October Retake Progress Forum

[Sandro]

going through the first couple sections of PT 44 It is glarinly obvious my mind was not awake at all. Im recognizing the right answer instantly after reading the stimulus/stem. Ahhh..

[Anaconda]

going through the first couple sections of PT 44 It is glarinly obvious my mind was not awake at all. Im recognizing the right answer instantly after reading the stimulus/stem. Ahhh..

Good to hear. 9 point drop just isn't normal. Drink some caffeine before the actual test

[3|ink]

going through the first couple sections of PT 44 It is glarinly obvious my mind was not awake at all. Im recognizing the right answer instantly after reading the stimulus/stem. Ahhh..

I'm having similar issues. I've been trying to isolate the problem.

Last Tuesday, I took a 5 section prep test after work (@ 6 pm) and scored a 177. By that time, I had eaten breakfast and lunch. I ate dinner after the test. I got approximately 8 hours of sleep the night before.

Yesterday (Saturday), I took another 5 section prep test @ 3 PM after getting up at noon (I always sleep in on weekends). I got about 10 hours of sleep. By 3 pm on Saturday, I had only eaten lunch. I noticed a significant reduction in my ability to process the information I was reading. I scored 169 on that test.

My theories are as follows:

1). Going to work before the test on Tuesday stimulated my brain so that it was ready for intense processing by the time I took the test.

2.) Having two meals in my stomach and well into the digestive process made the difference.

3.) A little bit of both above.

I'm going to try a series of controlled experiments to pinpoint the problem. I'm taking another PT on Tuesday using the same routine as last week to see if I get similar results. On Saturday, I'll wake up at 6 AM (hopefully after 8 hours of sleep), eat a hardy breakfast and read the Wall Street Journal before taking a test at 10 AM. The results should prove interesting.

[Anaconda]

Sleeping for long periods (10+ hours) can really mess you up and ironically make you pretty sluggish, don't stress.

[Sandro]

I think I can accept all of the above. Going over my LR mistakes it is almost SCARY how fast my mind jumps to the right answer, just from scanning the stimulus again and the answers. I slept wayyyy too long and took the test without really eating or anything.

I am toying with the idea of altering my sleep schedule to equate taking the 8am adminstration as if it were really say 7pm. A lot of my PTs were done around this time and thats when i've scored the best. I am not in any way shape or form a morning person. The only other option is to start waking up at 6am or earlier to start my mind up and getting in some good food/workout...

[lastch2]

I think I can accept all of the above. Going over my LR mistakes it is almost SCARY how fast my mind jumps to the right answer, just from scanning the stimulus again and the answers. I slept wayyyy too long and took the test without really eating or anything.

I am toying with the idea of altering my sleep schedule to equate taking the 8am adminstration as if it were really say 7pm. A lot of my PTs were done around this time and thats when i've scored the best. I am not in any way shape or form a morning person. The only other option is to start waking up at 6am or earlier to start my mind up and getting in some good food/workout...

i've been wondering how people are working about this. i take all my pt's in the evening after work and look over stuff here and there during work normally going over the PT i took the night before. but i've never done one in the morning and am pretty scared it's going to majorly affect my scores

[Sandro]

Took PT 27 after a layoff. Back into study mode for the next 2 months.

PT 27
LR -4 (spent way too much time on question #3, had to guess and missed last 3.)
LG -8 ( skipped the lizards game, -2 on the other 3 which is ok i guess.)
RC -3 Ill take it
LR -6 not good

-21/80 - 166 back in the mid 160's where I think I truly am right now. I am continuing to plug away at LG and hopefully my recent LR mistakes can be corrected because I used to be going -2/-3 on them ...

[Sandro]

what is up with my LR and RC now? I was doing fairly consistant -2/-3.. now im lucky to average -4 or -5 per section.

PT 38
LR - 4 (missed 19 20 and 21 in row ... ouch)
LG - 6 Actually got a chance to get at all the games, but missed 2 or so on each
RC - - 7 what? I did have to geuss on last 3 (out of time, again?)
LR - 5 (once again missed 18 19 and 21 ..)

