Self-study
😖 Frustrated
Just scored 11 points lower than I ever have on a PT (diagnosic excluded) and I take the exam in a week
I take the April exam, and today I wanted to go to campus and do a full PT at the same time as I am going to next week. I came into the exam feeling good, but by the second half I found myself feeling so discouraged that I knew I did poorly.
However, I did not even fathom getting as low as I did. I take the exam in a week and have been feeling good about it, and now I am trying to figure out how to not spiral after doing so poorly on this PT. Pls help, this exam is killing me.
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8 comments
I haven't taken the test yet either, and I will probably be nervous. It would be nice if I could keep my cat on my lap the whole time. I think that sense of being valued and loved no matter how well I perform would be super helpful. If you are like me then maybe conjuring up a sense of unconditional love before the test would help you too (or maybe sneak in a cat).
This definitely happens right before the test for a lot of people, largely due to nerves. I know I definitely find myself freaking out in the weeks leading up and telling myself that any mistakes I make will inevitably happen on the real thing, too, but this isn't true! You've got this, rest assured in your prep up until this point!
@businessgoose thank you! you are so right it is definitely a mental game
@MichaelWright In addition to the video stuff...
Whenever anything goes catastrophically wrong for one of my students in the context of a practice test, my genuine attitude is excitement. Whatever mindset stuff that led to the experience you had today could have waited to show its face until the actual test, but it didn't! It showed up now, giving you the precious opportunity to learn and improve. That's a great thing!
@MichaelWright Also sorry about the shaky ass camera rofl
@MichaelWright I cannot thank you enough for your kind words! I do definitely think there was a lot of outside factors effecting my experience, but it is nice to know that I am not alone in this experience and that it can be used in my benefit for next week.
I take the exam for the first time next Friday, but I am also scheduled for the June exam, I hoped this would take a little pressure off of me. Hoping over the next week I can continue to lightly prep while building my confidence from the other good sets, reviews, and exams I have done.
Thank you so much!
@SavanaTipton Dude the experience of taking the test officially for the first time surfaces so many random unpredictable factors that you should see this week's test primarily as a learning experience. The chances that the score you get this coming week is the score you end up applying with are very low (unless things go crazy crazy well), so for all intents and purposes it is a practice test -- just an extra-realistic one.
What's nice about these actual facts are that they're also strategic to bear in mind from a mindset-on-test-day perspective. The more you can remind yourself (truthfully!!!) that the stakes for this week's test aren't actually that high, the more likely you are to dial in and perform well.