Nasheen Wuisman explains how you can bounce back from exam failure.
Do you remember learning to ride a bicycle? I bet you fell off! Once?
Twice? More? Personally, it took me ages to learn. More than the experience itself, I remember the emotions. I remember feeling frustrated and defeated, angry and fearful. I felt like I was getting somewhere, but then there were barriers that I couldn’t seem to get past while all my friends were shooting past me. It was hard work, so emotional, but I carried on.
We have all been there, almost ready to give up. Yet we insisted on putting ourselves through the experience, and carried on… but why? We did it because it mattered, because of what was at stake. We did it to feel the freedom and show ourselves and our loved ones we could do it. As we get older the emotions get deeper, the fear grows, there is more at stake, life is really hard work.
You have been working so hard in your CGMA journey. The efforts you put into your last exam over the past few months may not have paid off.
And now you find yourself feeling like a failure, and like you’ve let down the people who care.
Failure or learning experience?
Studying hard for an exam and then being unsuccessful leads to the same emotions we felt when learning to pedal and balance all at the same time.
You do need to go through the emotions that follow; it’s important to allow yourself to grieve, because you’ve worked so hard. But after that it’s crucial to see past the defeat and realise that you haven’t failed at anything – you’ve learned.
The emotions and obstacles are part of the journey – no two journeys are the same. Failing an exam is part of your learning journey; success will be yours, just not yet.
What have you learned? For starters, you’ve learned not to take anything for granted. You’ll have learned to be more resilient and how to be better prepared to face future challenges in your life. You’ll also learn something about yourself as a person, and what you choose to do next makes all the difference.
Reflect and learn
After an unsuccessful exam attempt it’s important to understand where things went wrong. Being honest with yourself is vital.
Could it have been due to a lack of preparation, misunderstanding the questions or perhaps exam-day pressure? Work on identifying the possible cause so that you can effectively address it and help you succeed on your next attempt. What worked well for you in the exam?
What would you do differently next time?
For Objective Tests, your performance in each content area and whether you received a grade of either ‘proficient’ or ‘not proficient’ will give you an indication of the areas you need to improve on and what you performed well in.
For Case Study exams, review feedback received for the performance descriptors for each core activity as outlined in the exam blueprints.
This will help highlight areas that you need to study or practice further, plus those skills you can capitalise on. Don’t just focus on the areas that you didn’t do well in, appreciate your efforts in the areas you did well in, too.
Schedule your exam
It may seem counterintuitive, but scheduling your next exam is an excellent strategy to help you come up with a new plan of action. Having an end date in mind while you revise and keeping a positive mindset can improve your focus and ability to retain information. Take time to carefully assess how many weeks you will need to prepare to re-sit your exam, then book it two to three weeks beyond that.
Be fair about how much time you can dedicate to studying, and block out consistent, focused study time each day, even if that time is brief.
Creating a plan with a realistic timeframe will prevent you from feeling overwhelmed and maintain a healthy balance. Remember, the quality of study is often more important than quantity.
Practice makes perfect
Practice is the best way of ensuring that you’re well prepared for, and know what to expect, when you sit your CGMA exams.
You know what your learning outcomes are from the Case Study blueprint, this is what is expected of you. Now it’s time to sit mock exams so you can truly apply your skills, both old and revised, and become further aware as to what needs to be improved or learned before the big day. This will also help refine your exam technique and time management skills.
Get ready for exam day
Exam day will be here before you know it.
Whether you’re taking your exam online or at a test centre, make sure that you know what the procedure is.
Some candidates think that sacrificing sleep for study time is a must the night before their exam. Yet studies show that getting enough sleep allows you to better consolidate and retain information, decreasing the risk of a mental block on the day. In the days leading up to the exam, focus on nutrition and hydration to keep your energy levels up, too.
Remember, failing an exam is nothing more than a sign that your journey isn’t yet complete.
Your success isn’t ready for you yet and with the right approach and mindset you’ll more than deserve it when you get it!
- Nasheen Wuisman, Senior Manager – Global Academic Progression at AICPA & CIMA, together as the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants
