How does lack of sleep the night before, impact YOUR practice test scores?

[Gauss44]

I'm interested in YOUR answers to the question in the title for a couple reasons.

(Feel free to skip this, and just answer the question in the title.)

1. I am trying to become more self-aware. I am trying to pay attention to the ways that lack of sleep for one night before a test impacts me, and how it doesn't impact me. Hopefully this thread will bring things to my attention that I did not already think of.

2. I am wondering if I am abnormal in terms of how I respond to a lack of sleep. So, hearing about other peoples experiences will supply evidence about that. Of course, I am asking around in real life as well.

Thanks for answering.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[mrh125]

I'm interested in YOUR answers to the question in the title for a couple reasons.

(Feel free to skip this, and just answer the question in the title.)

1. I am trying to become more self-aware. I am trying to pay attention to the ways that lack of sleep for one night before a test impacts me, and how it doesn't impact me. Hopefully this thread will bring things to my attention that I did not already think of.

2. I am wondering if I am abnormal in terms of how I respond to a lack of sleep. So, hearing about other peoples experiences will supply evidence about that. Of course, I am asking around in real life as well.

Thanks for answering.

Very negatively. Sleep cycle always messes with my test scores. I also pulled A+s in organic chemistry just by getting 14 hrs of sleep every night. Good sleep works miracles, bad sleep just makes everything harder.

 

[mcloaf]

Personally I never really noticed much. I am able to pull it together via some combination of caffeine/adrenaline for the hours necessary for the exam, especially in the morning. In the afternoon or if I need to be doing stuff all day after not getting enough sleep then I may start to struggle.

TBH I think I only slept like 4-5 hours the night before my exam because of nerves/excitement. I was actually much better rested for my practice tests, but I ended up around my average anyway thankfully.

 

[ian128]

You definitely need to sleep well otherwise your focus and attention span starts to decrease. Try to get around 8 hours, no need for 14.

 

[RC4L]

Decent sleep the night before the mcat is a must and by the same token, so is exercise. I noticed a significant correlation between my scores and pre-game exercise. When I was taking practice tests I found that I would score almost 3 points higher on an exam if I jogged a few miles before. I sat for two exams this summer with a 30 on the first and will find out Oct. 15th for the second. On my first, I actually did not get a full night of rest and almost slept through my 8 am mcat despite setting two alarms.. It really bothered me I couldn't get a jog in! After verbal, my brain melted and I got a devastating all time low of 8 in bio. I took my second exam a month later at 2 PM after a full night of rest and a solid jog/bike. I felt far more composed, finished the sections on time, and was still very focused for bio. Although I haven't got my scores back for the second try, I felt much more confident leaving the testing center and expect to do better on that exam. The mcat is a mental marathon which requires peak performance to do well all the way through. To be in peak mental shape, you need to be in peak physical shape as well. Peak physical shape requires rest and exercise, so I would never leave those two factors out of your preparation. If a retake is necessary due to 1 or 2 points and those points could have been obtained with better focus, rest and exercise should be a priority in mcat prep.

 

[inycepoo]

How does a lack of sleep impact anything?

Badly.

 

[Hemorrage]

I think sleep primarily affects your lateral thinking skills most negatively. When i took my first mcat in may, i slept 2-3 hours the night before due to anxiety about the exam. Ended up getting a 6 in verbal when i was getting 8-10 on the discrete tests

 

[gettheleadout]

How does a lack of sleep impact anything?

Badly.

Isn't it lame how, for some reason, we need to lay around unconscious for several hours to function normally, and can't go very long without doing so?

 

[benjaminl1nus]

doesn't affect me at all. for most of my major morning exams i've stayed up all night studying and taken the exam just fine.

 

[rodmichael82]

Isn't it lame how, for some reason, we need to lay around unconscious for several hours to function normally, and can't go very long without doing so?

Umm no

 

[pepperthelaunch]

My brain just seemed to STOP trying. Even when reviewing.

 

[gettheleadout]

Umm no

 

[Roxas]

Isn't it lame how, for some reason, we need to lay around unconscious for several hours to function normally, and can't go very long without doing so?

I've wondered this as well.

 

[milski]

I love sleeping - it's just awesome. And sometimes dreams can be so out of whack - pure entertainment!