How To Deal With Exam Failure 

Written by Hannah Macdonald, Founder of Accountancy Hub. Accountancy Hub is a platform and support service for all accountancy trainees which focusses on wellbeing, inclusion and building a community of trainee accountants across the UK.

If you have failed an accountancy exam, it might feel like the end of the world (I know it did for me). It could be the first time you have ever failed an exam and you might be left wondering if this is really the qualification for you, or even if this is the career for you. 

Stop and take a breather. 

Professional accountancy exams are challenging and it is not unusual to fail an exam. Did you know 26% failed recent ICAEW Professional Level Exams? You are not alone. It’s time to put that resilience to the test and get yourself prepared for the resit. Below are my top tips for sitting your exam resit in style:

1. Take a short break – Take some time to get over the exam fail, which can be a hill to climb if you worked really hard. Spend some time with family and friends, do activities you enjoy and ensure you feel refreshed for starting study again. It might be tempting to take a long break, but don’t forget how much knowledge you have acquired and this can be used to your advantage. Wellbeing is so important for effective studying so ensure you are getting enough sleep, staying hydrated and doing some exercise. 
2. Think about where you went wrong – If you can request your exam paper to see how it was marked, I’d recommend you do this. If that’s not possible, reflect on your exam experience. Did you run out of time? Did you skip questions? Did you struggle with a certain topic? This reflection time can help you to plan your revision effectively and seek the appropriate extra support should you require it. 
3. Seek additional support if you need it – You are not alone when it comes to resitting an exam. Could you speak to your tutor? Perhaps you would benefit from additional technical support from a resit course or a private tutor. Alternatively, there are exam coaches out there who support students with exam technique and accountability. Please don’t struggle in silence!
4. Be strategic about a resit date – Try not to resit the exam too soon and risk failing again. It is better to be well prepared, confident and ready to pass than be back in the same situation in a few week’s time. Having said that, you don’t want to forget the amazing knowledge you have absorbed, so booking an exam in 6 months could result in a loss of momentum and the content of the exam won’t be as fresh in your mind when revising. Look ahead in your calendar to ensure you book your exam at a suitable time when you can really focus in the lead up to the resit date. 
5. Develop a revision plan- Develop a revision plan and stick to it. It’s important that the revision plan is realistic and allows you to study around work and other commitments. Scheduling 5 hours studying per day will only lead to procrastination and then disappointment if you don’t meet your goals. Try to break studying into short segments (no more than 1 hour), then have a short break. Perhaps you can do 30 minutes of revision at lunch times or an hour before work? Discover a routine which works best for you and ensures you can be consistent. 

It is never easy to re-open the books and ‘start again’ but in actual fact you are not starting from scratch at all. Failure is learning and you are now in a much better place to become confident in the technical content and more familiar with the exam technique (which will support you in future exams). Reframe the resit as an opportunity for growth.

You’ve got this!