How to stop making stupid mistakes?

[mariposas905]

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Most of the points I lost from my AAMC FLs were due to seriously stupid mistakes. When I went over them, I couldn't believe I put certain wrong answers when I clearly knew what the right one was. For example, in FL 3, I put things like "precipitation rxn" instead of "oxidation rxn" even though I had drawn out my redox reaction and seen it was the latter answer. I also put 6.5mm instead of 0.65mm even when my calculation was correct and I knew how to do it. I got a 510 on FL 3, but I could have easily got 512-513 without having made these stupid mistakes.

I've taken about 6 NS/Altius practice exams and my science scores have consistently been 127-128. I don't make any stupid mistakes on those, so I'm confused why this is happening on the easier AAMC exams 🙁

What are some strategies to ensure I don't fall into these traps on test day? Any advice for me?

 

[AM786]

I think my biggest tip would be to not rush yourself. If your mind is running at a faster pace than normal, then you might blaze through a question only to select the wrong answer. I think it is better to slow down and verify the correct answer to the question for the best accuracy. Although the MCAT requires you to be efficient with your time, I think that extra little time spent on each question to ensure its correct will lead to fewer mistakes.