By Bara Sapir, Founder and Executive Director of TestPrep
NewYork.
Tests don’t only measure what you know or how well you know
it; tests also measure how well you take them.
For a majority of test
takers, the mere thought of an upcoming exam can elicit anything from minor
irritation or a feeling of fogginess on details to a spasmodic explosion of
dread and complete immobilization – picture “deer in headlights.” If have
experienced any of these reactions, chances are you suffer from test anxiety.
Anxiety stems from a variety of causes, but most commonly from a belief
that we cannot fulfill our expectations. An estimated 30-35% of college students
are handicapped by test anxiety. According to research published in the
journals, Review of Educational Research, Contemporary Educational
Psychology and Educational Psychology, test anxiety can impede test
performance by as much as 12 percentile points.
For the GMAT, best results
come from a comprehensive and aggressive study program integrated with holistic
techniques to prepare you mentally, emotionally and physically for the test.
Performing at your optimum means knowing the material and feeling confident,
calm, focused, and alert.
Follow the three key tips below to draw
on your mental, psychological, and intuitive strengths. By using these
techniques, you will develop the retention and recall, concentration and focus,
confidence and relaxation necessary for peak performance on test day.
1. Create a schedule for the duration of your study.
Include
designated time for study, exercise, social interaction and downtime. Schedule
at least 6 hours of sleep. We also encourage at least 10 minutes a day for
meditation, prayer, or quiet time.
Your brain works best when it has
time to process information. It needs time when you’re not studying or thinking
about GMAT material. You also avoid burnout with a balanced schedule.
2. Fire your inner critic.
Eliminate self-judgment,
especially if it leans towards self-flagellation. If you continue to feel shame
and dejection because a third grade math teacher said you’d never be good at
math, maybe you can think of the ways, now, as an adult, you ARE good at math.
Remember: the GMAT tests what you learned in seventh through ninth grade, not
rocket science.
3. Visualize success.
Imagine: It’s test day
and you feel comfortable, prepared, and relaxed. This visualization exercise
prepares your brain to feel that way on the REAL test day.
Spend at
least five minutes at a time imagining different details about taking the test.
Notice you answer each question with clarity and preciseness.
Your
visualization scene doesn’t need to be the same each time, but you need to tap
into a sense of accomplishment, calm, and confidence. Do this every morning and
before bedtime.
Researchers at Stanford University and University of Chicago evaluated the efficacy of
visualization. They compared two sets of basketball players. The first group
practiced playing whereas the second group only imagined practicing. The players
who didn’t physically practice, but visualized peak performance, improved 23 -30
percent in their actual basket-shooting ability, whereas the students who
physically “practiced” saw little improvement.
GMAT test-takers who
prepare themselves beyond the intellectual practice by feeling positive and
preparing themselves wholly, perform best on the test.
About TPNY:
Test Prep New York fuses academic and
strategy-based learning with holistic human potential training. Our training
system ensures that students reach their most relaxed, effective mental state
while preparing for and taking tests.
Executive Director Bara Sapir and
her staff of specialists have taught and coached hundreds of clients, including
students at top schools, physicians, entertainment and advertising executives,
and advisors to U.S. government leaders.