• Current students
      • Student centre
        Enrol on a course/exam
        My enrolments
        Exam results
        Mock exams
      • Course information
        Students FAQs
        Student induction
        Course enrolment information
        Key dates
        Book distribution
        Timetables
        FAE Elective Information
      • Exams
        Exam Info: CAP1
        E-assessment information
        Exam info: CAP2
        Exam info: FAE
        Reasonable accommodation and extenuating circumstances
        Timetables for exams & interim assessments
        Interim assessments past papers & E-Assessment mock solutions
        Main examination past papers
        Information and appeals scheme
        JIEB: NI Insolvency Qualification
      • CA Diary resources
        Mentors: Getting started on the CA Diary
        CA Diary for Flexible Route FAQs
      • Admission to membership
        Joining as a reciprocal member
        Conferring dates
        Admissions FAQs
      • Support & services
        Recruitment to and transferring of training contracts
        CASSI
        Student supports and wellbeing
        Learning Hub data privacy policy
        Online Payment FAQs
        Audit qualification
    • Students

      View all the services available for students of the Institute

      Read More
  • Becoming a student
      • About Chartered Accountancy
        The Chartered difference
        What do Chartered Accountants do?
        5 Reasons to become a Chartered Accountant
        Student benefits
        School Bootcamp
        Third Level Hub
        Study in Northern Ireland
        Events
        Blogs
        Member testimonials 2022
        Become a Chartered Accountant podcast series
      • Entry routes
        College
        Working
        Accounting Technicians
        School leavers
        Member of another body
        International student
        Flexible Route
        Training Contract
      • Course description
        CAP1
        CAP2
        FAE
        Our education offering
      • Apply
        How to apply
        Exemptions guide
        Fees & payment options
        External students
      • Training vacancies
        Training vacancies search
        Training firms list
        Large training firms
        Milkround
        Training firms update details
        Recruitment to and transferring of training contract
        Interview preparation and advice
        The rewards on qualification
        Tailoring your CV for each application
        Securing a trainee Chartered Accountant role
      • Support & services
        Becoming a student FAQs
        Who to contact for employers
        Register for a school visit
    • Becoming a
      student

      Study with us

      Read More
  • Members
      • Members Hub
        My account
        Member subscriptions
        Annual returns
        Application forms
        CPD/events
        Member services A-Z
        District societies
        Professional Standards
        Young Professionals
        Careers development
      • Members in practice
        Going into practice
        Managing your practice FAQs
        Practice compliance FAQs
        Toolkits and resources
        Audit FAQs
        Other client services
        Practice Consulting services
        What's new
      • Overseas members
        Working abroad
        Working in Australia
        Overseas members news
        Tax for returning Irish members
      • In business
        Networking and special interest groups
        Articles
      • Public sector
        Public sector news
        Public sector presentations
      • Support & services
        Letters of good standing form
        Member FAQs
        AML confidential disclosure form
        CHARIOT/Institute Technical content
        TaxSource Total
        Audit Qualification requirements
        Pocket diaries
        Thrive Hub
    • Members

      View member services

      Read More
  • Employers
      • Training organisations
        Authorise to train
        Training in business
        Manage my students
        Incentive Scheme
        Recruitment to and transferring of training contracts
        Securing and retaining the best talent
        Tips on writing a job specification
      • Training
        In-house training
        Training tickets
      • Recruitment services
        Hire a qualified Chartered Accountant
        Hire a trainee student
      • Non executive directors recruitment service
      • Support & services
        Hire members: log a job vacancy
        Firm/employers FAQs
        Training ticket FAQs
        Authorisations
        Hire a room
        Who to contact for employers
    • Employers

      Services to support your business

      Read More
☰
  • Find a firm
  • Jobs
  • Login
☰
  • Home
  • Knowledge centre
  • Professional development
  • About us
  • Shop
  • News
Search
View Cart 0 Item

News

  • Home/
  • News
☰
  • News
  • News archive
    • 2020
    • 2019
  • Press releases
    • 2022
    • 2021
    • 2020
  • Newsletters
  • Press contacts
  • Media downloads
  • Podcasts Chartered Accountants Ireland
  • Budget day news

Get mentally ready for the re-sits

Nov 02, 2020
Charlotte Keating, Founder of Act On It Coaching, shares her tips on how you can keep energy levels and motivation up the week before and during the exam and re-sit period.

Did you know fear and excitement are pretty much the same feeling? Think about it – your body displays almost identical symptoms to each emotion as it’s getting ready to take action. According to neuroscientists, the difference is all in the mind. In fact, when participants of a 2014 Harvard Business School study re-labelled their fear as excitement, they performed better in important tasks.