-22/78 162 I must be getting lazy in LR and RC... or not adapted to the more recent LR.

[Anaconda]

what is up with my LR and RC now? I was doing fairly consistant -2/-3.. now im lucky to average -4 or -5 per section.

PT 38
LR - 4 (missed 19 20 and 21 in row ... ouch)
LG - 6 Actually got a chance to get at all the games, but missed 2 or so on each
RC - - 7 what?
LR - 5 (once again missed 18 19 and 21 ..)

-22/78 162 I must be getting lazy in LR and RC... or not adapted to the more recent LR.

Your raw score only went down by 2. I think it's more about the curve than a decline in performance. You did the same in LR.

[Sandro]

what is up with my LR and RC now? I was doing fairly consistant -2/-3.. now im lucky to average -4 or -5 per section.

PT 38
LR - 4 (missed 19 20 and 21 in row ... ouch)
LG - 6 Actually got a chance to get at all the games, but missed 2 or so on each
RC - - 7 what?
LR - 5 (once again missed 18 19 and 21 ..)

-22/78 162 I must be getting lazy in LR and RC... or not adapted to the more recent LR.

Your raw score only went down by 2. I think it's more about the curve than a decline in performance. You did the same in LR.

Yea I know the curve differs, but going back to my prep back a cpl months ago I was regularly banging out -2 LR sections, finishing with 5+ mins to review. There is something systematic i'm doing wrong now that is seeing me miss 4,5,6+ on each LR section.

[Jack Smirks]

Yeah I've noticed engaging the mind in some way (a quick game or reading the newspaper) is a huge advantage to diving into a PT. However, I've taken to just waking up, eating, coffee etc. and not reading or anything before PT's because I think it's more realistic to test day conditions. I mean yes you can read before you enter the testing center but there is at least 10-20 minutes when you are just standing in line for fingerprints/chair assignments. So, I've been trying out the "cold start" method to help deal with the shock adjustment from staring at the wall to intense concentration.

[Sandro]

Took a 5 hour energy before the test, felt good. Hmmm.

PT 40
LR -4
LG -3 (omg, not going to lie I guessed right on some Zephry Airways though)
LR - 4
RC - 6

-17/84 - 165

Thrilled with LG, meh with the rest. Im still not having enough time with LR like I used to, may need to start skipping harder ones and going back or something different. Ran out of time on RC as well which sucks. I just feel slower for some reason....

[3|ink]

Took a 5 hour energy before the test, felt good. Hmmm.

PT 40
LR -4
LG -3 (omg, not going to lie I guessed right on some Zephry Airways though)
LR - 4
RC - 6

-17/84 - 165

Thrilled with LG, meh with the rest. Im still not having enough time with LR like I used to, may need to start skipping harder ones and going back or something different. Ran out of time on RC as well which sucks. I just feel slower for some reason....

Grats dude.

I hate those 5-hour energy commercials so much. I could never bring myself to try the stuff. I make a point of not buying products with annoying commercials. Thus far, it has not deterred many.

[Sandro]

Took a 5 hour energy before the test, felt good. Hmmm.

PT 40
LR -4
LG -3 (omg, not going to lie I guessed right on some Zephry Airways though)
LR - 4
RC - 6

-17/84 - 165

Thrilled with LG, meh with the rest. Im still not having enough time with LR like I used to, may need to start skipping harder ones and going back or something different. Ran out of time on RC as well which sucks. I just feel slower for some reason....

Grats dude.

I hate those 5-hour energy commercials so much. I could never bring myself to try the stuff. I make a point of not buying products with annoying commercials. Thus far, it has not deterred many.

No, i was very skeptical about them for a while partly because their commercials are terrible. But I tried it once and I liked the effect better than redbull and its a small shot so its okay. Not sure if I will incorporate it into my routine.

[snodell]

count me in for the retake. i got 165 the first time but im really shooting for the 170s. do yall have any tips for studying the 2nd time around?

[Ragged]

Oh shit wrong thread, didn't mean to hijack yours Sandro.

