The Pony Club
Instructors Conference
Exam taking: Art or Science?
Nikki Heath
Symbiotics Ltd
Statements
 Some
exams can naturally deselect/select a particular type.
 Some people are good exam takers but
are less effective in the working or
performing environment
 Some exams do not test the
appropriate skill sets for effective long
term performance
Good Examinees: Born or Made?
 Ability
to feel they can change situation – not
a victim of fate
 Self Efficacy/belief
 Perspectives – interpretation of events and
attribution
 Ability to manage uncertainty - robustness
 Ability to deal with criticism – resilience
 Preparedness and attitude – self defeater or
perfectionist
Added kick for equestrians…
…..Effects of the horse!
Why
Because..
They add a large element of uncertainty…
uncertainty is the biggest cause of anxiety
Anxiety has a major impact on performance
Loss of performance impacts on confidence….
The horse reacts to confidence…
Candidate differences

Personality differences
• Perfectionist
• Self Defeater

Learning Styles
• Technical
• Intuitive

Background, experience
planning and training

Beliefs and style
• Attribution
• Anxiety type
Cognitive and Physical Tasks
 Ability
to sustain both effectively under
pressure
 Associated to learning style
 Continuous open loop tasks heavily
affected by intervention of thought
 Anxiety type – somatic or cognitive
Anxiety Type

Somatic signs
•
•
•
•

Tense and jerky
Hesitant
Sweating
Aggressive
Cognitive signs
• Joking and laughing
• Yawning and lethargic
• Poor concentration and
focus
Interpretation of Behaviours
Stand Offish
Aggressive and rude
Rushing and stressy
Laid back and friendly –
but always late
Anxious – cognitive and somatic
Low confidence
(Highly focussed)
Over/under confident - perfectionist
Anxious - somatic
External attributer
Planning problems
Lack of confidence and feeling out of
control
Anxious – cognitive
Self defeater
Exam Conflicts
 Personal
Goals vs Exam Goals
 Personal Goals vs actual ability (dissonance)
 Preparation vs reality
 Perception of control
 Over confidence vs under confident
• Equestrian proneness to self consciousness
 Over
prepared
• Rigidity
• Violation of expectation
The impact of the horse
A learning organism that is also
affected by environment
 Is inconsistent and unpredictable
 Can cause feelings of unequal playing
field – creating anger or despondency

The impact of the examiner
 Communication
style
 Perceptions of candidate behaviour
 Body language
 Perceptions by candidate of examiner
behaviour
Controllable Internal wind ups
 Feeling
of not belonging
 Fear of opinion – Gamesmanship
 Guilt – responsibility of expectation
 Lack of self belief
 Under horsed/under prepared
 Over tired and under resourced
 Not in control – attribution and planning
4 Cs of effective performance
 Communication
 Control
• Planning and preparedness
• Self management
 Confidence
• Anxiety
• Attribution
• Self Efficacy
 Commitment
• Stickability and resilience
Strong Candidates
 Preparedness
 Fall
back strategy and flexibility
 Ability to park problems or negative feelings
 Understanding of organisational issues
 Understanding of own contribution to
problems
 Taking control
 Understanding own personal triggers and
flashpoints
Examiners
 Preparedness
and planning
 Effective communication
 Even handedness
 Understanding of the external issues if
they have occurred – knowing when to
be flexible
 Tolerance when faced with a display of
internally produced behaviours
Questions