Has this ever happened to anyone else in an exam?

[WTFexam]

I know it's quite common for minds to go blank etc, but I had an exam the other day for which I was really well prepared, but I just could not seem to read or understand a lot of the questions until after the exam when I realised they were extremely straightforward and exactly what I'd prepared for. On another question, I read one word and just had another in my brain, which meant that I gave a completely nonsensical answer. It was the equivalent of a question asking "what does blue and red make?" and me reading yellow instead of red and answering green. The clue should have been that the question didn't make sense, but it was just like my brain didn't work or I was hallucinating.

As soon as the exam had finished I could perfectly recall the questions that I couldn't seem to take in during the exam, and the potential answers were so, so obvious. It was actually a really kind exam.

I'm so embarrassed and upset with myself but want to learn from it so it doesn't happen again. A factor might be that I have two very young children and we've all had a flulike virus (off the back of Covid two weeks ago) and I'd been getting less than two hours sleep a night for a few days, but I feel like my brain was functioning ok before and after the exam. I must have just panicked under the time pressure. There wasn't anything I could do practically as husband was working away just beforehand and we have no family nearby, and the only family that could have helped also had Covid.

Please tell me I'm not alone!

It sounds like Covid brain fog. I have had this since Xmas and the simplest things have confused me. It's like all the connections in my brain are broken. Once I start to think a task over I can resurrect my knowledge, so it hasn't gone for good. I just try to make allowances and rehearse things before I do them.

I'm sorry to hear that, it seems Covid can have quite significant effects for some people. I did have difficulty concentrating at first (actually, for me it was about three weeks before the exam I think) but then felt ok mentally. Maybe it was a factor, same for the lack of sleep from being up with the kids, but it really took me by surprise because although I anticipated being a bit off form I didn't expect to be such a rabbit in the headlights. It was such a blur (although annoyingly the questions and what I should have written haunts me constantly now).

Come to think of it I've never been great at exams, but when I was an undergrad a long time ago I never put as much effort in so wasn't always prepared, whereas this time I really engaged with the content all the way through and should have had the answers to hand even under a bit of pressure.

@growinggreyer I hope the fog gradually lifts for you so things are a bit easier

I think people react to exam pressure differently. My sister was never nervous before written exams but once she turned the paper she panicked and her mind went blank - consequently she didn't do as well as she could. although she is extremely bright - brighter than me and I did well in exams because I was nervous before hand but totally in control once I turned the paper. the exact opposite is true in practical exams - she does well in them (passed her driving test first time) I am crippled with nerves to the extent I shake (took me five attempts at the driving test).

I would guess it was you panicking - which is very frustrating and upsetting for you as you clearly knew your stuff. I'm not sure how to deal with it. Would it help if you practised doing old papers under exam conditions - time limit, quiet room, etc - then maybe you could try different approaches and see what works best for you.
When I started an exam I found it helped to jot down a few things that were likely to be helpful in questions - so I didn't forget them and the act of writing can focus your mind. Also don't rush, give yourself time to look through the paper and choose what questions you are going to answer, look at the question carefully and ask yourself 'what are they wanting here, what is the is question about?(often a simple topic is couched in a question that makes it sound complicated and your first reaction might be 'Oh God I can;t do that, but if you take a breath and read it carefully it turns out to be something you know lots about asked in a different way). Allow yourself the correct amount of time for each question and don;t go over the limit - you can always go back to complete an answer even if only in bullet point form. Better to give three quarters of an answer for two questions than a full answer for one and nothing for the other - you will get marks for an incomplete answer, but none for a question missed through bad time management. Also check and double check the instructions - how many questions you need to answer, how many from each section etc.
Good luck - I feel for you, but if its any consolation it is common to think you have totally screwed up and exam and then actually do a lot better than you think you have. I hope this is the case for you