Ans: Cramming the night before - This is likely to leave you feeling fatigued for test day. This is a competitive exam for which you have to study thoroughly. You must know that all the topics cannot be mastered in one night. It’s therefore much better to get a good night’s sleep, to be on top form for test day. Skipping breakfast on exam day – Research shows that students who eat breakfast perform better in exams. For the best breakfast, include slow-release carbohydrates, such as whole-grain bread, as they provide slow-release energy. Add a protein food, such as milk, yogurt, or eggs, to keep you feeling full for longer. On exam, the day aims to include a portion of a food rich in long-chain Omega-3 fats, such as walnuts, as they are believed to have brain-boosting properties. One of the best ways to maximize your focus is to stay hydrated. Even mild dehydration can lead to tiredness, headaches, reduced alertness, and diminished concentration. Take a bottle of water into the exam; a study of university students found that those who brought drinks, especially water, with them into the exam performed on average 5% better than those who didn't. Not reading the question properly – This mistake can mean the difference between passing and failing the exam. Simple errors, such as missing the word “not”, will lead to incorrect multiple-choice answers. Obsessing over a certain question – There are likely to be tougher questions in each section that require more time to figure out. You should not fixate on these questions, but mark your answer, flag it for review, and move on. You can always come back to it if you have time left at the end. However, it’s more important that you attempt more questions. Being unfamiliar with the testing platform – There are still many students that sit the MDCAT exam without having taken MDCAT practice tests, which enables you to become familiar with all the features on the paper. It is also useful to familiarize yourself with the pattern of the questions – with practice comes to speed! Overcomplicating the question/response – The multiple-choice nature of the MDCAT exam, and poor guidance often lead people to believe that the answer to a question is more complicated than is the case, again causing them to spend more time than necessary on a question. Leaving questions blank – The MDCAT does not use negative markings anymore, so you will not lose marks for incorrect answers or leaving questions unanswered. Leaving questions blank is one of the most common mistakes that test takers make on test day. Use intelligent guesswork for the questions you are not sure of the answers to. Each guess you make gives you a chance of getting it right! Remember that each question is worth one mark. Unlike in other exams you have taken, you don't get more marks for questions that are more difficult.