12 Rituals to Score Higher on Big Test Day
7 minute read
Ok. So you have a big test coming up soon? One that you may have been studying for, for months. I’m not talking about just another classroom test that may be an hour, but a test that is 4+ hours long. One that can help you in whatever your career field is in.
Whether you’re in the medical field and taking your USMLE board exams, or you are a lawyer taking your bar exam, the MCAT, GRE, NBCOT, etc. – the list goes on and on, I know that you really want to kill the test and pass with flying colors.
First off, here’s a little background.
For some reason, when I’ve taken big tests (the last one being my USMLE STEP 2 exam, which is 9 hours long) I tend to consistently score a couple points better on real exams than my last practice exams.
And this has been true for every big test – my MCAT, STEP 1, and STEP 2 exams.
That being said, I have compiled a list of test day rituals/pre-rituals and tips that I tend to do every time and that may be able to help you in your future endeavors.
So.. ITS THE DAY BEFORE THE BIG TEST
And you may be nervous…
Let’s assume that you have been putting in work, studying hard for the past couple of weeks/months, and in some cases years. What are some things that you can do the day before the test to optimize your performance tomorrow?
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Workout
The day before the test is more of a day to relax. I go for a run throughout the city and enjoy the scenery. As a matter of fact, the last ten minutes of my run are almost always the same. I put on the rocky theme song, pretend I’m Rocky, and towards the end of my run (I always time it so the intense part of the song comes on as I’m approaching the end) I end it with an all out sprint.
Once I reach the end of the run (I try to make it scenic), I shout at the top of my lungs “Woo Hoo! Its game time ! Lets get it! I’m the man (woman if you’re a woman), this test is mine!”
To me (and you), this is the point that I’ve been waiting for. In some ways it’s like you are preparing for a big fight. You have been doing the reps (reading,watching videos, listening to audio), you’ve been working on your technique (doing practice questions), and in many cases you’ve isolated yourself from humanity just to concentrate on this single test.
Now you don’t have to listen to Rocky and re-enact the scene like I do, lol, but workout, get in your space. Go for a run, get a lift in, do whatever works for you. Exercise releases natural endorphins which make you feel good!
Have some music on that pumps you up. Get your mind off of studying and give your brain a break for a while… Because you are going to need it tomorrow.
2. Don’t study ALL day
At this point you probably have been studying for hours, non-stop for months in a row. Trust yourself, you know the majority of the information by now. Don’t stress your brain and try to read 10 chapters and do 200 questions the day before the test.
I had a notebook where I took notes, and I would go over some light notes. Just read over them to solidify any small details that you haven’t seen in a while. Nothing too serious.
Try to change your scenery too. Go to a park and relax and just skim over your notes. I have a theory that skimming notes in a different environment means you might pick up little details of your notes because you are in a state of processing new information. – no science behind this, just a hunch.
So, if you want to, do some light studying for an hour or so, NOT a 10 hour intense adventure study session.
3. Do some leisure activity
For me, I watched some Netflix shows that didn’t make me use a lot of brain power and that was something I enjoyed. Watch a show that you like; again, relax. Take a moment to look back and remember the countless hours that you put in studying. So don’t feel guilty that you’re watching season 1 of Narcos or Avatar the Last Airbender. (Yes…I just like those shows).
So if you like to dance, draw, listen to music, do WHATEVER. Take a break and get your mind off the test. Let your brain relax.
4. Get Enough sleep
Don’t pull an all nighter because you get last minute nerves about the test and you think you forgot everything. I promise you, you didn’t. It will do more harm than help. Studies show that we retain more information after a good night’s sleep. So get your 7.5+ hours of sleep in the night before if you can. You may be a little tired from that workout you did earlier, which should help.
For more info on sleep benefits check out this article.
(dont let anybody disturb your sleep!)
I know sometimes I would be so nervous for an exam that I’d wake up sometimes in the middle of the night. So give yourself some extra time to fall asleep and get ready for fight day (test day).
ON TEST DAY
5. Have a good breakfast
Today is the big day, test day, do not skip breakfast. Start the day off strong, eat a breakfast that gives you energy. Eating a good breakfast helps give you energy, and helps restore your brain’s cognitive functions.
For me, I make the same thing every time: 3 eggs, 2 slices of raisin toast, and some scrumptious grapes. I may add a cup of some good ole fashioned OJ in there as well.. Or just water.
