Taking the GMAT in four days. Need advice on calming my nerves

Question

Hi,

I'm taking the test on 16th (i.e. four days from now) 
I prepared for 2 months. 
I bought the GMAT exam pack 1 recently and got the following scores: 
Exam 3 : 710 (Q-49 , V-36) 
Exam 4 : 710 (Q-49 , V-38)

I just have a couple of questions. 
1. Is there anything else that I can do to help my preparation before I take the test? 
2. I tend to get very nervous as I start the exam(or if I feel that I'm short of time in a particular section). What can I do to minimise this?

Appreciate any responses and suggestions!

Regards, 
Varun

AkshdeepS · Answer

Hi Varun,

As you know GMAT is a tiring journey, you must keep yourself fresh for the attempt. You have done the hard work and now it is time for the real action. You should not study anything new now. Revise, meditate, sleep, and eat healthy should be your activities till the exam ends. Nervous can controlled with better preparation or by better control on mind. Meditation helps a lot even if done for 15 minutes a day. And this not a bad choice either. Keep your eyes healthy as this is one of the best weapon you have for the exam.

You are in a good shape to crack the exam. Be confident as we all are product of our own thoughts.

All the best.

AjiteshArun · Answer

Hi Varun,

You have some good scores on your practice tests, so you are capable of getting a good score on your GMAT. At this point though, you should focus on a little bit of light practice/revision (nothing heavy). Check your ID (name and DOB used during registration should be the same as on your passport).

As for nervousness, some people actually take AWA first so that they can start off with something that's not critical. If you're not already doing that though, don't start now. What you can definitely do is make sure that you are on track to finish on time. If you have a timing strategy, make sure you follow it on the day of the exam.

All the best!

Ajitesh

pushpitkc · Answer

Hey Varun,

I have a couple of suggestions for you

Try and limit yourself to revisiting your error-log if any(else go through the mistakes you
have made in the OG and the GMATPrep tests). Make flashcards(hand-written about some
of the rules that you having a hard time remembering and read them again and again over
the next few days. This is a post which talks about what to do and what not to do 3 days
before the test
https://gmatclub.com/forum/what-to-do-3 ... 71542.html

In order to minimize the nervousness in the beginning - you can do a few questions an hour
before the exam to get into the zone. This must help mitigate some of that nervous energy.
It is very important to have faith in your abilities. Remember you have toiled really hard to
get where you are and you deserve this

All the best for your exam and do let us know how it goes for you.

Hope that helps you!

All the best for your exam and do let us know how it goes for you. Hope that helps you!

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi varunsingh267,

I’m glad you reached out, and I’m happy to help. First off, 710 is a great score! You should be super pumped and CONFIDENT about achieving those scores. Thus, you really don’t need to be nervous on test day, right?

I don’t recommend that you do a ton in the next few days. The best thing you can do is keep your head fresh for test day. Try your best to take your mind off the upcoming test and alleviate any pressure that you are putting on yourself. The calmer and more carefree you are when you walk into the test center, the better you will perform on the exam.

If you can’t resist the urge to do GMAT studying, keep your studying light by reviewing flash cards/notes from past topics to ensure that knowledge has not slipped through the cracks.

I wrote an article that you may find helpful that has some more advice regarding  how to treat the final week leading up to your GMAT as well as some tips for test day .

Let’s me know how things end up, and please reach out with any further questions.

Good luck!

varunsingh267 · Answer

Hi guys,

Thanks a ton for your inputs! 
 pushpitkc  Thanks for your suggestions. As you suggested, I started with the AWA section and I think that helped me gain some confidence.
ScottTargetTestPrep thank you for giving me the much-needed confidence before the test!
I took the GMAT today and got a 720 (Q-48, V-40). Although I was consistently scoring Q 49-50 in my mocks, I'm not disappointed with my overall score. Do you guys think that I should take the test again and try to get that extra 1-2 score in Quant?

Thanks and regards,
Varun

pushpitkc · Answer

Hey Varun

Congrats on completing the GMAT.

IMO, the decision for your retake depends on which colleges you planning to apply to. If you are looking at the M7 programs, you need to improve your score to stand a strong chance given the demographic. That said, a higher score will definitely increase your chances of getting a scholarship in those schools. If you think you can score better - go for it. Spend the next 20 days, before which you cannot take another attempt, sharpening your Quant skills and give the exam another shot.

Hope that helps you.

AjiteshArun · Answer

Congrats on the 720! As for a retake, I'd say go for it only if you have enough time both to do justice to your applications and to take the GMAT again. Moving from a Q48 to a Q50 with a V40 will get you a 740, but that score is not very different from the 720 you have. It will help, but maybe not as much as a better application. At least you won't be nervous now that you have a great score under your belt

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Congrats on your 720! I’m so glad I was able to help. You certainly could give the GMAT another shot to improve your quant score; however, first I’d reach out to the admissions consultants on GMAT Club to get some further advice.

Once again, congrats, and if you do decide to retake the GMAT, feel free to reach out to me directly. I’d be happy to provide some further advice.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi Varun,

First off, a 720/Q48 is an outstanding score (it's above the 90th percentile overall), so you can comfortably apply to any Business Schools that interest you. As such, a retest is likely NOT necessary. Depending on the Schools that you plan to apply to, you would likely find it beneficial to speak with an Admissions Expert about your overall profile. There's a Forum full of those Experts here:

https://gmatclub.com/forum/ask-admission ... tants-124/

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

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Taking the GMAT in four days. Need advice on calming my nerves

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