Studying in America and Canada  
4.11.3 Taking the Exam

On the day of the exam, get to the examination center early, and do not forget your registration documents. Carry pencils/pens, a calculator, a paper pad, and so on, as recommended in the test guidelines.

Stay calm! Yes we know, it is easier said than done. But you do have one advantage in this exam, unlike any other exams you have taken. You can "cancel" the exam, particularly if you take the computer-based test. The worst that can happen is that you would have to take the exam again and pay the fees again, but your self-assessed poor performance will not be reflected in any record. You should not plan on "canceling" the test, but it is an option that you can exercise.

Most of the questions you would answer, if not all - depending on the exam - are multiple-choice. Note that these exams employ negative scoring for wrong answers. So, you need to be careful. However, the penalty for a negative answer is a fraction of the reward for a positive answer. Thus, if you are able to eliminate one or more choices for a multiple-choice question, you might consider "aggressive guessing," to the extent you feel comfortable. Your ability to eliminate choices on a question increases the odds that you would get the answer right, but there are no guarantees.

 
4.11.4 Re-Taking the Exam

As you know by now, you can take the entrance exam multiple times, sometimes as often as once per calendar month. But, should you? You should, only if you honestly believe that your past score does not reflect your true abilities and you can improve your performance substantially in the next attempt through dedicated preparation and hard work.

Scores on your every attempt are sent to the colleges of your choice. If the improvement on your score in a repeat attempt is substantial, it will be looked upon favorably. This may still, however, raise the question as to why you could not do well earlier and/or whether you were serious about the exams and thus for your studies. If you fail to make substantial improvement in your repeat performance, you would simply confirm the level of your competence. Your several attempts might indicate that you are simply taking the test repeatedly, hoping for a random outcome that is superior; effectively, concluding that you can not be a serious student.

Let some time lapse, before you re-take the test. Work hard on preparation through this period of time. Make every effort to score substantially better, or else forget about it. Students coming across as "it is Monday, so it must be the test day," can not and are not taken seriously. Minimize the number of attempts, while maximizing your potential score.

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