The Road to Qualification: How to Stay Motivated During Your Finance Exams
You open your revision book and suddenly feel the urge to reorganise your sock drawer. Sound familiar?
Here’s something I have never heard a qualified accountant say:
“I really regret qualifying.”
But too often, I have heard candidates say:
“I wish I’d finished. It’s held me back.”
I speak to part-qualified accountants every day who have not completed their studies. Most are highly capable professionals with a lot to offer, but many feel their careers have stalled because they didn’t complete their exams. The recurring theme? They could have done it. They just needed better support.
So, if you are staring down the barrel of another exam season, trying to juggle a demanding job, revision, and some form of social life, this is for you.
1. The Work and Study Tug of War
Balancing full-time work with professional exams is a challenge. Even in supportive environments, the demands of the day job can bleed into evenings and weekends, making focused study feel impossible.
Start by treating your study time with the same respect you give to meetings or deadlines. Block it out in your calendar and protect it. Communicate clearly with your manager and team, so they understand what you are committing to. Consistency, not perfection, is what will carry you through.
2. Study Guilt Versus Sanity
There will be weeks when you feel completely in control. There will also be weeks when the idea of opening your notes feels overwhelming. That is completely normal.
The key is to accept that the process will have ups and downs. You cannot be at your best every day, and you don’t need to be. Allow yourself rest. Take time away from the screen. Avoid slipping into the trap of feeling guilty for every hour not spent revising. You are a human being, not a machine.
3. The Power of a Peer Group
Studying can be a lonely experience if you try to do it all on your own. Finding a network of people who are going through the same thing can make all the difference.
Whether it is classmates from your study centre, colleagues at work, or connections in online forums, build relationships with people on the same path. Use each other to stay accountable, ask questions, share resources, and occasionally just to let off steam. Even a simple WhatsApp group can make things feel more manageable.
4. Ask for Help
You might be surprised by what support is available if you take the time to ask. Some candidates we have worked with only discovered they were entitled to study leave, tuition funding, or exam retakes after speaking up.
Don’t assume your employer won’t help. Have a proper conversation with your manager or HR team about what you need. If you are putting in the effort to qualify, a good employer should be willing to meet you halfway.
5. Know Your Why
Motivation can wear thin during a long study journey. When it does, having a clear reason for continuing is essential.
That reason could be career progression, financial improvement, personal achievement, or simply proving something to yourself. Whatever it is, write it down. Remind yourself regularly. It is easy to lose sight of the bigger picture when you are knee-deep in deferred tax or audit theory, but that picture is why you started in the first place.
6. If They Will Not Support You, Change Jobs
Not every employer understands the value of professional development. If your company refuses to support your studies, makes you feel guilty for taking time to revise, or dismisses the importance of your exams, it may be time to move on.
There are organisations out there that genuinely invest in their people. They see value in helping you get qualified and want you to succeed. If that is not the environment you are currently in, speak to us. We work with businesses that will back you every step of the way.
And When You Get There
Completing your qualification opens doors. Real ones. Once you have those letters after your name, no one can take them away. You become more mobile, more credible, and more in control of your career.
So, if you are in the middle of revision, feeling stuck or overwhelmed, please don’t give up. You are not failing. You are progressing. Quietly, steadily, and with a goal in mind.
And when you are ready to take the next step whether that is after one more exam or three we will be here.