Hey guys! First of all good luck!
I just took my test on 7/31, it was my first time, and would like to give some advice that I found really helped me calm my nerves
1. This will seem really lame to some but it really works. During your 10 min breaks, spend the first 5 minutes using the restroom, eating a snack, and stretch. Take the last 5 minutes, sit in front of your computer, close your eyes and think of a "happy" place. I know totally lame, but trust me, it helped me to power through the test without feeling tired. Imagine a beach, river, or somewhere calming. Take deep breathes, don't think about your test. Relax your muscles, and just be....then open your eyes and your feel much more refreshed.
2. Have a positive attitude. I can't stress this enough. Be happy after each section and view it as passing a hurdle. Don't let any section ruin your chances by dragging a bad attitude into the next section.
3. Think FAST. I know you are all taking the AAMC practice tests but the real one is much different. It doesn't really require any outside knowledge besides supper basic things. Each section is really long and you need to firing your brain faster than you have ever used it before. Keep thinking, be active, reason with your inside voice. You can't afford precious time lost thinking about anything else than the question at hand.
4. Don't DWELL! I can't stress this enough. The test is not designed so that you have time to go back and check your answers. I know during the AAMC tests you might have 5-10 min to check your marked answers. On the real test, this is no feasible for most. You will find yourself running out of time so I suggest to answer your marked questions like you aren't going to come back to it.
5. Don't underestimate any of the sections. Just b/c you are acing VS doesn't mean you can't bomb it on the real thing. Many people feel confident about bio b/c they are bio majors but completely screw up on the real thing. Don't get cocky. Take each section by the horns and wrestle it with all your got!!! I have heard so many tell me that they wish they took a section more seriously b/c they were "naturally" good at it..
6. Don't be thrown off by hard passages. The test sometimes will start you off with a killer passage or some easy ones and then a killer passage. A lot of people freak out and think "oh man I'm never going to finish this one". I suggest to skip it and save it for the end! That way you won't waste time trying to figure it out when there are easier problems you can do quickly.
The real deal is
harder, longer, and trickier. However, don't let this discourage you. Go there knowing this and just think "alright I'm going to have to step it up and I can do this!". I found my test to be really tricky but I felt like I did okay. I stayed focused, maintained composure and did the best I could do.
Good luck to you guys!!!! Just wanted to leave some things that I found to work well for me. Take whatever applies to you and you guys will ace it for sure!!!!!
👍👍👍👍👍