6.Bring Snacks with you to the testing center
Pretty self explanatory, bring some snacks to help you stay energized. Eat them between the breaks. If you have a 4+ hour exam, my assumption is that there would be a break at some point that you can take. So do it. Also, chew gum during your exam, it has been shown to improve exam scores. Or bring a mint or something you can have with you in your exam. Here is a link to some good brain food snacks: http://www.snacknation.com/blog/brain-food-snacks/
7. Smile and get in your zone
I don’t know if there is some science behind it, but in situations like this, I believe if you feel better, you do better. Get excited to take this exam. You are about to go in and crush it like no other.
The question writers thought they were going to fool you with their questions, but they didn’t know you had already prepared for them. They though that they were going to get you with a jab to the face but, you came ready to block that and hit them with an uppercut!
About 10 minutes before the exam, get in the zone. For me, it’s listening to that rocky theme song again. It puts me back in to that moment when I was finishing my run ,and I was full of confidence shouting at the top of my lungs that this exam is mine!
– So if you ever take a test and I happen to be there, and you see me with some headphones on, shadow boxing, you know why =]
8. Wear comfortable clothes
Again, pretty self explanatory. Wear what suits you, but you don’t want to have your pants bothering you while you are trying to figure out the answer to a question on the computer screen.
Also, bring a light jacket in case the testing center is cold. You can easily take if off if you get warm.
9. Trust yourself
We are getting to the meat here. You need to trust yourself. You know what you have been doing for the past weeks/months. You know you gave up nights going out with friends to stay in and study. You remember reading all of those chapters, watching all those videos and taking all those notes. You remember those moments of frustration when you couldn’t quite grasp a topic when you first started. But now you’re ready. It’s just time for action now.
Let me give you an example, many of us know who Floyd Mayweather is. And if you don’t, here is a link to his wiki. There are mixed opinions about him, but one thing you can’t argue with is that he retired with 50 wins and 0 losses on his professional record .
Before every fight he studied his opponent, he put in the reps in the gym, his core is strong, and his mind is sharp. He trained and repeated to himself that no other fighter can beat him. They can’t do what he does. In a way, you are the same. He trusted himself, and you need to trust yourself too. If you want to see a video about his champion mindset, click here> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XkymjlJOBI
The test writers can’t beat you. This test was made so that people can pass it. Not everybody is doing what you’re doing, and that’s for a reason. If it were easy everybody would do it. You are about to embark and destroy this test which will pass you to the next level, or give you a new certification, etc.
10. Close your eyes and take 3 deep breaths at the beginning of a section
At the start of every exam, I close my eyes and inhale and exhale deeply 3 times. While I’m doing that I picture everybody that played a part of my education and that I know is rooting for me to knock this exam out of the park. My teachers, professors, my friends, even my dog.
I have all of the knowledge that my professors have imparted in my brain and I know that they are right there with me taking the exam, rooting for me, telling me lets get it in! This is a team effort, you did not do this by yourself. Somebody contributed and wrote the book that you were reading… The book author is another person on your team.
Trust the process that you have been through, in most cases you’re not the first person to take that test, you are only facing what other men (and women) have met. So if they did it, so can you.
Also, if your heart is beating a little fast, it tends to slow down and then you can proceed to start the exam.
11. Make a mini affirmation board
This is something that I started doing with my last test, my 9 hour USMLE STEP 2 exam. If your testing center gives you scratch paper or a small whiteboard you can use, use a page and make it your mini affirmation board. Have it off to the side.
During my last exam, I had a board to the left that said “TEAM 270 lets get it! You are KILLING this test right now !”. Every time I got side tracked for a moment or thought i may not have known an answer and I started to look around. I would look and see my board that was telling me “I am killing it”, which made me feel better and put me right back on track to focus on the test.
Even after the exam, the proctor that was walking around told me she saw my board and had never seen anybody make a mini affirmation board in all of her years proctoring the test and that she loved the idea!
12. Turn your cell phone off
No distractions are needed. Don’t check your phone until after the exam, your mind needs to be in the game. You don’t see fighters going to check their social media pages during the middle of a fight or in between rounds.
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So there it is. Those are my 12 tips on my rituals and how you can CRUSH it on test day. I hope you enjoyed it. If you are taking a test soon, good luck! If you are reading this and you have a test coming up, bookmark the page and come back to it when you are closer to the date
Just know you got this. Also, if you have anything that you do that seems to help you, leave it in the comments below. You never know, your comment may help somebody else 🙂
P.S If you want to learn how to be more charismatic, confident, or successful, check out my podcast Convos With Cole. It’s now live =]
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