Speed / Focus Advice? Forum

[tourdeforcex]

Took a TestMasters Diagnostic 2 (October 08) yesterday.

Did worse than my Diagnostic 1 (78 raw, 159 scaled) which is terribly disappointing. My hypothesis: bad time management, slight panic on LG. The second section LR, proctor called time and I had to guess blindly for 4-5 questions--this destroyed my confidence for rest of exam.

Any advice on Speed / Time management or on Focus generally?

I'm thinking that I should aim to get through half of each section at 15 min (meaning finish second game in LG, finish second passage in RC, and #13 in LR). Thoughts on this? Also, I always thought I've been a fast reader but I found myself re-reading LR stimuli again and again, just wasn't focusing.

Thanks

[Audio Technica Guy]

Any advice on Speed / Time management or on Focus generally?

Practice, practice, practice. There's no better way to get faster than knowing the answer faster, which comes with hard work. The thing about speed is that there just isn't a magic trick to it. You have to learn the right way, which may slow you down at first, and then drill that to death until it's like second nature.

I'm thinking that I should aim to get through half of each section at 15 min (meaning finish second game in LG, finish second passage in RC, and #13 in LR). Thoughts on this? Also, I always thought I've been a fast reader but I found myself re-reading LR stimuli again and again, just wasn't focusing.

This is a terrible idea. If you can go faster without a loss in accuracy, then you should do that no matter what, if you can't go faster without a loss in accuracy, then you're just missing questions by trying to speed up. Go as fast as you can while still consistently getting 85% plus correct. Don't have a strategy of being at x point in x time. THis is nothing but disaster and panic waiting to happen.

[PurplePirate]

From my experience and what my TPR instructor tells me is that most people go down at least once on their first few (subsequent) diagnostics. This is due to the fact that you're actively applying the material and strategies you recently learned. Moral of the story, don't sweat it. You'll be fine and keep practicing, you're already a great starting point.

[Audio Technica Guy]

From my experience and what my TPR instructor tells me is that most people go down at least once on their first few (subsequent) diagnostics. This is due to the fact that you're actively applying the material and strategies you recently learned. Moral of the story, don't sweat it. You'll be fine and keep practicing, you're already a great starting point.

Most of my students never go below their diagnostic, though a few do. Especially people who were decent to begin with (like 156 plus). It comes from trying to do things a way in which you're not totally familiar.

Also, people's confidence is usually killed on the first test because of this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning_kruger_effect

Before, you never had an idea when you missed questions. Now you're starting to realize when you're not doing well and it kills confidence.

[3|ink]

Damn. My course must be behind. I just took diagnostic one.

[tourdeforcex]

Thanks for the advice and support. Will keep up the practice. Hope to report improvement for the next diagnostic.

Oh, and 3|ink, I'm taking the early summer course--you might be in mid.