hi pkaynj,

One significant factor that many Test Takers do not account for during their studies is the time that it takes to travel to the Test Facility. Any significant travel time (re: 30+ minutes) can significantly impact stress/energy levels. All of that time traveling requires effort and energy - and that's something that most GMATers don't account for when they take their practice CATs. If you're now going to have to drive an hour to take the GMAT, then you might want to consider traveling for an hour before you take each of your future CATs. In that way, you will more closely mirror what you'll face on Test Day - and you can better prepare for the extra effort/'steps' that Test Day will entail.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
Contact Rich at [email protected]
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