Maintaining Focus

[dwestermeyer3]

After going through my first two practice tests, I seem to be struggling a bit with mental fatigue, so I wanted to bring it up here and see if I can get some help dealing with it.

I'm noticing that I do much better in the earlier sections of the test than I do the later sections. I'm also noticing that in each individual section, I tend to perform worse on questions towards the end of the section. While I get that some sections tend to get tougher towards the end, I get the feeling I'm missing a good chunk of questions due to losing focus.

Towards the end of the test, I feel like my brain is fried and I have a hard time keeping focus. After I let things clear and go over the test, I notice some of the questions I'm missing leave me scratching my head wondering how I didn't pick up on a bit of what I consider simple info from the stimulus. While I'm still learning new concepts and dealing with timing, it seems to me I'm glossing over keywords because I lost focus and not because I didn't understand a concept or was having trouble with time.

Do you have any tips on dealing with mental fatigue, or how I can work on improving it?

I'm not taking the test till December, so I'll have a lot of time to improve

Thanks for the help!
Derk

[Lucas Moreau]

Hello, Derk,

I have a couple of suggestions for you.

First, consider the order in which you're doing the questions. In Logical Reasoning, the questions start off easier and become more difficult as they go. Have you tried doing a section backwards? Many of my students say they enjoy that the questions get easier rather than harder as they go through the section.

Second, try to determine what's using up all your energy in the beginning part of the section. Are you second-guessing yourself a lot? That can sap mental energy greatly. Also, how much time are you spending on each question? Try going through individual practice sections and timing yourself per question as you go through, you might find useful information.

Overall, though, I'd say you shouldn't worry too much about it yet. If you've only gone through a couple of practice tests, your endurance will grow. People don't finish their first marathon feeling fresh as a daisy, after all. The more you do, the faster you'll get better.

Hope that helps,
Lucas Moreau