by Rich Cohen, EMPOWERgmat Rich.C@empowergmat.com<\/p>\n
The GMAT is a predictable, standardized Test, so Test Takers have the potential to properly learn the content that will appear on the Exam. Over the Course of their studies, many GMATers improve their scores to a high-enough level that they feel comfortable scheduling their Official GMAT appointments. Without fail though, a certain percentage of those same Test Takers score at a significantly lower level on Test Day (relative to how they were scoring on their practice CATs). Their shock at earning a lower score almost always ends in the following phrase: \u201cI don\u2019t know why my score dropped\u2026.\u201d There ARE common reasons why a Test Taker\u2019s performance can suffer though and those reasons involve aspects to Test Day that the GMATers did not properly train to face.<\/p>\n
1 \u2013 Poor sleep the night before the Exam. Most Test Takers don\u2019t get nervous the night before they take a practice CAT, so this issue doesn\u2019t occur very often except right before Test Day. You can handle it though by sticking to a normal bedtime routine. Consuming a glass of hot green tea and\/or taking low-dose Melatonin can also help with the sleep process. As with all things, it\u2019s best to experiment with these options well BEFORE your GMAT.<\/p>\n
2 \u2013 Travel time to the Testing Center and the Registration process. On Test Day, you don\u2019t just sit down at your home computer and get to work - it takes TIME to get to Test Center and go through the identification process. For most Test Takers, that \u2018chunk\u2019 of time will be anything from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours. During that time, you will be thinking about the Exam and likely burning \u2018nervous energy.\u2019 A significant drop in score (especially during the Verbal section) can happen because a Test Taker trained to have enough energy to face a 4-hour Exam, NOT a 1.5 hour lead-up followed by a 4-hour exam. Planning out your CATs so that you have to travel to a different location (and spend a reasonable amount of time doing so) can help you to better train for what WILL happen on Test Day.<\/p>\n
3 \u2013 The 8-minute break isn\u2019t really 8 minutes. On Test Day, you are NOT allowed to enter and exit the Computer Lab at any moment. You have to be \u2018escorted\u2019 in and out every time, which means that you have to wait for a Center Employee to assist you. Since there will be more Test Takers than employees, there is a reasonable chance that you will have to wait for assistance, which means that your 8-minute break will begin while you\u2019re still in the Computer Lab. You might also have to wait to get back into the Lab; after 8 minutes, your GMAT will continue on (the timer for the next section will begin whether you are in front of your computer or not). To properly train for this, you should practice for a 7-minute break with the goal of doing every \u2018break task\u2019 in a relatively speedy and efficient manner (eat a snack, drink, run to the restroom, etc.).<\/p>\n
While these issues might seem minor, they can absolutely impact your performance on the Official GMAT (and sometimes to a HUGE degree). Since the GMAT is such an important piece of the overall application process, you simply cannot afford to be casual with the details. The traits that are required to score 700+ are more than just Test-taking knowledge and skills \u2013 you need to know about EVERYTHING that will occur on Test Day so that you can properly train to face all of it.<\/p>\n
To that end, we\u2019re here to help.<\/p>\n
GMAT assassins aren\u2019t born, they\u2019re made,
\nRich<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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