Advice for focus when changing sections in a test?

quinwhit

Hi! I have noticed that when I take PTs, I struggle with changing gears when sections change. What I mean by that is if the first section is LR, I am able to get into the swing of LR but then when it switches to RC for the next section, I'm slow at getting my brain to read and answer RC questions.

I notice that I do worse on sections as the test goes on. This isn't an endurance issue because I'm not tired or want to stop, I'm just not able to think as quickly.

Any advice for what people do or how to get over this?

HelloMoto

I had the same issue as you! What I implemented was saying a kind of "mantra" before specific sections. I kept it short, for example for LR I said "gap" in my head multiple times, for LG, I said "inference" and for RC, I said "active" (for actively read). I noticed that by doing this, it helped me change gears a lot quicker. By using the word, I helped myself focus on the specific component that was crucial to the section. I needed to focus on finding gaps in LR, needed to make inferences in LG and had to actively read for RC. Obviously you can use whatever words that work for you but I hope this helps!