If you are used to shorter standardized tests like the SAT or GRE, the seven hour and 30 minute MCAT may pose unique challenges to your testing stamina. Even with breaks, focusing for each 90-95 minute section can leave you exhausted before the exam is over.
Though you might not be able to predict when exactly exhaustion will hit on test day, developing strategies to overcome mid-exam tiredness can help you stay engaged when your performance runs the risk of otherwise slipping.
As you prepare for the MCAT, incorporate these strategies during your full-length practice tests to ensure that tiredness will not overcome you on your exam date:
— Use the center-provided marker and noteboard to record the information when you get tired.
— Develop a prioritization stratefy that allows you to answer more difficult questions when you are in peak condition, saving the less difficult ones for last.
— Use your breaks as opportunities to get your blood pumping.
[Read: 3 Techniques to Ensure a Smooth MCAT Testing Session.]
Step 1: Use the Center-Provided Marker and Noteboard to Record the Information You Typically Forget When Tired
Though you may have dedicated months to reviewing the concepts assessed on the MCAT, you may notice that there are certain topics you always forget during your practice tests. Many students also notice that they are most prone to forgetting such concepts when tired, leading to lost points that they could have otherwise earned in earlier sections of the MCAT.
As you review your practice tests, look for patterns in the types of questions you answer incorrectly. Are you constantly misremembering the differences between common disaccharides? Are you forgetting the rate-limiting steps of important reactions in the citric acid cycle?
While it is worth your time to revisit these topics during your review phase, on exam day, you can prevent the loss of easy points by jotting short notes about select topics before you begin each section on the noteboard provided at the testing center. Confine your notes to three to five concepts, each associated with three to four words or a picture that will jog your memory if these topics appear later in the section.
[Read: 3 Ways to Manage Time for MCAT Success.]
Step 2: Develop a Prioritization Strategy That Allows You to Answer More Difficult Questions When You are in Peak Condition, Saving the Less Difficult Ones for Last
As you study for the MCAT, you will likely notice that not all questions are created equal. Some questions are straightforward, asking you to recall a fact from memory or from a passage. Others are more complex, involving the application of foundational knowledge to novel situations.
Learn to identify what types of questions tend to drain you, and consider focusing on answering those difficult questions earlier as you move through each passage. For example, a Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills passage might contain Roman numeral questions, which ask you to consider one or more correct answers to the question stem, and which may therefore be more difficult than a short question about the main idea of the passage. Scanning the questions associated with a given passage before reading the text may help you prioritize what to answer first, allowing you to put the most energy into harder questions.
[Read: 4 Last-Minute Tips for MCAT Test Success.]
Step 3: Use Your Breaks as Opportunities to Get Your Blood Pumping
Getting your heart rate up during breaks can help boost your energy and focus for the next section. On your breaks, consider walking quickly up and down a hallway or doing several push-ups to shake off that mid-test lethargy. You may get some funny looks from fellow test-takers, but giving your brain a complete break from testing and releasing some feel-good chemicals before you dive into your next section can help beat your exhaustion and put you on track toward your goal score.
Given the length of the MCAT, it is inevitable that test-takers will face a moment of exhaustion. Given that this moment may occur at any point during the MCAT, it is imperative that medical school hopefuls develop strategies to cope with and overcome mid-test tiredness.
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Learn to Cope With MCAT Testing Exhaustion originally appeared on usnews.com
