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1 Like
Huge score fluctuations
dcstyles51
Alum Member
Hello everyone, I just wanted some advice on score fluctuations. So I have an average PT score of 162, and I never really go below that. But on some days I'll suddenly spike up to 167/168 seemingly out of nowhere. What's even stranger is on the days where I feel the least confident and feel unfocused during the test are the days I score the highest. Does anyone have any idea why this is or maybe has had experience with this themselves? I would like to consistently score at these high scores instead of just having random bursts.
Thank you for your time.
Comments
I think you are going through the stage of underconfidence mistakes - in which you flag a question you think you got wrong but its rather right at the end. This is in my opinion the most troublesome stage to get out of.
I think here are some things to ask:
- What made you feel like that? Was it mere language of the stimulus, you had not seen that question before, mental energy, particular word... etc.
Look at the tests you got 167/168. What sections did you do best at?
It could be that test was particularly easier on those sections.
Or it could be that the sections you usually do worse on are easier.
Identiy the pattern
The test itself is not static. Though they try to balance it out with the curve, some tests are just easier than others and that's entirely due to the variability in the content relative to your own strengths and weaknesses. Not to mention the inherent variability in your own test performance (anxiety, ammount of sleep etc.)
Track which questions you are getting wrong, track which questions are taking up more of your time and focus on those questions/games/passages.
Yeah, I recognize this. Not strange at all if I’m reading it right.
Does the lack of confidence and focus cause you to get sloppy?
Thank you for your comments everyone, I really appreciate everyone giving me advice! It's possible they were easier tests, I should go and review them.
@"Cant Get Right"
It seems more like the opposite, like the lack of confidence and focus makes my score increase. I'll walk into a prep test days where I have a cold and have taken medicine that makes me head feel foggy and get a 168. Or I'll be testing and throughout the whole test I'll feel like I bombed it and get a 167. But days where I feel confident and my brain feels alert I'll usually score a 162-163.
The opposite of “sloppy” is “clean,” not “score increase.” There’s nothing opposite about “sloppy” and “increase.” Under the right circumstances, the two often go hand in hand.
Why do you feel like you’ve bombed those tests? Are you doing everything the same or are you cutting corners? What is the effective impact on how you take the test when you’re feeling that lack of focus/confidence?
Some days when I feel a bit out of it I do well, too. I'm not really sure why. I suspect it may have something to do with the fact that I actively force myself to be more attentive to detail and don't let my alertness trick me into thinking I'm catching everything. It's like "hey, get it together. Read the freaking question and get it right. You can be tired later." I'm not saying I'm going to go into the test on two hours of sleep, but if anything it's good to know that however I feel when I wake up on test day I'll be able to get through it.
@"Cant Get Right"
That's definitely true, I definitely see what you mean when you put it that way. What I think ends up happening is on the days I feel worse I feel like I'm rushing through the test almost and picking the answer choices I feel are right. On the days I take the test and feel confident when I'm done reviewing I usually get baited into the trap answer choices for the questions. It mostly has an impact on my LR, not as much the other sections. I appreciate you taking the time to reply!
@zgnc0616
It feels good knowing I'm not alone on this! It definitely feels reassuring that I'll be able to finish the test even if I wasn't able to sleep the night before the test or something.
If you’re scoring high 160’s while rushing, then you should be cracking 170 easy. I’m really skeptical that you’re really rushing though. Rushing decreases scores, it just cannot be the explanation.
That you do worse when you think you’re taking the test well is just so informative. That tells us that whatever it is you think taking the test well means is completely wrong. Somehow, your conception of testing poorly is actually the better strategy. This is excellent, but likely somewhat disconcerting. A good place to start is with figuring out what you think testing well means. It’s apparently wrong, but it’s a starting point. I’m guessing you probably feel like taking the test well requires you to go through a sort of accelerated version of JY’s explanations? If that’s wrong, let me know, but I’m going to proceed on that assumption because my experience as a student and teacher is just screaming it. At most score ranges, that approach is essentially correct. But somewhere around the mid 160’s, things dramatically change. You’ve got to quit explaining things to yourself and learn to trust your intuition in certain situations.
I use the word intuition very precisely. It is not a “gut feeling.” When I say intuition, I mean unarticulated understanding. Understanding is when you know the correct answer for the correct reasons. Unarticulated is not put into words. Intuition, then, is knowing the correct answer for the correct reasons without translating those reasons into words.
When we‘re unfocused, its just so hard to do all the work. It feels like a lead weight, and we often just don’t have it in us. We quit articulating our understanding and for many questions just kinda go with it instead of doing the work. Out of mental fatigue and laziness, we are inadvertently incorporating a higher level approach by strategically utilizing our intuition.
So the takeaway is to learn how to wield your power of intuition with deliberation. It is not for every question, and you must learn the particular traps and pitfalls. If you’re producing 167/168 level scores when you’re on cough meds and unable to focus, imagine what you could be doing by implementing this on a take you’re actually sharp for.
That’s my hypothesis. There is almost certainly more complexity to it, and it could be other things entirely. Whatever it is though, you’ve got to figure it out. If you can implement whatever it is and combine it with mental clarity, you’re going to launch yourself onto a whole new level. You should give this great priority.
@"Cant Get Right"
Thank you so much for your extremely detailed response. I appreciate you taking so much time out to help illuminate things for me. You're right that for a lot of my answers I rely on trying to do questions like JY does in the core curriculum and practice set explanations. I'll work on trying to utilize my intuition more, that definitely sounds like an issue that I have. I think its like you said, I try to explain it to myself and then talk myself out of it. Hearing someone say that I could break 170 easily gives me a lot of hope for the future. Thank you so much, it means a lot to me, really!