Build my stamina for writing GMAT exam

[jithu.gates]

Hi - I am preparing for GMAT Problem. I am not able to get stamina to even complete a GMAT sample exam. Even when I complete the exam, it is more like pushing it to completion, and thus I mostly end of scoring less than 600. I go back and study the problems and write another exam, and same thing happen again.

I start a GMAT exam. I am very fresh when writing essay. First 10 questions of Quant, I do well with focus, then my focus and stamina starts reducing. Even simple question in front of me, I am not able to do it. I forget concepts or I spent too much time thinking or rephrasing. Even outside thoughts come to me during the exam. After 15 question, I am kind of done, and then rest is pushing the answers.

I am feeling this issue with Quant only, as it need me to focus on solution and thinking, and it kind of drain my energy and stamina. The exam gets smooth once Quant is over, for verbal, I am able to focus (I don't think too much during verbal compared to Quant). though not as great as I usually do while practicing.

Last exam I took, I got 23 percentile in maths and 76 percentile in verbal and this brought the score to 560. If I had done the exam with stamina, I could have scored above 600.

I have 6 practice exam with me and the 2 power prep exams. Also MGMAT challenge question bank. I have 20 more days for my exam. I have studied the study material once. How should I plan my next 20 days so I build my stamina and have high stamina when I go for exam.

Hope you can give some tips. Thx

[StaceyKoprince]

You're preparing for a marathon - this is going to take time. :)

There are lots of things that you can do to improve your stamina - taking a full-length practice test is only one way. And you don't want to take a bunch of tests spaced closely together - you'll just tire yourself out without building long-term stamina.

Think of a real marathon. People train by doing shorter "training runs" frequently, with longer runs every now and then. That's what you'll be doing too.

Let's say that you're going to sit down for a 2-hour study session. In advance, figure out what you're going to do for the entire 2 hours. In fact, plan extra, just in case you finish early. Then GO for 1 hour without stopping. No checking email, no chatting with a friend, etc. Take a 10-15 minute break, then GO again for another hour, no stopping.

Then stop. Don't do the above for 4 hours straight. It's actually a lot more mentally fatiguing to study than to take a test. When studying, you're both recalling existing memories and trying to create new memories to use in future. When taking a test, you're only trying to recall existing memories.

So if you try to study for 4 hours straight, you'll be so mentally fatigued for the last couple of hours that you won't make very good memories... and your study time will be very inefficient.

Next, read this and think about how to reduce your decision fatigue:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... you-crazy/

Again, that's going to take time - several weeks at least. 20 days may be enough time or you may find that you need to postpone your test for a little while to give yourself some more time.

Finally, do expect to have some fatigue / stamina issues always - it is a 3.5 hour long test after all. You can't be just as fresh at the end as you are at the beginning - we all struggle with that. :)