Before Test Rituals?

Taking the Exchange Server 2003 test Friday and in the past, the night before I take a test I pretty much cram the entire night and don't really look at my books at all the day before the test.

Just curious what you all do the night before a test? study all night? relax and not sweat it? Pray? Go out drinking?

I may try not to cram as much this time I figure relaxing and not letting the test get to me mentally may be better for me than trying to find that last bit of knowledge I may have missed.

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Comments

Baredor

Usually study the night before, but don't even look at it the day of. Also try to schedule the tests as early as possible.

Shower---> Eat---> Test--->

jmc724

I normally do an overview the night before no later than 8 pm so I can retain everything and dont dream about dreadful tidbits. I schedule in the mornings since Im a morning person and I always do well.

/usr

I always cram pretty much nonstop a few days before the exam. I also review up until I actually go in to take the exam.

keenon

cram for 3 days before the test date.. then get a goodnight sleep after taking some notes to read at test site before going to hit it hard

keatron

I usually make it my business to be completely confident I know the material in and out at least a week before the test. Then I spend the last week chugging through various exam preps. Basically I never touch exam preps until I've practiced and read until my brain is oozing with the test objectives/domains.

On the lighter side, while heading to take the test I'm listening to Eminem's "Lose Yourself" to get myself pumped!!!

strauchr

I usually study till I can't possibly fit one more bit of info on that subject in my brain. I then do a couple of practise tests to see how I go. If I do well I book the exam within a week. I do not study the night or day before except maybe for a practise test. Make sure I get a good night sleep and do the test around 9:30 to 10am - my most prudctive time of the day.

JDMurray

I always schedule the cert exam for around 10am on a Saturday. Get a good nights sleep on Friday, and a good breakfast in the morning while studying the exam prep notes I've been writing for at least the last three months. Never failed yet!

mikey_b

I get a lot of cramming in a few days before, refresh all my topics and make sure I know all of the exam objectives. Do practise tests. I like to schedule my exam for 10:30 in the morning, gives me time to wake up, shower, get dressed, drive the missus to work and get a good 1-1.5 hours of cramming in. About that time of the day I'm feeling pretty fresh, fully awake and focused. I normally take the morning off, but feel less stressed if I take the whole day off.

porengo

The night before an exam I make a conscious effort not to study or cram. If I don't know it by then...I'm not going to know it after cramming for a few minutes. I have a nice relaxing meal...maybe treat myself to a steak and some wine. Then go to bed earlier than normal.

On the day of the exam I wake up a bit earlier than normal. Have a relaxing breakfast, a nice shower, dress comfortably and get to the test site early. The goal is to be as relaxed and stress free as possible.

When I took my CCNA exam for the first time I didn't follow my ritual. I ended up stressed out which caused me to rush through the exam. On my second attempt, after going back to my ritual, I was relaxed and confident...and passed.

Drakonblayde

Well, let's see... there's the bones and chicken blood, and then the virgin sacrifice.....

Honestly, I just don't let it get to me. I know if I fail, I can always retake it, and even if I fail, I'll take something positive away... I'll be forewarned for the next attempt. I don't schedule an exam until I'm confident I know the material well enough, and I don't sit and second guess myself and obsess over whether I know the material verbatim forwards and back. As long as I'm reasonably confident with the concepts and their implementation, I can reason out most test questions.

I don't study at all the day before. If I don't know the material well enough by then, then I simply don't know it and all I'm going to do by cramming is stress myself out. I hang out, I relax, I have a few drinks (mind, a FEW... hangovers on test days are not good), and then I go to bed early.

I tend to schedule my exams in the afternoon because I'm simply not a morning person. Taking an exam in the morning means I'm not at my most alert, so I generally schedule for after lunch, or just before... all depends on what's available at the test center (I'm not one of those people who gets lazy after lunch, so it doesn't really effect me if I go before or after.... though going before tends to mean I'm hungry and rush through the test, bad juju)

I haven't failed an exam yet, so hey, it works for me.

Ten9t6

I study quite a bit...but I always cram the last day. I know you should get some sleep, but I am just paranoid. Plus, I couldn't sleep the night before a big test if I wanted to. When I took my R/S written, my wife woke me up as I was pushing buttons on the phone, next to the bed. I guess I was trying to assign it an IP address..haha

I was up for about 36 hours before taking my CISSP exam. I crashed really hard after that exam.

Good Times!!

/usr

When I took my R/S written, my wife woke me up as I was pushing buttons on the phone, next to the bed.

jmc724

In addition, get some good physical BONING done the night before you mentally bone the exam the following morning...

RussS

I follow Drakonblaydes' way - chicken bones and virgin sacrifices mostly

More important to me is my post match celebration that involves copious amounts of very old sippin wiskey

Dang - now I know why I missed Sec+ - she was no virgin

3000GT

I too am a morning person, have to get it over and done with first thing or ill be thinking about it all day till i take it....

As soon i pass, drive off out the test center with P.O.D - Alive playing, do it after every exam i pass...havent failed one yet (touch wood!)

schwarztrader

I am not a morning person (mornings would be much nicer if they just came later in the day), although I tend to schedule all of my exams as early as possible so I can get them out of the way. The night before the exam I tend to go over a few practice questions just to keep my mind on the subject then go to bed early. The morning of the exam I get up as usual, eat something and drive to the testing facility. I try to get there a little on the early side as well. Then I just sit in my car, listen to some talk radio, smoke a ciggarette or two and then I break out my Rubix-Cube. I use this to stimulate my mind without having to think of the material at hand.

s0c0

Well I've never taken a cert test, but for school tests I will study really hard the friday - sunday before and designing a cram sheet tailored to my weak points. I'll take a break every 2 hours or so of course to cool off the old processor. The day before the test I just review my cram sheet and the day of I ensure I sleeped well, ate well, and have a decent sized cup of mocha w/ 4 shots of expresso right before the test. It makes me extra-extra alert! I usually get A's on tests at school (though B's happen). I am following this same ritual for my CCNA exam on Tuesday. I perfer evening tests, but I had to work around my work schedule this time.

dissolved

half a **** and a prayer

mobri09

I do exactley what keatron does and also pray alot plus get a good night sleep