The Story of Taking the TOEIC Public Test at 9 Months Pregnant (Impressions of the 432nd TOEIC Test, July 12th Morning)
I decided to take the plunge (?) and take the TOEIC test on July 12th while 34 weeks pregnant.
To put it briefly, I realized that regardless of my pregnancy, I simply lacked the ability, but since the combination of being 9 months pregnant and taking the TOEIC is somewhat rare, I am recording it as a memory.
Reason for deciding to take the test
In a word, "just because." Since I won't be working during maternity leave, I have plenty of time until my baby is born. In fact, this might be the freest time in my life. However, I can't spend it being active with a big belly. If I had true free time, I'd want to go on a trip, but I can't do that with childbirth approaching.
After thinking about what I could do while sitting still, I decided to take the TOEIC for the first time in about 10 years.
To tell the truth, I'm actually quite good at English, and the last time I took it, I scored in the high 900s.
Considering that my second child is about to be born, this might be the last time I take the test in my life, so I thought, if I'm going to do it, I might as well study hard and get a high score—maybe even aim for my personal best! With that in mind, I faced my workbooks every day.
Advantages and disadvantages
The advantage I had as an examinee this time was being 9 months pregnant. By going on maternity leave, I was able to secure study time that would be almost impossible for an ordinary working person.
Conversely, the disadvantage was being 9 months pregnant.
・My belly is huge.
・I can only walk slowly.
・I get tired just from walking a little. I get out of breath.
・Even when sitting still, I sometimes suddenly have trouble breathing.
・My sleep at night is shallow. I can't find a comfortable sleeping position.
・Frequent urination. I wake up 2 to 4 times a night to go to the bathroom.
・Energetic kicks from the baby!
Like this, although it wasn't what you'd call a health problem, I lived my days with all the typical late-pregnancy symptoms, so I could say my condition was somewhat disadvantageous.
The day of: Until the test starts
The venue was a certain university. Since it was a place I was going to for the first time and I was pregnant, I left with plenty of time. I bought barley tea for hydration and ramune candy for brain fuel at a convenience store on the way. I was fully prepared.
I arrived about 15 minutes before registration started. A staff member instructed us not to enter the building and to wait nearby until registration began. I had no choice but to sit on an outdoor bench and wait like the other examinees.
It was helpful to be able to sit, but it was July. It was hot. It was a blessing in disguise that it was cloudy and the sun wasn't blazing down. But it was hot. I endured it, thinking it was only for 10 minutes or so... Even so, it was hot.
Since I'm already prone to frequent urination, it would be bad if I needed to go to the bathroom during the test. I had intended to keep my water intake to a minimum before the test, but I was thirsty, and I felt it might actually be more dangerous not to drink in this heat, so I reluctantly hydrated as usual.
And so, the registration time finally arrived. But another trial was waiting for me.
The guide noticed my belly and said sympathetically, "Are you okay? There's no elevator here."
To my surprise, the classroom assigned to my examinee number was on the 5th floor of the building! There was no route other than climbing the stairs all the way up.
An elderly pregnant woman climbing the stairs while panting and puffing, mixed in with students and younger working people. Well, they say healthy pregnant women should get moderate exercise! I didn't go into labor or have my water break, and I arrived at the classroom safely.
How the test went
I have nothing but regrets (teary-eyed).
<Listening>
I messed up on the photo description questions in Part 1, of all things.
It was around the fourth question from the start. I listened to A, B, and C, and none of them fit. I was waiting for D, thinking it had to be it, but then D was clearly wrong too! I was like, 'What! Which one is it!?'
I couldn't even remember what A, B, or C said, and I had to switch gears and focus on the next question, so I had no choice but to fill in D...
Later, when I looked at people's impressions of the test online, everyone was saying Part 1 was 'easy' or 'somewhat easy,' so it seems it was truly just my lack of listening skills.
Because the start was like that, I was shocked early on and let it drag on.
In the following Parts 2 through 4, for some reason, there were moments where my concentration lapsed, and I missed parts of the audio. I let that affect me, which impacted the next questions.
Seriously, am I an amateur at TOEIC?
Concentration on each individual question is crucial for listening, and even if you aren't confident, you should switch gears in an instant and focus on the next question—this is common sense that anyone who has properly prepared should know. It's pathetic (crying).
<Reading>
This was an even more pathetic performance than the listening section.
I made a mistake in time management, of all things.
I had to guess the answers for the final triple passage.
The cause is entirely my own overconfidence.
After all, when I was studying with the official workbook, I always had time left over. I thought if I solved it the way I always did, I would finish with time to spare.
So, I slowed down my pace, thinking it would be just right to be a little more careful than usual since it was the real test. I was so overconfident that I still had plenty of time that I didn't even look at the clock much.
When I study normally, I write answers like A or B on a piece of paper, so maybe filling in the mark sheet actually took more time than usual.
By the time I realized it, so much time had passed that I couldn't make up for it.
I didn't want to cut it so close that I couldn't even finish filling in the bubbles, so I marked everything as A for the final triple passage before reading them.
I changed only one question to a different option at the very last second.
Finished.
Ah~~~
I feel like I didn't give it my all.
The fact that I felt a gradual urge to urinate during the reading section, and that I felt sorry for the person next to me who seemed to have a cold and kept sniffing, might have played a 0.1% role, but ultimately, it was overwhelmingly due to my own lack of ability and overconfidence. There were also many words I didn't know...
I thought I had studied quite a bit.
It's so embarrassing to have set such a grand goal as getting my personal best score (even if I didn't tell anyone).
I had planned to enjoy an elegant solo lunch with a sense of accomplishment, but I left the venue feeling a mix of indescribable shame and embarrassment. (It was just different from the emotions I had anticipated, but I still thoroughly enjoyed my elegant solo lunch.)
Summary of reflections
I might not take it again, but I'll summarize this in case it's useful for someone else somewhere.
I let the mistakes in the beginning of the listening section drag on and lost my concentration.
When I missed something, I wasn't able to switch gears effectively for the next question.
For Part 3 and Part 4, although I usually wait until I've finished listening to everything before answering, I was influenced by the other test-takers around me and tried marking my answers while listening, so my approach wasn't consistent. Because of that, there were parts I missed. If I was going to mark while listening, I should have practiced that method.
If you get too cautious just because it's the actual test, you'll run out of time on the Reading section (well, obviously). I should have finished Parts 5 and 6 at full speed, just like in my practice.
I should have checked the time more frequently.
I wish I had practiced with an answer sheet as well.Aiming for the high 900s and then having to guess randomly on the remaining questions is unacceptable.
The results won't be out for a while, but I might write a post reporting them if I feel like it.
To everyone who took the test this time, great work!
[Postscript]
Click here for the results post