How to overcome setbacks and ace your qualification

Here’s why perseverance and adopting a positive attitude is so important as a student on your AAT journey.

Failing an assessment or hitting a bump in your studies can feel like the end of the world. But setbacks are part of the learning process. Every successful accountant has faced challenges along the way. What matters is how you respond.

If you’ve just had disappointing results or you’re struggling to stay motivated, here’s how to turn things around:

1. Pause, breathe and put it in perspective

It’s natural to feel frustrated or anxious after a setback. Give yourself permission to feel those emotions – then take a moment to reflect on your situation. One assessment doesn’t define your ability or your future career.

Why not try a quick breathing exercise to calm your mind: inhale for five seconds, hold for five, exhale for five and repeat five times. This simple technique lowers stress and helps you think clearly before planning your next steps.

2. Shift your mindset from confidence to motivation

Confidence often comes after success, not before. Instead, focus on motivation. Ask yourself, ‘Why am I doing this?’ Is it for a promotion, a new career, or financial independence? Visualising your end goal can reignite your determination to do well.  

3. Learn from what went wrong

Failure isn’t final, it just offers you feedback into your performance, so always review your assessment report or mock results. Did you run out of time, misread questions, or struggle with written tasks? Common pitfalls include poor time management and skipping checks at the end. Use leftover time to review answers and practise under timed conditions.

4. Create conditions for success

It’s always worth using different techniques to get used to working under pressure:

• Simulate exam conditions: during practice, remain silent and don’t take on any distractions.
• Break revision into chunks: 30 – 40 minutes is a good starting point with short breaks.
• Use active techniques: use mock papers or Green Light tests on the Lifelong Learning Portal to get ready for the real thing.

5. Build resilience through self-kindness

Self-criticism can drain your energy. Instead, practise self-compassion. It can be tough at first, but noticing negative self-talk and replacing this comment with a positive spin can help retrain your brain and boost motivation.  For example, “I must” can change to “I choose to”, or “I can’t pass this assessment” transforms into “I have a great opportunity to pass this assessment”.

Always celebrate small wins and write down these achievements to look back on if you encounter difficult times. You may also like to set realistic expectations of yourself while you study.

6. Reach out as you’re not alone

Join AAT forums, WhatsApp groups or Silent Study Sessions to connect with others on the same journey as you. Sharing experiences and tips with other peers can reduce stress and combats feelings of isolation.

7. Keep the end goal in sight

Every accountant who’s qualified through AAT has faced obstacles. Take inspiration from AAT members like Dana Henželová, or Deepika Deepika who overcame huge adversity to achieve their AAT qualifications. Everyone has an inspiring story to tell, so take encouragement from others and apply their willingness to your own studies.

Student support

Don’t forget that AAT offers a range of resources to help you manage stress, improve your study techniques and stay motivated:

• AAT Wellbeing Hub: access webinars, videos and articles on managing stress, building resilience and staying positive.
• Lifelong Learning Portal: find practice assessments, e-learning tools and guidance documents to strengthen your knowledge.
• Green Light Tests: trial how will you understand something and identify areas for improvement before your next assessment.
• AAT Discussion Forums – Connect with other students, share experiences and get peer support.

Further reading

We answer your most common concerns when it comes to studying with AAT

AAT students: what are chief examiner reports and how can they help you?

From AAT student to AAT member: the next steps for your career

Harry Rogers is AAT Comment’s news writer.