Failure - how do you cope?

lewpylew

So far I have managed to pass all my AAT exams but yesterday I did business tax and know I have failed it(not just a feeling - I really messed up section 1). How did you get through when you have done badly and is it easy to bounce back?

I am sure I'll be ok in a few days but just feeling really low today and frustrated with myself. Got personal tax on friday so need to work my socks off as I am scared of suffering the same fate.

Thanks : )

Ed1

I'm in the same position as you, really messed up Section 1 on BTC yesterday.

The way I see it is that is was essentially an easy paper, so a re-take for me along with my final Technician exams next June will not be the end of the world.

Ideally I would have liked to get it out of the way as MAC and DFS are going to be a hard slog, but I have already booked off a lot of time next June to properly prepare for taking 3 exams.

Yes, it is annoying and a disappointment, but it's far from a disaster and it shouldn't make any difference to the date I finally complete the Technician Level.

Good luck for Friday.

GGG

Hi,

I know how you feel-I am in exactly the same sytuation-passed everything so far. Was hoping for pushing through BTC and PTC this term and finish the whole AAT course espectialy that I have a baby on its way. Left yesterday's exam quite confident and then read a bit of forum realising that I totally messed everything up in secion 1 and a bit in secition 2.
I am gutted but I guess there is nothing we can do now.
Good luck anyway!

Symbol

Try to not be too hard on yourself. The step up from Intermediate level to Technical level is massive.

I found over the last three years that the marking system sometimes surprises you. Worse case you can always resit.

Hang in there and try to not let it affect your exam on Friday.

lewpylew

Thanks - really helps to feel I am not alone. Goodness knows why I am so upset - just frustration I guess! Albeit I only need 1 of these exams to pass the course I will retake if needs be in June as I won't give up!

Luckily I have just DFS to do in June as did PCR/PEV last summer.....

At least with personal tax there is less to get confused & fingers crossed there is a shares question as I love those!!

lizrochford

I felt the same lewpylew when I failed PCR in June I felt so low and disappointed but you do bounce back and it makes you even more determined to pass the next time. You never know you may surprise yourself and pass.

Brownie3

Did you revise and prepare properly? Did you do you best? if the answer to both is yes, then if you failed so be it, you did your best, that's all that can be asked.

I've got my final exam on friday, PTC, I'll fly through it, but if I fail, then I'll take it on the chin, and pass it in June next year.

Be proud of what you have achieved so far!

aimeexox

This page just made me feel a million times better, ive been crying almost constantly since yesterday ha. Definately messed up the BTC section 1. Got PCR tomorrow and its not looking too good, I can do all the past papers before Dec 07 and then it all goes horribly wrong, I just don't understand what the examiner wants!! So i'll probably be resitting both in June but atleast I can say I tried...

lewpylew

Thanks everyone - I feel a lot better now. Had a few teary moments but hey nothing I can do about it now. Just will work my socks off to learn FA 2009 come feb and pass 2nd time around! Must get back to PTC studying as want to pass one of the 2!

blobbyh

Some of you on this thread are fairly new to the forum, so speaking as one of the long-time forum members, we see these 'failure' topics crop up occasionally. You'd not be too surprised that immediately post-exam there are often many people saying they've done badly and when are the next resits as they'll almost certainly be attending. Usually, these people stress for almost two months only to find out in February/August that they've passed after all and have worried for nothing.

Don't always judge your answers against those of others as they could be wrong not you and some of the wordier answers may be interpreted the same way but just put differently. Unless you have a complete mental breakdown in your exams or are absolutely certain that you've failed as you didn't answer a single thing correctly, don't worry constantly for the next two months as you'll be a complete wreck by the time you probably find out you've passed.

Andrewh26

aimeexox wrote: »

This page just made me feel a million times better, ive been crying almost constantly since yesterday ha. Definately messed up the BTC section 1. Got PCR tomorrow and its not looking too good, I can do all the past papers before Dec 07 and then it all goes horribly wrong, I just don't understand what the examiner wants!! So i'll probably be resitting both in June but atleast I can say I tried...

I know exactly what you mean with this. Just what happened to PCR since then?? I have passed everything apart from PCR. I have failed a few times, and again today I feel that I have failed yet again, section 1 and again feel I've passed section 2 which is much easier! How can this be fair!? It's just so confusing where to take figures from half the time. I think I'm going to need some serious help to pass this exam.

Criggers

Hi guys and gals,
I started AAT Foundation/Intermediate two years ago having always passed things first time (unless you count a D grade in French GCSE as failing =D ). I did L2/L3 as full time before managing to land a job in accounts and started Technician as day release.
Well, I had the worst time in Technician because I suffered a broken jaw in the July before it started and I was waiting for a 2nd operation (that eventually happened on the 23rd December, nice!) which really affected things. I stuffed up DFS in December'08 and was gutted. My mind was all over the place and couldn't remember anything yet as soon as I left the exam room I knew what I had done wrong. Even things I had corrected friends on the night before the exam! Other things I just didn't know or couldn't remember.
So I planned on working hard and studying all three exams for the June sittings but come May I was back in hospital for a 3rd operation and this affected studying and work again! I decided only to sit the PCR since I hadn't been able to do much study and I thought it was the "simpler" of the three passed it. So in one year doing AAT Technician I had successfully got through PCR and effectively failed DFS twice and PEV (one DFS in Dec and I would have failed both in June if i went into the exams).
Fast forward to September this year, I studied from home with the odd evening sat quietly at the back of my old tutors class room (I didnt fancy paying the enrolment fee again!) I came into this exam week having done lots of studying and revision and I feel reasonably confident about passing both the PEV and DFS (Feb 16th is painfully distant date at the moment).
Anyway what I am trying to say is, after having a torrid time failing DFS and then only sitting one of three exams in June I could easily have given up. DFS was the worst as I knew I had failed but seeing it on paper was the killer for me.
If you fail, you can regroup, refocus and be stronger for it. In some ways it's a blessing I didn't pass Technician last year as I wouldn't have known how I had passed. Now I understand the whole subject better and, should i pass, i will feel rewarded and proud of myself for the time i have invested.
Failing is never a nice thing, but it shouldn't be treated so negatively.
So.... How to deal with failing? Turn it into something positive, assess why you went wrong and make the most of the next exam!
Now then, time for me to go and revise the IAS standards in case I've failed again!

A-Vic

blobbyh wrote: »

Some of you on this thread are fairly new to the forum, so speaking as one of the long-time forum members, we see these 'failure' topics crop up occasionally. You'd not be too surprised that immediately post-exam there are often many people saying they've done badly and when are the next resits as they'll almost certainly be attending. Usually, these people stress for almost two months only to find out in February/August that they've passed after all and have worried for nothing.

Don't always judge your answers against those of others as they could be wrong not you and some of the wordier answers may be interpreted the same way but just put differently. Unless you have a complete mental breakdown in your exams or are absolutely certain that you've failed as you didn't answer a single thing correctly, don't worry constantly for the next two months as you'll be a complete wreck by the time you probably find out you've passed.

You know what tho robert every year and exam i feel like ive failed nd am a mess and am always suprised when i get the compitent but wont stop me feeling the worst