How To Get Over Test Day Nerves

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• 2 Likes

  john1234-1 Alum Member

  December 2018 edited December 2018 426 karma

  From what I've heard from folks that have also experienced this phenomenon, two things that can help are 1) trying to emulate test day conditions as much as possible when PTing, and 2) "overcorrecting" in a way, by testing in a loud environment, such as a coffee shop.
• 5 Likes

  NotMyName Alum Member Sage ⭐

  December 2018 5320 karma

  I meditated 10 minutes every day before studying/PTing and imagined things going wrong but more importantly, I imagined myself responding as I had practiced. This visualization helped me reinforce the good habits I was trying to engrain. I think it trained me to handle the chaos of a real take and all the oh-shit-ness you describe.
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  sc1293 Alum Member

  December 2018 134 karma

  I always used the 7sage proctor app for PTs. Also, it helped on the test day to think of the exam as PT 86 instead of the actual thing.
• 4 Likes

  Kermit750 Alum Member

  December 2018 2124 karma

  Don't go in thinking January is all or nothing. Remain calm, when you find yourself getting flustered take at least five seconds to breathe and get back to it. Those five seconds can do wonders.
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  Ohnoeshalpme Alum Member ⭐

  December 2018 edited December 2018 2531 karma

  It is simple in theory, challenging to implement: Meditate, eat a big breakfast every morning with high fat and protein, have a balanced fat and vitamin rich diet, exercise 3+ times a week, structure your sleep schedule around administration time, start your morning with warm-up problems every day and study the LSAT at the same time that you will be taking the test. Also limiting caffeine intake to once/day and cutting out alcohol are proven dietary changes that help with concentration and can reduce stress.

  In my first test, I scored 7 points below my PT average. I was totally demoralized and burned out from this test. I took 2 months off the LSAT leading up to the November exam and couldn't bring myself to study at all. However, in that time I implemented all of these routine-based strategies and I saw a 10+ percentile change in my score from my first test to my second test. This is proof enough to me that test-day distractions are one of the most significant factors in LSAT score. I felt so calm and relaxed in the second test and felt empowered seeing everyone else nervous and disoriented. I had taken the test in-person before, there was nothing new that I was going to have to face and I had carried out the same routine for weeks. While there is some debate about whether or not the second test will be less stressful than the first, I think that with the lifting of the 3-take-max policy, there is no reason to see the second test as anything more than another PT.

  That being said, I still scored 4 points below my PT average on test day. So don't expect to be able to score the same on test day as you do in your own home. Our brains are designed to function at peak performance under exactly the same circumstances that we are accustomed to. The more that you change in our environment and our schedule, the lower our potential is.

  It often happens that students score at or above their PT average on test day, but this is the exception not the rule. If you implement the strategy that I listed above, you are giving yourself routine-oriented framing techniques that will, over time, train your brain to get in "study mode". All of these things are external factors that subconsciously will help your brain feel more comfortable and less disoriented on test day.

  The final tip that I have is to take your practice tests in a place that has some low level of distraction. A library is the perfect environment for this. You will occasionally be distracted, but if you can practice in that space you will eventually become more resilient to external stimuli.

  Good Luck!