When you feel those pre-exam nerves kicking in, you can work with them positively by choosing to feel excited instead. Interpreting what you’re feeling as excitement can make exam anxiety easier to manage and is much less draining as it puts you in an ‘opportunity mindset’ which focuses on the ways the exam could go well, increasing energy and confidence.

Here are some ways you can practice this approach while reflecting on your past, focusing on the present and looking towards your future.

1. Reflecting on past achievements

Think of your accomplishments and the challenges you’ve overcome so far in your life. Go back as far as you can remember and write them down. Look at this list daily, especially the night before and the morning of the exams. Focus on how proud your achievements make you feel. Use these memories to get excited about what you can achieve!

2. Focus on the present

As you revise and practice questions leading up to your exams or re-sits, it can be useful to keep your energy high by taking care of yourself.

Wake-up calls: use the alarm on your phone to not only wake yourself up in the morning but throughout the day as well. Set different alarms as a great reminder to take a break, stretch, get a drink of water, have a snack, or get some fresh air for a few minutes. 

Consider labelling the alarms with different words and phrases:
  • “I am really good at what I do.”
  • “I am successful.”
  • "I always do my best.”
  • “alive, grateful, happy.”
Choose something that is going to lift your spirits and help you be mindful of the present moment.

You could also use these wake-up calls as an opportunity to listen to an upbeat song. Music is powerful for releasing dopamine (making us happier) and also helps increase energy and focus.

Postural feedback or “Power moves”: Getting into as good a posture as possible, chest out, with your hands on your hips like a superhero, over your head like a bear, or to the side like a peacock, is a technique that you can use to feel in control and confident. Take some deep breaths as you do this. You might also say out loud “I feel excited”, even if you don’t. Repeating this action and sentence creates an authentic sense of excitement. Try holding the pose for two minutes to increase the feeling. You can practice this throughout the day when you take a break from the books and right before going into the exam (if you can find a suitable place). 

Exercising: Being active is a great way to focus your energy, absorb information and come up with solutions. Maybe you’ll gain clarity in an area you’ve been puzzling over while out for a walk.

Switch off: Activities that will distract your brain at the end of the day to allow it to rest are ideal. For example, watch a movie that makes you laugh.

3. Look towards the future

Visualisation is a technique that has long been linked to high performance. Spending five minutes each day visualising your future success can help to settle the nerves. For best results, close your eyes, take some deep breaths, and allow your thoughts to wander into a daydream:

  • Imagine the day of the exam – how do you wake up? Refreshed, focused, motivated? On your way to the exam, how are you feeling? Confident, prepared? 
  • Take yourself to where you will be sitting the exam in your mind. What do you see, hear, smell, feel? 
  • Block out thoughts of everyone else. What they are doing is not important and doesn’t matter to you or your success.
  • See yourself opening up that exam paper, answering questions with ease, taking deep breaths and being able to come up with a plan to answer anything challenging.
  • Imagine the exam has gone well. Try to feel the emotions you would feel afterwards. Allow yourself to get excited about it!

Always do your best

As a final thought, in his book, The Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz says that: 

“Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick, when you are tired as opposed to well-rested. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgement.”

Remember, you have done the bulk of the work and achieved so much already. A great use of your time before the exams is to work on preparing yourself mentally so that you can approach them feeling excited and ready and come out the other side knowing that you’ve done your best. 

Always consult a specialist if that’s the best thing for you. CA Support is here to assist you and can be contacted at casupport@charteredaccountants.ie, or on 01 637 7342 or 086 024 3294. There are also video supports and articles available on the Chartered Accountants Ireland website.

The latest news to your inbox

Useful links

  • Current students
  • Becoming a student
  • Knowledge centre
  • Shop
  • District societies

Get in touch

Dublin HQ

Chartered Accountants
House, 47-49 Pearse St,
Dublin 2, D02 YN40, Ireland

TEL: +353 1 637 7200
Belfast HQ

The Linenhall
32-38 Linenhall Street, Belfast,
Antrim, BT2 8BG, United Kingdom

TEL: +44 28 9043 5840

Connect with us

Something wrong?

Is the website not looking right/working right for you?
Browser support
CAW Footer Logo-min
GAA Footer Logo-min
CCAB-I Footer Logo-min
ABN_Logo-min

© Copyright Chartered Accountants Ireland 2020. All Rights Reserved.

☰
  • Terms & conditions
  • Privacy statement
  • Event privacy notice
  • Sitemap
LOADING...

Please wait while the page loads.