How to challenge negative talk about failing in an exam?

If I fail in an exam, I am finish — Unhelpful thought as it falls under “In all or nothing”

Evidence for supporting this thought:

I will not get a seat in the premier college

My parents always dreamt of me being in a premier college and I will disappoint them.

I will be considered as failure in front of my friend’s eyes

Evidence for not supporting this thought:

Not everyone who is successful is from a premier college. My parents dreams are to realised by them

When my friend failed, we encouraged and motivated him as success and failures are part of life.

I have other options to choose and I can make a living and lead a good life, with or without ace marks.

Balanced thought: I am going to give my best while I prepare and write the test. I will look out for other options that make me equally successful.

Challenging your negative thoughts repeatedly will help you push your limits positively. One of the most common negative thoughts, that you may miss to realise as negative is perfectionism. Understand perfection is overrated.

If you see yourself repeatedly procrastinating, it means you have not set realistic goals and waiting till the last moment to give yourself an excuse for not doing well.

If you are getting too bored while preparing, it also means you have not set realistic goals. You are so worried about taking risks that you are playing in the most comfort zone that the challenge is not stimulating enough for you.

Take the Student Success stress test here and get to know a scientific pathway to getting high scores and excelling in any exam.