Case Studies

After failing previously, Peter (not the person’s real name) was delighted to achieve a mark of 60 in the May 2011 exam. We asked how he prepared for this attempt.

How did you approach your revision?

“I made sure I had the core skills: I made my practice purposeful. One thing I had not done before was practice case studies repeatedly until it was like clockwork. Every second that you practice a question to time, is as if it was the real thing. I reassured myself I had the best teaching available. I also improved my studying techniques drastically.”

Did you have tactics for keeping focused during your preparation phase?

“I maintained my work-life balance: I planned adequate time for study but also made sure I had friends, and got fresh air. Detach from the study otherwise the sight of rules bores your brain. Use no alcohol, get to the gym (even the day before the exam), and sleep well. Do not work late. In terms of mental robustness, I found it important to identify and deal with any areas of anxiety, take them for what they are and be mindful they exist but do not be afraid, you have a job to do – chin up.”

How did you approach the live exam?

“Preparation is important: I turned up on the day one and half hours in advance. I sat in a café and literally wrote (short hand) some of the relevant facts. It got the information flowing through my mind, my brain switched on and settled.

“Timing is also important: Ultimately, all the questions are worth equal marks. I learnt to move on after my time on that section is done. Start afresh for the each section. I put a small box at the top right hand corner of my planning sheet for sub-sections of the question. This kept me on track and stopped me running over time.

“Planning is essential: Plan each answer in quite a bit of depth. I did okay at this previously but the rough work helped me to be regimented, ensured a flow to the answer, and covered all vital parts. I did not do a front cover or terms of reference. Spend time on what can get you the most marks for.

“Self-belief: Silly as it sounds I had a small flashcard with a few points that I read to myself in the exam while others gazed around and chit chattered. I once read that pro athletes do the same before a big event. They tell themselves repeatedly they can do it, literally convincing themselves.”

Any final words of advice for a student taking future exams?

“For me the key changes I made between my failing attempts and passing were:

1. Purposeful practice – as much as it took for me to learn

2. Making sure I nailed timing & planning

3. Knowing and using business concepts and issues.