# What's the most common mistake someone makes when taking their first official IQ test?
**URL:** https://forum.riotiq.com/t/whats-the-most-common-mistake-someone-makes-when-taking-their-first-official-iq-test/150
**Category:** IQ Tests
**Created:** [November 21, 2025, 5:29pm UTC](https://forum.riotiq.com/t/whats-the-most-common-mistake-someone-makes-when-taking-their-first-official-iq-test/150 "2025-11-21T17:29:00Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@merle-restaino663](https://forum.riotiq.com/u/merle-restaino663)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2025, 5:29pm UTC](https://forum.riotiq.com/t/whats-the-most-common-mistake-someone-makes-when-taking-their-first-official-iq-test/150/1 "2025-11-21T17:29:00Z")
I’m finally scheduled to take the WAIS next month, and I’m a total newbie to the whole process. I’ve done a ton of online quizzes, but this will be my first proctored, official test.
I’m trying to avoid making any dumb, easily fixable errors that could cost me points. For those of you who have been through this, what’s the single biggest mistake you see first-timers making that seriously tanks their score?
Is it…
1. Time Management? (Spending 5 minutes on one Matrix puzzle?)
2. Over-analyzing? (Trying to find a complex solution when the answer is simple?)
3. Anxiety/Nerves? (Letting the clock panic you?)
4. Not knowing the rules? (Like, not realizing you can’t go back to a section?)
Basically, tell me the one thing you wish you knew _before_ you sat down in that chair for the first time. I need your wisdom!
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### Author:  [@houston.parkkonen139](https://forum.riotiq.com/u/houston.parkkonen139)
#### Post date: [November 23, 2025, 3:39pm UTC](https://forum.riotiq.com/t/whats-the-most-common-mistake-someone-makes-when-taking-their-first-official-iq-test/150/2 "2025-11-23T15:39:35Z")
I think Anxiety/Nerves is a huge factor that can indirectly tank a score by leading to other mistakes. While you can’t _study_ for nerves, the mistake is often not preparing the non-cognitive side. If you let the clock or the quiet, formal setting panic you, it directly interferes with working memory and concentration, which are crucial for the most demanding subtests like Working Memory and Processing Speed. Make sure you are well-rested and fed.
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### Author:  [@FeltonWhitsey](https://forum.riotiq.com/u/FeltonWhitsey)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2025, 6:11pm UTC](https://forum.riotiq.com/t/whats-the-most-common-mistake-someone-makes-when-taking-their-first-official-iq-test/150/3 "2025-12-09T18:11:02Z")
I think you might have already made it. Doing a ton of online quizzes and strategizing about what to anticipate kind of defeats the purpose of the assessment. The WAIS is designed to measure how your brain actually works, not how well you’ve prepped for it. The best “preparation” is just showing up well-rested, fed, and as close to your normal baseline as possible. Treat it like any other day, not like the SATs.