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question. You don’t have to get everything right to achieve a fine score.
The best test takers skip difficult material temporarily in search of the
easier stuff. They mark the ones that require extra time and thought. This
strategy buys time and builds confidence so you can handle the tough
stuff later.
Don’t be thrown if other test takers seem to be working more furiously
than you are. Continue to spend your time patiently thinking through
your answers; doing so leads to better results. Don’t mistake the other
people’s sheer activity as signs of progress and higher scores.
Keep breathing! Weak test takers tend to forget to breathe properly as
the test proceeds. They start holding their breath without realizing it, or
they breathe erratically or arrhythmically. Improper breathing interferes
with clear thinking.
Some quick isometrics during the test—especially if concentration is
wandering or energy is waning—can help. Try this: Put your palms
together and press intensely for a few seconds. Concentrate on the
tension you feel through your palms, wrists, forearms, and up into your
biceps and shoulders. Then, quickly release the pressure. Feel the
difference as you let go. Focus on the warm relaxation that floods
through the muscles. Now you’re ready to return to the task.
Here’s another isometric that will relieve tension in both your neck and
eye muscles. Slowly rotate your head from side to side, turning your
head and eyes to look as far back over each shoulder as you can. Feel the
muscles stretch on one side of your neck as they contract on the other.
Repeat five times in each direction.
