The benefits of imagining stressful exam moments – in advance.
In our SBL course here at PAT we often talk about ‘Peak Performance – is no accident’.
What we mean here is that we have to mentally prepare to give our best performance in the exam hall. One part of this ‘peak performance’ preparation is mentally preparing for exam wobbles – moments where the exam is just not going well. When it feels like you are sinking.
Have you ever had this feeling? It can be very upsetting and derail your exam.
When preparing for ACCA exams we wisely spend weeks going over content and past questions. However, unforeseen events on the day of the exam have a nasty habit of flustering us. Have you ever had this feeling? ‘’I wasn’t expecting that topic’’ or particularly IT issues – can leave us disoriented and unsettled. It increases the stress which can reduce your performance.
This is particularly relevant for SBL because the exam can be quite obtuse. Even well prepared and experienced candidates can suffer from this unsettling feeling. Perhaps you then abandon your exam techniques and processes. The pressure gets to you! You did not give your ‘peak performance’.
Peak performance in sports psychology requires that we need to prepare for such high stress moments so that we can manage them in real time.
I think we can all agree that sports psychology is an important part of sports success. But do these ideas have relevance for your SBL exam? I would argue the situations are very similar because both require you performing certain techniques and processes under pressure. For SBL it is the exam techniques that we need to actually do under pressure in the exam hall.
From your experience what makes you temporarily wobble in an exam? Thinking about them in advance can reduce their power to unsettle – because you can say ‘’Aha, I was expecting you! I’m mentally prepared!’’
Some of the following have happened to me:
- Getting stuck in traffic on the way to exam hall and arriving flustered
- We never covered that!
- I am behind on time…
- We never covered that either!
- Oh no, xyz task has come up and I have not prepared it
- IT issues… I could tell you some stories from past students… Very frustrating.
What to do when you might be wobbling?
Perhaps, we’ve all been there. What counts is how we react. This is the secret of peak performance. Our mentality under pressure. Are you strong enough to put things right under pressure? Is this not a point of exams? Seeing if you can act under pressure?
Sports coaches suggest that you need to envisage and prepare for them so that under pressure you can see what is happening to you and quickly react and remedy the situation. It is the same for your success in your ACCA exams.
When you are wobbling sports coaches recommend these techniques (adapted to your SBL exam):
- Centre yourself – become self-aware in the present moment
- Consciously refocus on your exam plan and exam techniques
- Get up and move! Take a short loo break to reset yourself
- Simply focus on the key words in the next task
Simply envisaging doing these points calmly in the exam gives you a mental picture of you actually doing it. This is important because you can now see yourself doing it. This is the basis of successful sports psychology and for your peak performance in all ACCA exams.
How does this work? Some argue it is the act of bringing the feared situation into your mind in advance allows you to shine the light on it and allowing you to consider your response in advance. You now have a plan for how to react if the exam wobbles strike. Forewarned is forearmed.
This process could be a very useful mental preparation. We will go over these points in the Revision Course. All part of your SBL preparation here at PAT. Because ‘Peak Performance’ is no accident. Because we have prepared well – even for those moments when it feels like you are sinking.