Advice on avoiding "dumb mistakes"?

[redsoxfan]

i've been making the dumbest of mistakes, literally like things are given to me in the passage or question stem and i fail to notice. i don't know if it's worse when im tired or worried about timing. i usually have just enough time to complete all the ques, so no time to re-check answers. anyone else feeling this way?? just concerned for this sat...

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[grapeflavorsoda]

what can people say?

read the questions carefully.

lol

don't worry about the little mistakes. just relax and enjoy the ride.

have fun with mcat on saturday

 

[Foolins]

underline the important words in the question so as to train yourself to look for them. Like when they ask you for the increase in pressure, and you circle the answer corresponding to the new pressure....
so circle INCREASE

or like "what substance will be present in reduced quantities if the circulating levels of hormone X were decreased" Definately you need to underline both REDUCED and DECREASED....

You paid for the test, mark it up all you want.

 

[nikorette]

I recommend a "Stupid List" to my students. If you notice that you habitually make the same stupid mistake write it down! Read it right before the test that way when you see a similar question you might slow down. My worse one was that in a hurry I could not tell my right from my left. Really dumb! Other common ones are not flipping fractions in parallel resistor or optics problems. Write it down! It may help you to slow down and realize your mistake.

 

[dctrgreen]

i've been making the dumbest of mistakes, literally like things are given to me in the passage or question stem and i fail to notice. i don't know if it's worse when im tired or worried about timing. i usually have just enough time to complete all the ques, so no time to re-check answers. anyone else feeling this way?? just concerned for this sat...

i hear you. i am having the same problem. when i go back and look at the questions i missed, many of them are where i misread the question or missed something obviously stated in the passage. this is very frustrating as it is costing me like two points in my total score.

if you hear any good advice on this one, let me know.

 

[WildTumor]

I found that the dumb mistakes I was making were due to careless reading of the question stem.
Read carefully:
- Underline key words (i.e. increase vs. decrease, false vs true)
- Circle key numbers.
- Be confident (I'm saying this to reinforce the idea in my head)

G'luck
--WT

 

[bananaboat]

i alwasy amke this stupid mistake in verbal:

"which one of the passage assertions does the author provide the least support for"

somehow i always choose the answer choice that was not mentioned in the passage. but there are actually two conditions to satisfy....1) has to be an assertion fo the passage AND 2) least support.