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sb995
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Recs for Concentrating During Test 25 May 2025, 09:17
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Hey team, I'm having a lot of trouble concentrating during the exam. I've noticed my focus drops completely after exactly 14 minutes on every single section of the exam. Does anyone have any recs to improve this?

I already eat healthy & walk close to 6 miles a day during the weekdays. So I'm not sure what else I should be doing. I also meditate for 15 minutes every morning and 15 minutes at night. Recs / suggestions? Appreciate any direction, thanks in advance!
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Recs for Concentrating During Test 25 May 2025, 10:15
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If you haven't already, including timed practice sets to your prep may help a bit. Figuring out whether there are certain times you perform better could also be helpful. Had a student, for example, who took an exam "since I am a night owl, I took it around 7.30 p.m.;" - https://gmatclub.com/forum/gmat-online- ... 68599.html
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Recs for Concentrating During Test 25 May 2025, 12:07
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Thanks - I definitely concentrate better later in the day. I am using timed practice sets everyday and full length tests once a week. Will try incorporating doing the timed tests later in the day and seeing if it helps :)

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If you haven't already, including timed practice sets to your prep may help a bit. Figuring out whether there are certain times you perform better could also be helpful. Had a student, for example, who took an exam "since I am a night owl, I took it around 7.30 p.m.;" - https://gmatclub.com/forum/gmat-online- ... 68599.html
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Recs for Concentrating During Test 26 May 2025, 03:10
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The concentration drop can also be the result of built up stress during the exam.

Try to focus on maintaining a consistent test taking strategy across the whole exam. When you let the test bounce you around and keep changing your approach, the stress climbs, the timing pressure increases and you start to look for avoidance / coping mechanisms (like starting to think about other things).

You didn't mention your diet -- try to avoid anything that causes spikes like sugar and excessive caffeine.

And taking the exam during the time window of the day that you tend to feel mentally the strongest is always a good idea.
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Recs for Concentrating During Test 26 May 2025, 18:57
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sb995
Hey team, I'm having a lot of trouble concentrating during the exam. I've noticed my focus drops completely after exactly 14 minutes on every single section of the exam. Does anyone have any recs to improve this?

I already eat healthy & walk close to 6 miles a day during the weekdays. So I'm not sure what else I should be doing. I also meditate for 15 minutes every morning and 15 minutes at night. Recs / suggestions? Appreciate any direction, thanks in advance!
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It’s great that you’re already taking care of your physical and mental health by walking regularly, eating well, and meditating daily all set a strong foundation.

Since your focus drops at the 14-minute mark like clockwork, consider breaking your practice into smaller segments that push just past that limit, gradually increasing your mental stamina. You might also try incorporating quick resets during study sessions, like a slow breath or a blink-and-look-away moment, to refresh your attention without stopping.

Experimenting with caffeine timing (if you use it) or using cognitive endurance tools like brain-training apps may help too. It could even be worth testing whether the time of day you study affects your concentration.
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Recs for Concentrating During Test 27 May 2025, 08:31
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Thank you - this is all very helpful. Building a consistent approach is definitely a weak spot for me.

I eat healthy (or at least try to). Omega-3 rich food, lean meat, berries, etc. Sounds like the consistent reliable approach across all questions might be the gap here.

Appreciate the rec on time of day as well.

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The concentration drop can also be the result of built up stress during the exam.

Try to focus on maintaining a consistent test taking strategy across the whole exam. When you let the test bounce you around and keep changing your approach, the stress climbs, the timing pressure increases and you start to look for avoidance / coping mechanisms (like starting to think about other things).

You didn't mention your diet -- try to avoid anything that causes spikes like sugar and excessive caffeine.

And taking the exam during the time window of the day that you tend to feel mentally the strongest is always a good idea.
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