Managing Distractions

Part of your studying efforts should be figuring out how to tune out your
personal distractors. The first step is to discover what bothers you and figure
out ways you can block them out.
For me, my distractors are my phone and hunger. The phone isn’t allowed in
the exam room, so if your phone is one of your distractors, then you won’t
have to deal with that distractor while taking the test. If you study or take
practice exams with your phone on, you aren’t properly applying yourself to
exam day conditions. Turn it off, hide it, do whatever you have to do so that
you’re training yourself to live without it on game day.
Hunger is also solvable. Although your nerves may not allow you to eat a
large meal prior to the test, I encourage you to be prepared. Low blood sugar
or just a growling stomach can detract you from the total mind focus that
these exams demand of you. You can’t take food into the exam room, but you
can have a healthy snack in the locker.
Room temperature can also be a major distractor because being too hot or too
cold is uncomfortable. Plan accordingly and dress in layers on exam day so
cold is uncomfortable. Plan accordingly and dress in layers on exam day so
that you can adapt quickly and easily. Be sure and bring a light sweater that
you can take off, and wear pants that are comfortable to sit in for a three-hour
stretch.
Plan to take a quick break at the halfway point to eat some raw
almonds or choke down a string cheese and bottle of water. Protein is
your best choice for a quick brain boost, and the reprieve will allow you
a moment to reset your mind and body for the final hour and a half. The
clock is still ticking, so don’t dilly dally, and be sure not to check your
phone in case the proctors think that you’re cheating. Your phone isn’t
allowed and could cost you the exam.
Some test takers report the other test takers as distractions. People come and
go, coughing, sneezing, and all of the other lovely body sounds of a large
group of people in a small room. Part of your training should be figuring out
how to concentrate with a lot of movement around you. Plan to take an exam
simulation at the public library or at a local coffee shop. Practice using
headphones — the noise-cancelling kind, not the ear buds — to see if they
help or hinder. On exam day, keep your mind on the task at hand, and be
courteous to your other test takers by not becoming a distraction yourself.
Resist the temptation to be distracted by others who finish their exam
earlier. They may be taking a different test. If you plan to sit for the
exam with a study partner, chat ahead of time about what you’ll do if the
other finishes early. Don’t give up if your partner finishes before you,
and use all of the time allotted to maximum effect.