Some years ago I met a performance psychologist who was working with the U.S. military. His project was to help special forces achieve "peak experiences" on demand, i.e. to get "in the zone" at will. As a long-time student of yoga and (at the time) serious meditator, I was fascinated by the application of mind-centering concentration to such high stress situations.
In my work with students preparing for the GMAT, I've seen that these same techniques often play a pivotal role in achieving the highest possible score. Indeed, for some students who become overwhelmed by Test Day stress, the lack of this discipline can be devastating.
Betsy Massar, founder and CEO of Master Admissions, has done a great job of synthesizing some of the key elements and most approachable literature on the subject in her article...
Train Your Brain for Test Success: Mastering Test Anxiety
A confluence of research in psychology, neuroscience, education and even genetics demonstrates that you can train to be very, very good at something—even taking standardized tests. Even if you think you are not naturally good at tests, you can improve dramatically. Here’s how.
The GMAT, or any graduate school admissions test, is a bear. No one needs to tell you how competitive it is, nor do they need to tell you how important it is to score within the target school’s range.
Some people are better at taking tests than others. They are natural test takers. We all know some of them, and those of us who fall apart at the thought of a standardized test have to work a lot harder. This article is designed for the grad school applicant who is not a good standardized test taker: someone who knows they are more intelligent than the computer thinks they are.
Many terrific test-prep companies specialize in test content: you should take advantage of the information they have to offer. Going through their material, and going through it well, is one of the best ways to boost confidence in taking standardized tests. Indeed, just knowing you are prepared is can boost your own confidence.
New Research Shows You Can Train Your Brain (click here to continue)
Thanks for stopping by,
Doug
