Nervous before test day

Expert replies

canbtg: Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts; Posts: 46; Joined: Fri Oct 11, 2013 5:42 am; Thanked: 4 times

by canbtg » Wed Aug 05, 2015 8:59 am

Hello Experts ,

I am starting to get restless and anxious . I am taking GMAT for the 2nd time and my 1st official score was 600. I feel as if I am forgetting the contents and a negative thought is hovering in my mind I will fail again . How can I control my thoughts and stay positive ?

How to utilize the remaining two days before the test ? I feel like I need to study a lot of things and I should have postponed the exam .

My best Kaplan score was 680 that I took 3 weeks back . I have not taken any test since then .

Thanks!!

Last edited by canbtg on Wed Aug 05, 2015 9:35 am, edited 1 time in total.

Source: Beat The GMAT — GMAT Strategy | Wed Aug 05, 2015 8:59 am

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Brent@GMATPrepNow: GMAT Instructor; Posts: 16207; Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2008 6:26 pmFollowed by: 1268 members; Location: Vancouver, BC; Thanked: 5254 times; GMAT Score:770

by Brent@GMATPrepNow » Wed Aug 05, 2015 9:22 am

If you're interested, we have a free video on the topic on overcoming test anxiety: https://www.gmatprepnow.com/module/gener ... es?id=1252

As part of managing anxiety, it's crucial that you adopt the proper mindset/attitude on test day. To this end, you may be interested in reading the following articles:
- https://www.gmatprepnow.com/articles/min ... -destroyer
- https://www.gmatprepnow.com/articles/jun ... g-big-gmat

Cheers,
Brent

Brent Hanneson - Creator of GMATPrepNow.com

Rich@EconomistGMAT: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 163; Joined: Fri Mar 27, 2015 12:47 pmFollowed by: 13 members; Thanked: 27 times

by Rich@EconomistGMAT » Wed Aug 05, 2015 10:31 am

Hi canbtg,

It sounds like you've done quite a bit of work leading up to your exam. At this point, you won't master any concepts/strategies you don't already know over the next couple days, but take some time to review what you've determined to be your weakest areas. And while you can also do a little more prep the day before, also take some time to do something for yourself. Think of something you enjoy doing that you haven't had the time for with your GMAT prep and treat yourself a bit. While this might sound like you're wasting time, this is actually a great way to clear your mind, refocus and avoid burnout.

Best of luck,
Rich

MartyMurray: Legendary Member; Posts: 2135; Joined: Mon Feb 03, 2014 9:26 amFollowed by: 140 members; Location: https://martymurraycoaching.com/; Thanked: 955 times; GMAT Score:800

by MartyMurray » Wed Aug 05, 2015 11:22 am

Just chill and keep preparing at a reasonable pace. Don't start doing things frantically. That'll just stress you out. Just keep looking over the test, and, as Rich said, maybe do some work to get better in some weaker areas.

You actually may find preparing more relaxing than just hanging around worrying, and I can tell you this much, worrying and freaking out will do you no good. Your score is going to be whatever it's going to be. So chill and start thinking about your test day strategy and stuff rather than freaking out about "What if this? What if that?" If you don't get the score you want, well, you can just keep going, as annoying as that might be.

All the same, you have been working on this for a while now. So you could very well hit your target this time.

Here's an idea. Any time you start worrying either visualize your target score displaying at the end of the test or start working on some GMAT questions. If you can get into the habit of calming yourself by doing questions, then the test itself will be the cure for nervousness. I am not kidding.

Also, the day of the test, I suggest doing a few questions, I mean like 5 or 10, just to get yourself in GMAT mode. Then when you get to the test center, the test will feel more like just an extension of your practice.

Marty Murray
Perfect Scoring Tutor With Over a Decade of Experience
MartyMurrayCoaching.com
Contact me at [email protected] for a free consultation.

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[email protected]: Elite Legendary Member; Posts: 10392; Joined: Sun Jun 23, 2013 6:38 pmFollowed by: 511 members; Location: Palo Alto, CA; Thanked: 2867 times; GMAT Score:800

by [email protected] » Wed Aug 05, 2015 2:38 pm

Hi canbtg,

Instead of thinking about all of this in terms of 'staying positive', you might be better served by focusing on staying calm and making good decisions. You've done enough work to know what's on this Test, so now you have to do the necessary work on Test Day to earn the points.

Remember that no individual question can ever 'kill' your score, but you ARE responsible for all of the 'gettable' questions, so you cannot allow silly things to happen. The 'testing system' also provides ample back-up opportunities if you need them - you can retake the GMAT in 16 days after taking this GMAT if you want (or need) to, which is pretty incredible when you think about it.

So be critical on Test Day, think, make good decisions, and work hard.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

Contact Rich at [email protected]

OptimusPrep: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 410; Joined: Fri Mar 13, 2015 3:36 amFollowed by: 8 members; Location: Worldwide; Thanked: 120 times; GMAT Score:770

by OptimusPrep » Wed Aug 05, 2015 8:10 pm

You have done what you have to do. Keep the following things in mind:

1. Go through your error log once.
2. Do not have heavy food in the night tomorrow. You do not want to get up with an upset stomach.
3. Have a proper sleep tonight.
4. Stay calm during the test.
5. Do not think about the previous section or the previous question.
6. Do not think about the over all score
7. Do not let your mind wander during the last half an hour of the verbal section. You want to get to your target score don't you

8. Believe yourself

All the best!!!

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