[University Entrance Exams] Why do you change your answers at the last minute?

Even though you can score well in mock exams and practice sessions,
you cannot perform to your full potential when it comes to the real thing.
"I'm not even nervous, yet for some reason, I fall apart."—There are many students who feel this way.

One of the causes is "decisiveness." Changing your answers at the last minute, wasting time because you lack confidence in your own judgment...
The accumulation of these small hesitations can cause your entire exam performance to collapse.
In this article, we will explain why students become weak during the actual exam,

and provide concrete methods to train your decisiveness.

● Looking back at the previous article

In the previous article, we discussed the themes of
👉 "It's not confidence that matters, but resolve"
and "Even if you have resolve, it is important to be prepared to give it your all."

What is necessary for passing is not "confidence," but "resolve."
The idea was that even if you have anxiety, deciding to "do it" generates strength.

However, in reality, there are students who have both resolve and confidence but still fall apart during the actual exam.
That is because they are focusing too much on the results.
People who are strong during the actual exam are not resolved to pass,
but are resolved to "the process of giving it their all" and "seeing it through to the end."

I believe there is one more important element here.
That is "decisiveness and judgment."

If your decisiveness is not developed, you will stumble in your time management, prioritization, and decisions on whether to re-solve problems.
Why is that?

● Common occurrences often heard after exams

• "The answer I wrote first was correct, but I changed it at the last minute..."
• "When I erased and re-marked my answer, I shifted it and got it wrong."
• "I lost confidence and kept going back, losing time."

These are words I often hear from students.
And in the actual exam, this "single question" often determines whether you pass or fail.

● Why do you change your answers?

1. You lack confidence in your own judgment
Anxiety creeps in, thinking "I might be wrong," and you change a correct answer.

2. The trap of perfectionism
The more strongly you think about the results, wanting to be "more accurate" or "absolutely not wrong," the more you want to overturn the choice you made.


3. Lack of training in decision-making
If you don't practice "quick decisions" on a daily basis, you won't be able to commit to a decision during the actual exam.
The longer the hesitation lasts, the easier it is for impatience to spread.

● What happens if your decisiveness is weak?

• You spend more time than necessary on a single question
• Hesitation leads to more hesitation, draining your concentration
• "Maybe it's no good after all" and your feelings collapse
• In the worst case, the entire exam falls apart...

In other words, weak decisiveness becomes the trigger for a chain reaction that lowers your overall performance on the exam.
Focusing on the result... that is, "passing!" is very important, but if you think too much about "I must not make a mistake!" or "I must not fail!," your mind will strongly focus on "mistakes" and "failure," making you afraid to make a decision.

Rather than that, it is better to focus on the process and state of how you approach the exam, such as "I'll give it my all!" or "I'll do my best!," which will allow you to make decisions more positively.

● 3 ways to train your decisiveness

1. Decide on "conditions for reviewing" in advance
• Review things where the basis is ambiguous
• Do not change answers chosen by intuition
If you create your own rules like these in advance, it will be harder to hesitate during the actual exam.

2. Practice "quick decisions" in daily life
• Decide what to have for lunch today in 30 seconds
• Choose the next subject to study in 5 seconds
The accumulation of small, quick decisions supports your judgment during the actual exam.

3. Try out "actual exam rules" in mock exams

Treat mock exams as the "real thing" rather than practice,
and challenge yourself by deciding "not to change answers at the last minute."
It is important to get your body used to the rules before the exam.

● Summary: Decisiveness can also be trained

Decisiveness is not an innate talent.
It is a power that can be trained through daily small choices and practice that keeps the actual exam in mind.

After resolve and confidence, what is needed is—
"The power to believe in your own choices and commit to a decision.".

What kind of rules will you use to "make decisions" during the actual exam?





"The resolve to commit to a decision will save you more than the courage to change your answer."

If you feel your child is weak during the actual exam... please try referring to this article as well👇