mkremeth wrote:
First of all I want to thank you for taking your time to read this post.
The first ever mock exam I took was GMATPrep 1. I used it as an assessment exam so that I was able to determine my weaknesses and my strengths. I scored 650 (Q44 and V36). I purchased the Wiley official guides and the
Manhattan books in order to refreshen the quant concepts, the grammar rules and the strategies for CR and RC. After 2 months of intense revision (averaging 8 hours per day), I decided to take the second mock. As soon as I started the mock I got very stressed because I couldn't solve the first question immediately. Time started running out and it was a nightmare of an experience. The verbal section followed and because the quant section had drained me I performed badly in verbal. It was as if my concept of common sense had completely left me and if the question wasn't EXACTLY of the type that I had seen before I would get lost in the meaning, the structure and the concept of it. It was as if I forgot how to speak English. I ended up with a score of 580 (Q44 and V28). Obviously, after having put in hundreds of hours and solving many more questions, I was extremely disappointed whilst frustrated that I had wasted so much time. I decided to purchase the Manhattan mock exams and solved the first one, which I scored 520 (Q38 and V23) in. I reached this score after having sacrificed many things that I enjoy and really having buckled down for a solid couple hundred of hours. The problem is that I have now reached a point where my motivation is very low and the fear of the exam very large. Whenever faced with a question I immediately see it as a huge obstacle that is extremely tiring to overcome.
I have ADHD and am afraid that it takes its toll on the exam stress that I am experiencing. I keep overthinking the difficulty of the problems and always have the ticking clock in my mind. I am very confident that I know the vast majority of the concepts and different theories well and am comfortable in applying them in singular cases. I don't know why I struggle so much when being faced by 37 and 41 consecutive questions when I have solved over 100 questions in a single day. My knowledge of the tested content and concepts is large while my confidence is very low. Due to the lack of confidence, I struggle to focus on the question in front of me and whenever I answer the question I automatically assume that I got it incorrect. This mindset that I have adopted is very counterproductive and I feel as if I should be achieving far higher scores in my mock exams than I currently do. Does anyone know of a similar case or has anyone read about a comparable complication before and could offer help? Is there a specific strategy that could benefit someone with ADHD? How can I utilise my acquired knowledge in an exam environment? How can I get my confidence and motivation back?
I am sure that if my mindset changes somehow, I will be able to reach my desired scores
Thank you once again
Dear
mkremeth,
I'm happy to respond.
It sounds as if, because of your situation, stress is negatively impacting you more than it impacts most students. Stress-reduction skills are an absolute imperative for you. First, read this blog and the linked blogs:
Lower on the Real GMAT than on Practice TestsIf you are serious about reducing stress in your life, and willing to do what that requires, then I will recommend this blog in particular:
Zen Boot Camp for the GMATI will also recommend this service, started by a friend of mine:
Mindful Test Taking If you can commit to implementing all the stress-reduction recommendations in a whole-life way, then I believe you will see a tremendous improvement in your performance.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Mike McGarry
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Mike McGarry
Magoosh Test PrepEducation is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. — William Butler Yeats (1865 – 1939)