Test in 3 days! Anxious!

[Mozhi87]

Hello!!

I am quite nervous about the test which is in 3 days. I know there is no going back.
However, in both the GMATprep practice tests I scored a meager 580 and 600.

Took Veritas practice test yesterday and scored 640 with Q47 V32.
In this test, almost 5 questions in each section are wrong because of silly mistakes especially in Verbal.

When I finish the Quant section I get an urge to view the quant score and thus concentrating less in verbal and make too many silly mistakes. I am a non native English speaker. However, I am better at Verbal than quants and hence spent more time in learning Math hence the urge.

As the test date is nearing, I am getting anxious and freaked out.
Should I take 2 more practice tests to get the stamina ? or any advice to overcome and score high in Verbal section?
Please help.

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Hi Mozhi87,

With 3 days to go, you should NOT be taking any more practice CATs. Taking any more CATs will likely do more harm than good, since you might wear yourself out before your Official GMAT. Instead, you should focus on some light review. Re-do the questions that you got wrong due to silly mistakes and do some light practice that focuses on organization.

Do your best to be well-rested before Test Day and then be prepared to work hard over the course of the entire GMAT. You'll get the score that you EARN, so be prepared to do all of the necessary work to EARN those points.

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

[Mozhi87]

Hi Mozhi87,

With 3 days to go, you should NOT be taking any more practice CATs. Taking any more CATs will likely do more harm than good, since you might wear yourself out before your Official GMAT. Instead, you should focus on some light review. Re-do the questions that you got wrong due to silly mistakes and do some light practice that focuses on organization.

Do your best to be well-rested before Test Day and then be prepared to work hard over the course of the entire GMAT. You'll get the score that you EARN, so be prepared to do all of the necessary work to EARN those points.

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

Thanks for the tip

[JTuquero]

Agree with Rich.C. Don't take any more tests...it'll just cause more stress!

I would also recommend that you start creating your "test bubble." By "test bubble," I mean a sphere of peace and quiet in which you'll remain until the end of the test. Give friends and family advance notice that any conflicts or problems will have to wait until after the test. Let them know how important the test is for your career and future, and ask for their help in advance.

Best of luck on exam day!

[Jim@StratusPrep]

I agree with all. Relax and just do light review of key concepts.

[David@VeritasPrep]

As you said yourself, these two things are almost certainly correlated:

When I finish the Quant section I get an urge to view the quant score and thus concentrating less in verbal and make too many silly mistakes.

You are correct to think that a lack of concentration - caused by thinking about something other than the problem in front of you - is a major source of silly mistakes.

In this test, almost 5 questions in each section are wrong because of silly mistakes especially in Verbal.

You job on test day is to focus on the question in front of you. Not to guess at what you score might be or continually estimate how much time you have left per question or anything like that.

Your anxiety is a result of being "at war with the present moment." Your anxiety is because you want the GMAT to already be over. If you had told yourself that you will enjoy the experience then there would be no anxiety. If you have tickets to the movie that you have been waiting to see you do not have anxiety but anticipation. However, if you have major surgery scheduled, yes then you can have a wish that it was already over and you are on the other side of it.

The GMAT is not like undergoing surgery. The only pain involved is the pain that we put on ourselves. Nothing bad is going to happen to you in that room. You are not in danger of physical harm or pain. The anxiety is based on the worry that you might not get the score that you want.

But here is the question...does it help to worry about it?

Did it help you on that last practice test to be worried about your Quant score while still taking the verbal portion? The answer is "no."

Anxiety ALWAYS comes from being focused on the result rather than the process. This is why the fans of sports teams are so much more anxious than the players!! The players are focused on the process, they get to play the game and enjoy the game. The fans are only happy if there team wins so they are focused on the end result.

It is never good in life to be focused more on the result than the process.

Here is what I would hope that you and others can say, "I will do my best on the exam and I will enjoy the challenge. I am looking forward to proving what I can do. I have no control over the result but I have 100% control over my effort, so I will focus on giving my best effort and the score will take care of itself."

This may sound unrealistic but people do this everyday in all areas: artists, athletes, writers, chefs, and entrepreneurs. And here is the secret - those who are focused on the process and taking care of the parts they can control are the happiest, least stressed, and yes, most successful.

So on test day YOU take care of 1) being focused on the question in front of you 2) Not getting distracted by the timer and questions about your score 3) give your best effort and really be there in each moment 4) Enjoy yourself! and the computer will take care of the score. That part is not up to you.

Can you do that? If so you can have a much more enjoyable experience and the side effect will be a higher score in the end.

[dshah9380]

David@Veritasprep : All your words are true gold. Can I make it a sticky and read it everyday. The way you analyze the situation is beyond words can express. I can relate to each and everything you just said. Thank you for such comments !

[David@VeritasPrep]

dshah9380 - I am glad to be able to help.

Here is an article that I think you should read. Basically it tells you how to fake a little confidence early and have more confidence as you go!

https://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2012/06/ ... n-the-gmat


And here is one that can help you keep an optimistic mindset and to feel like you are not alone in the test center.

https://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2012/10/ ... n-the-gmat


David

[Brent@GMATPrepNow]

To add to David's reading list, here's an article that looks at how body language affects one's performance: https://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2013/06/ ... -destroyer
Also, here's a TED Talk that discusses the importance of body language: https://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your ... ho_you_are

Cheers,
Brent

[dshah9380]

Brent and David- This is gold mine. Sincere appreciation for providing the links and content. This basically addresses how to be mindful and approach GMAT the right way.

Thanks !

[Mozhi87]

Thanks a lot @david for the explanation on exactly what I am going through and what I should be doing. Had a look on the links just few minutes ago. its really a good help. The best part is that I am from India and I could relate with myself. Tomorrow is the big day so its a real timely help.
Thanks @Brent for the link especially TED talk.

Will go enjoy the challenge with possitive attitude and concentration.
Thanks a lot.
This is why I love BTG