November 7, 2022
Math is hard for a large number of students, and proving your mathematics proficiency for an admission exam can become even more challenging. Although applicants have different backgrounds and the same techniques don’t work equally for everybody, we want to offer you some recommendations to get ready for your OMPT test.
Math anxiety and negative attitudes toward math are widely common among students. These problems often lead to avoidance behaviors (like postponing studying for the exam) and negatively impact students’ present and future math performance, hindering them even when doing day-to-day tasks (like splitting bills with friends).
A new study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology found that students who experience math anxiety choose more passive and less effective studying strategies like rereading their textbooks instead of practicing their skills and solving math exercises.
These passive tactics make students less prepared and even incline them to “freeze” during the test. That’s one of the reasons practicing from an early start can help not only master the content but be psychologically prepared to take the exam.
Likewise, practice can encourage you to build a perception of calm and control. It will also prevent negative emotions that distract you from analyzing the exam questions.
If we leaf through a math textbook with solved problems, we might think, “Oh, I know that.” But when we face the same question during an exam without an answer… that is another story.
Finding an exercise familiar is way easier than solving it by ourselves. If we only rely on our recognition memory, we can have the wrong impression of being ready to take the exam after superficially reading a couple of worked-out exercises.
Trying to solve the questions yourself, as if you were in the exam scenario, is a good way of identifying which topics you have learned and which need additional preparation. Ensuring you target knowledge holes is essential to fill them in on time.
At OMPT, we have developed resources so that you can master the content of your exam at your own pace, track your progress, and get acquainted with the test format.
According to our 2021-2022 student satisfaction survey, 81,5% of the test-takers affirm they are likely or very likely to recommend the practice material to future test-takers, and 78% say they are likely or very likely to recommend the mock exams.
Knowing beforehand the exam question types and their approach, as well as experiencing an exam simulacrum, will help you during the real exam. Instead of being preoccupied with getting adapted to a new context, you will be likelier to focus all your attention on proving your math proficiency.
Our practice material contains exercises similar to the ones you will get in your exam, worked-out solutions, and interactive elements. Likewise, these resources are complemented by theory pages and hints you can request if you feel stuck.
Additionally, our exercises include personalized automated feedback that, apart from enabling you to understand how to solve problems and learn from your mistakes, is one proven way to reduce math anxiety.
We have also designed a mock exam to support you in getting an accurate overview of your level and building your confidence in the test environment.
Timing yourself with a mock exam might be practical to have a realistic measure of how much time you will need to take the exam and plan better if necessary. Practicing your time management skills at home will help you later.
Knowing which specific questions slow you down is beneficial to practice more with them and develop a strategic approach that will maximize your chances of acing your math admission exam.
We also recommend you skip a question and avoid wasting too much time on it if you don’t know how to solve it. You can always return to this exercise if you have extra time after completing the rest.
After taking the mock exam, you will get full access to the answers with a detailed breakdown per topic. But remember that only reading them might not be enough!Learn more
If you're interested in private tutoring, we've partnered with Preply, a tutoring company that provides an online platform connecting students with independent tutors via video chat. You can now purchase private lessons to enhance your OMPT preparation.
Follow this link to take advantage of a 50% discount on your first lesson. If you've already purchased Preply tutoring for your OMPT preparation but no longer want to use the service, please remember to cancel your subscription.
Good luck with your OMPT exam!
* If you need special accommodations to take our online math admission test,
here you can find more information.
