8 hour practice test or not

[surfgirl2]

---

Members don't see this ad.

How many of you are going to try and do a full 8 hour practice run before the actual exam? Is it really worth it? I think with all the adrenaline on exam day fatigue should not be a factor but I am just wondering if this is the norm or not.

 

[cdql]

I don't plan on doing that. My feeling is that once I go through an 8 hour exam, I'm never going to want to do it again.

 

[nasdr]

How many of you are going to try and do a full 8 hour practice run before the actual exam? Is it really worth it? I think with all the adrenaline on exam day fatigue should not be a factor but I am just wondering if this is the norm or not.

i did this about a week before the exam, since a few people suggested building "stamina." but in reality, i dont think it was essential. if you're doing 4 hour nbme exams, you'll get thru the real deal just fine. the only thing i found it helpful for was to force myself to do 350 UW questions in one day.

 

[lord_jeebus]

I think it's a good idea to test your break/lunch strategy with a full simulation.

 

[GOGETA]

How many of you are going to try and do a full 8 hour practice run before the actual exam? Is it really worth it? I think with all the adrenaline on exam day fatigue should not be a factor but I am just wondering if this is the norm or not.

1- Yes it gives you stamina
2- You know when to break, because you are low in fuel
3- The day of the test, its just another day

 

[Law2Doc]

How many of you are going to try and do a full 8 hour practice run before the actual exam? Is it really worth it? I think with all the adrenaline on exam day fatigue should not be a factor but I am just wondering if this is the norm or not.

There are probably some advantages of doing this, but most people won't. I think of it like training for a marathon -- most people limit their training sessions to about 10 miles rather than doing a full marathon before the real one.

 

[automan2]

There are probably some advantages of doing this, but most people won't. I think of it like training for a marathon -- most people limit their training sessions to about 10 miles rather than doing a full marathon before the real one.

Wow, you obviously have never even attempted a marathon. 10 miles? Try more than double that on training runs.


I say do the full length practice test, I am pretty sure we all did it for MCAT and that seemed to get us into med school.

 

[surfgirl2]

I say do the full length practice test, I am pretty sure we all did it for MCAT and that seemed to get us into med school.

That is true.... I was thinking about how I did maybe 10 practice test for the MCAT. Why should this be any different?

 

[blz]

That is true.... I was thinking about how I did maybe 10 practice test for the MCAT. Why should this be any different?

depends on if you will take the time to review the test afterwards. if not, you wasted a whole day taking a test. the mcat was more about getting your timing down and technique. this test is a lot more about how much you know rather than if you can interpret a passage in a set amount of time. if you could benefit more from using that 16hrs (8hrs exam, 8hrs review) by doing the test rather than reviewing first aid, then go for it.

 

[Law2Doc]

Wow, you obviously have never even attempted a marathon. 10 miles? Try more than double that on training runs.

Actually, if you do a google search, you will find many marathoners who suggest not exceeding 10-12 miles while training. Their problem with training with longer runs is that you need to wait too many days between runs to recover and so it's not the best way to optimize your endurance leading up to a race. Shorter runs more frequently are regarded by many as better yield. But that's going off on a tangent.
My one concern for spending an entire day taking a test is that you would likely have to spend a good chunk of the following day going over what you got wrong, and it might not be the most effective use of two days, given the brief number of days most people have to cover two years of material. MCAT was better for killing entire days because the amount of material was significantly less. But that's just my opinion.

 

[cdql]

this test is a lot more about how much you know rather than if you can interpret a passage in a set amount of time

Couldn't have said it better myself

It may be more efficient to do half-day exams the week before your actual exam (4 hours is still a stamina drain) and then spend the remainder of the day attacking the points in which you are weak.

 

[soeagerun2or]

Actually, if you do a google search, you will find many marathoners who suggest not exceeding 10-12 miles while training. Their problem with training with longer runs is that you need to wait too many days between runs to recover and so it's not the best way to optimize your endurance leading up to a race. Shorter runs more frequently are regarded by many as better yield. But that's going off on a tangent.

I'm not sure what you're using as a search query but any marathon program I've read or training I've done for a marathon included at least one 20-mile run. The long run isn't about getting your pace down, it's about physiologically and mentally adapting to the length of time spent --something shorter runs can not accomplish.

OP, 8 hours may be a little much. Try doing an NBME exam and then another block (or two if you really want) of 50 questions.

 

[Medikit]

If you're like me then don't do it, you need your energy. I actually found that studying for the exam was much more exhausting than taking it. When I took my NBME practice test I just took the rest of the day off so that I was ready to go the following day.