It is natural for us to stay in our comfort zones and not stretch ourselves. Our brains are hardwired to seek pleasure and to avoid pain. When I lecture intelligent students like Ernesta, I encourage them to stretch themselves and do more.

When sitting professional exams, we must prepare for the unexpected. You never know what you might face on the day, so I believe in pushing my students to give just that bit extra. When they do this, something amazing happens.

In life, we do not rise to the level of our expectations. Instead, we fall to the level of our training. This is why rigorous exam question practice and learning the key information is fundamental to passing exams.

It is gratifying to hear from Ernesta years later and find out that she has built an amazing career having been a Finance Director and a Financial Controller. What’s even more amazing is she still remembers my lectures.

If you are planning on doing Tax or Advanced Tax in June 2022, I hope I can help you pass your exams.