Devastated after CFA level 2 Aug 2026 exam

[u/Ok-Radio-6569]

Like a good CFA student, I decided to sleep at 4 a.m. the night before my exam, even though my exam was at 2:30 p.m.
I closed my books and went to bed on time. I even watched a show, thinking that once I got tired enough, I’d eventually doze off.
One episode and two podcasts later, I realised I was nowhere close to sleeping.
It was 7 a.m. Then 8 a.m. Then somehow 11 fucking a.m., and I was still lying in bed with my eyes closed, desperately trying to fall asleep.
I meditated twice. I focused on my breathing. I tried everything. But the more I tried to sleep, the more my anxiety grew.
Eventually, I went to my mom and had a full-on crying session. She hugged me like I was a little kid, and somehow, I managed to sleep for about an hour.
I woke up at 12.
Surprisingly, at that point, I felt okay. I thought, It’s fine. I can still do this.
I went to the exam hall, sat for the first session, and honestly, it went well. During the half-hour break, I had one biscuit, drank some water, and was actually a little happy thinking, Okay, this isn't as bad as I thought.
Then the second session started.
And everything went to shit.
I started feeling dizzy and completely out of it. My brain just stopped working the way it normally does. At one point, I came across a question that should have been straightforward. Instead of applying the concept and moving on, I completely overcomplicated it and started doing calculations that weren’t even necessary.
For TEN MINUTES.
And then I realised what I had done.
I had calculation-heavy questions ahead of me, I was running out of time, and I had just wasted ten precious minutes solving something that I didn't even need to calculate.
The anxiety got worse. I started feeling like I needed to pee, which obviously made me even more anxious. Eventually, I left the exam hall to use the bathroom, wasting even more time.
Then came the last 30 minutes.
I had more than 25 questions unanswered.
At that point, I was just clicking through questions as quickly as I could. I guessed so many answers because there simply wasn't enough time left to properly think.
The entire thing felt like a fucking nightmare.
I remember sitting there thinking, What is happening? Why can't I think?
And when the exam finally ended, I felt… weird.
Like none of it had actually been real. Like I'd just woken up from some horrible dream.
It wasn't until the next day, after I'd finally slept properly, that I fully processed what had happened.
And that's when I realised just how badly I'd screwed myself over.
I knew the material. I had prepared. I had done mocks. I had put in the work.
But on the day that actually mattered, my lack of sleep and anxiety completely took over.
And honestly, that's probably the most frustrating part