GMAT test Anxiety wins again from 690 to 530

Question

Dear All,

I have been studying for GMAT for more than 2 years now. I have attempted and failed almost 4 times. From the last 3 attempts test anxiety has taken a toll on me.
Yesterday, I gave GMAT. During the exam, I was worried whether i was performing well, I was subconciously checking the difficulty level of question, I was not able to focus on 2 of the RCs. Because of all of this my ability to critically analyse the arguments was thrown out of window. I could feel my cortisol level rising(stress level(learned from a GMAT RC :p)) question by question.
Also, I was following a strict timing strategy(attached), which i have been using for quite some time now. If I missed any cross any of the timining milestones my heart began to pound and stress level went through the roof. This happened with me in both Verbal and Quant. I rushed everything in the initial part of test. I guess i screwed most of the high level difficulty questions, resulting in a lower score. At the end of Verbal i was left with 10min and at the end of quant i was left with 15minutes.

I was so much hoping to get a 700.

Tests i have taken
GMAT Prep 1 : 710 Q49 V38
GMAT Prep 2 : 690 Q48 V37 (Missed 2 questions because of Bad Internet connection taken 1week back)

Veritas Cat 1 680 50 33
Veritas Cat 2 610 48 26
Veritas Cat 3 630 47 30
Veritas Cat 4 670 47 35
Veritas Cat 5 670 47 35
Veritas Cat 6 630 47 30

Also, Refer to my earlier post: https://gmatclub.com/forum/dissapointed-283278.html

I have already scheduled my exam on 26th August. Somebody gave me advice that i shouldn't study much for this attempt and just relax. I would love to hear experts advice.

VeritasKarishma bb GMATNinja ScottTargetTestPrep

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Hovkial · Answer

Briefly: 
 
1. Time management on test day appears to be major issue. 
 
In Dec 2018, you had 10 questions unanswered with about 5 to 10 minutes left. This time, you had at least 10 to 15 minutes left on both and Q. Both situations are not good signs. 
 
Remember that you do not have to spend strictly the same amount of time on each question. Spend less time on those question types that you feel comfortable with and more on those that give trouble. Spending strictly the same time on each question is bad strategy. 
 
2. Try not to subsconsciously guess difficulty level of each question. You will not only waste time, but also you will likely be way off in your guesses. 
 
3. "Cortisol" is a hormone generated by the body that helps the body to manage responses during high demand. Use anxiety to improve performance. 
 
4. Your prep test scores show that you can perform well if you can manage your test day. Good luck!

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DisciplinedPrep · Answer

akshay . - I am so sorry to hear your bad experiences with the GMAT. Please do not feel disheartened. Sometimes practices tests are not reflective of actual scoring abilities.

To be honest, exam anxiety can throw even the most prepared test takers off balance. Therefore, the GMAT experts always recommend that practice tests be taken in ideal testing conditions so that the test day experience can be somehow replicated. Even after considering all those advice, you should always mentally prepare your self for any kind of surprise. I personally recommend that you practice meditation or some kind of breathing exercises in the weeks following up to the test day. During the test, you should be calm & composed and not let your nerves get to you. Also, practice light exercises, anything that you are comfortable with, in the weeks following up to the test day.

MartyTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi Akshay.

From what you described, it sounds as if you are becoming anxious about being anxious, and letting things snowball on you.

A great way to address that issue is to learn to focus on the question in front of you and on answering it correctly. If you focus on the job at hand rather than on your anxiety, your anxiety will fade.

Meanwhile, being too strict with your timing is not going to work out. You have to sometimes invest extra time in a question and sometimes answer a question in less than the average amount of time allotted per question. Being a little behind the clock is no big deal. You may run into a couple questions that you can answer quickly and catch up. Ideally you would manage your time well, but the truth is that, even if you are pressed for time at the end of a section and have to guess on a couple of questions, you will probably be better off than you would be in rushing through an entire section to be sure to finish on time.

Finally, while the average score on your the two GMAT Prep practice tests you took is 700, given the information on your ESR and your performance in general, I get the sense that you still have some weak areas that could be significantly stronger. If you spend the next few weeks strengthening weaker areas, you will be that much more confident and prepared next time you take the test. Taking more practice tests could help too. So, rather than relax, keep developing your skills. Work on the types of questions you don't want to see and master answering them. You'll answer questions more quickly and more confidently, and, in so doing, address some of the issues that you have been experiencing.

Akshay. · Answer

Thanks Hovkial , DisciplinedPrep , MartyTargetTestPrep thanks guys for taking the time to go through the ESR and analyzing the same. I have already scheduled my exam on 26th August. I will continue with prep.

MartyTargetTestPrep please check message.

MartyTargetTestPrep  please check message.

KarishmaB · Answer

Sorry to hear about your test day troubles!

I would have thought that now that you can cancel your score and no one will be the wiser, test day anxiety would be minimum for test takers. Worst case, you cancel your score and try again - why worry, eh?! 
Your practice test scores are certainly far more promising.

As for your timing strategy, I am not a fan of that. For some questions, you will need only 30 secs, for others, 3 mins. Review your timing situation after 4-5 questions are to ensure that you don't lose the plot but you don't have to be under pressure every moment. Besides, practice in short spurts of say 5 questions - 10 mins to train your mind to know what 2 mins feels like.

And yes, it helps to calm your nerves for a few days before the test. Just review and practice.

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