Building a Winning Attitude

Most students are under extreme levels of stress before and during the exam. This article highlights what you need to do to handle exam pressure effectively, thereby maintaining a winning attitude which is crucial to pass a competitive exam.

Before the exam

There are 6 weeks between the pre-seen release and the exam. Read this blogpost The Pre-seen is Out. What Now?  to get to know about what you need to do during this time.

If you stick to the 6 stepped process and the time plan provide by TCS, you have nothing to worry! Attempting 5 exam standard mock exams and going through additional material is all you need to pass comfortably!

I personally believe that it is essential that you stop all preparatory work a day before the exam (if your exam is on the 20th of May, you need to stop studies by the 18th of May). Most students think I am bonkers when I say this!

It is better to rest your mind and body before facing a highly competitive exam. Trust me, you will find it to be extremely rewarding to get a day’s break from cumbersome exam preparation and extreme levels of stress.

Further, resting a day before the exam will help you face the exam with an “open mind”, at the same time maintain a “can do “attitude. Remember that CIMA case study exams are highly practical, and that the examiner expects you to come with a refreshed mind and provide practical answers, rather than replicating theories or concepts you’ve learnt.

You need to sleep early the night before the exam. Get 8 hours of continuous sleep, which will help your brain to refresh and drive out any unnecessary fears of negativity.

On the exam date

When you wake up on the day of the exam, you will feel a buildup of tension. In fact, as a student, it was customary for me to feel feverish on the day of the exam. That’s how stressful CIMA exams were to me!

However, later in my CIMA studies, I learnt how to be positive on the exam date, and these are the tips which you can adhere to replicate the same level of positivity and confidence.

Your objective on the exam date should be to rest your body and mind. If you are finding it hard to achieve this, just close your eyes and breathe slowly for about 5 minutes. Trust me, it works!

Remember that it is perfectly normal to be stressed before the exam. However, you need to fight the negativity and let go of “tunnel vision” which disrupts your ability to think straight. As mentioned earlier, being open minded is crucial to pass a case study exam.

During the exam

Stick to the routine which you practiced when attempting the 5 mock exams. Adhere to the time plan and answer planning technique. (Clueless about time plans and answer plans? No stress. Simply read the blog post on Answer Planning Technique.

Just imagine that you are an employee working in the company which is highlighted in the pre-seen and try to provide the best solution to the issue highlighted in the question.

Further, facing a sub-task which is extremely difficult is normal in CIMA case study exams. This is when panic sets in. Panic leads to negativity and unnecessary stress. These extreme levels of stress are carried forward until end of the exam. In fact, even well-prepared students fail, when faced with just one or two difficult sub-task/s.

Remember that it is normal for 1 or 2 subtasks to be hard. Do not go into panic mode. If you cannot focus, close your eyes, and breathe slowly for about 2 minutes. Remind yourself that you need just 80 marks (54%) to pass, which leaves you with 70 marks to lose!

Also remind yourself that you usually do not buckle under pressure when carrying out your daily professional duties and that you mind is playing tricks on you due to the extreme levels of pressure you are experiencing.

Remind yourself that you have done your homework and that you mean business! You have attempted 5 exam standard mocks. You have comprehensively analyzed the pre-seen. What more are you supposed to do?

Concluding thoughts

As I mentioned earlier, it is normal to be stressed before and during the exam. Stick to the guidance we have provided, which is the path towards a guaranteed pass! You need not trust my word. Just check our pass rates and testimonials!

Remember that dedication and a can-do attitude is all you need to pass!

Looking to pass your case study exam in the first sitting? You are just a click away. We at TCS provide exam standard mock exams and suggested answers, along with premium quality additional material which consists of videos and content which are concise and downloadable. In fact, all our products come with a Pass Guarantee!

You can attempt all mock exams under real exam conditions via our very own exam platform, which is akin to the platform of Pearson VUE. Professional feedback is provided for three mock exams and all answer scripts will be marked by our Lead Tutors with more than 10 years of CIMA tutoring experience.

You will also have access to the online discussion forum moderated by TCS’s Lead Tutors and you can share your knowledge, clarify doubts, and connect with Lead Tutors and colleagues 24/7, via the discussion forum.

Checkout our website on https://www.studyattcs.com/ to get a glimpse into the type of services offered by TCS. You can also gain an insight into the quality of material provided by TCS by referring to the sample material which are included under each product page.

You can access the free content by accessing our website. The free content consists of pre-seen analysis video 01, video on exam technique and a mini mock exam and suggested answers.