EDIT.

[Sandro]

haha I was JK. Not like my thread is entertaining or anything without other people.


Superprep B
LR -2
LG - I was using my laptop as the 35 min timer(yes I know, bad). Didnt see it was running out of battery and it shut down midway through the section and lets be honest, superprep B's games are ridiculous. I got the first game all right though...
RC -3
LR -2

-7+x?/xxx?

Happy to get back to -2 LRs instead of the recent -4 5 and 6's ive been having. Same with RC, -3 isnt great but the penalty passage was pretty hard IMO.

[Ragged]

-7+x?/xxx?

I'd count that as 170 or so. That's a major progress man. Good job.

[Sandro]

PT 29 - Tale of 2 halves

LR -1
RC -3
LG -11
LR - 8

-23/78 - 163

Yea. So after completing half the test missing 4, the next half goes -19. Not super surprising since I missed an entire LG game but the last LR I simply ran out of steam and could tell my mental state was slow. I took 4 sections in a row, could be why.

[Sandro]

PT 43

RC - Went out of my mind at borders and just stopped after the 1st passage due to how loud it was (got it all right) Couldn't even hear myself think at all.
LR - 2
LR - 5
LG -7

-14 + whatever I would have missed on RC - / 85 ish? 165? lol

[3|ink]

PT 43

RC - Went out of my mind at borders and just stopped after the 1st passage due to how loud it was (got it all right) Couldn't even hear myself think at all.
LR - 2
LR - 5
LG -7

-14 + whatever I would have missed on RC - / 85 ish? 165? lol

Not a bad score.

I don't understand why people take them at public places. I realize that you always run the risk of having to listen to construction in the background of your actual test. However, I find it much easier to sound out those noises than chatter. IMO, you're better off taking the test somewhere quiet.

[Sandro]

PT 43

RC - Went out of my mind at borders and just stopped after the 1st passage due to how loud it was (got it all right) Couldn't even hear myself think at all.
LR - 2
LR - 5
LG -7

-14 + whatever I would have missed on RC - / 85 ish? 165? lol

Not a bad score.

I don't understand why people take them at public places. I realize that you always run the risk of having to listen to construction in the background of your actual test. However, I find it much easier to sound out those noises than chatter. IMO, you're better off taking the test somewhere quiet.

My roommate was watching CFB and I had taken a test at borders before that went well. If its a quiet public place I think it helps you get used to being in a room with 30+ other people and having small audio and visual distractions around you. BUt my last two attempts at Borders have been horrible and youre right, no point in taking it next to jackhammers going off - you will never learn to get through that.

[Sandro]

PT 43

LR -3
RC - 5
LG -3 (my best LG score so far. Had already seen one of the games but it was a simple in/out game.)
LR - 6 (LR sections last are noticeably worse for me)

-17/82 - 166 - Need to bust out of my mid 160's into the high 160's low 170s. LG was good for me but I didnt come through on the last LR section/RC. More PTs await.

[Sandro]

Woot woot woot woot

PT 46
RC - 5
LR -1
LR -2
LG -4

87/167 (damn -9 curve) Best Raw score ever and almost best LR performance ever. It seems like the LR in this test was straight out of the LRB. RC screwed me again. Dont know how I got -5 on Sep09 RC and a year later im still missing the same amount on the recent RCs....

[fosterp]

In my start on recent PT's, all of the games in 46 47 48 seemed so straight forward and easy compared to the stuff from 7-38.

However the RC on these three sections killed me on 47 and 48. Funny thing about it though is I ran down to 5 minutes when I got to last RC on PT 48, so I opted to just skim the passage, circle some names of viewpoints, and bracket around the descriptions of the three organisms in the second paragraph, and managed to get them all right. Missed more than half on passage about native canadians and property rights....I don't even know why, gonna review that later.

Also anyone know what the deal is with the score curve on those tests? Upon scoring 48 I felt like my score put me at least 170 with a good score making up for my crappy RC, but the -12 translates to a 167. Did the makers feel this test was easier than others?