Positive thinking and building self-confidence

Correct answer: A. Expressing gratitude every day

Explanation: The governing concept is cultivating an optimistic and balanced outlook through daily habits. Expressing gratitude helps a person notice support, opportunities, and positive experiences instead of focusing only on shortcomings. Therefore, option A is correct. Finding faults, giving up because of fear, and ignoring achievements reinforce negativity or weaken self-belief rather than developing positive thinking.

Correct answer: B. How can I complete it in small steps?

Explanation: The governing concept is solution-focused positive thinking supported by manageable action. Asking, “How can I complete it in small steps?” turns a large or difficult task into a sequence of achievable actions, making planning and persistence easier. Option B is correct. Avoiding the task, blaming someone, or questioning the value of effort does not solve the difficulty and may reduce confidence.

Correct answer: C. Effort and proper preparation

Explanation: A self-confident person usually recognises the role of personal effort, preparation, learning, and sometimes support from others in achieving success. Giving all credit to luck ignores the work that developed the result, while blaming others or breaking rules is neither responsible nor a reliable path to achievement. Thus, effort and proper preparation are the most appropriate answer.

Correct answer: D. When proper guidance is needed after trying

Explanation: Asking for guidance after making a genuine effort shows responsibility and willingness to learn. A learner can use help to understand a method and then continue independently. Refusing to work, shifting all responsibility, or seeking an answer without effort is dependence, not constructive help-seeking.

Correct answer: A. Today I will give my best effort

Explanation: Thinking, “I will give my best effort today,” focuses on controllable action and creates a hopeful, practical start. It does not promise that everything will be perfect; it encourages sincere work. The other statements predict failure, helplessness, or avoidance before the day begins.

Correct answer: B. They provide motivation and learning

Explanation: Stories of successful people can show how effort, patience, planning, and learning helped them handle challenges. Such examples may motivate a student and offer ideas, but they do not guarantee effortless success or remove every difficulty. Inspiration must still be followed by personal action.

Correct answer: C. At regular intervals

Explanation: Reviewing progress at regular intervals helps a learner notice completed goals, continuing difficulties, and changes needed in the plan. Seeing improvement can strengthen confidence, while identifying gaps supports further practice. Waiting only for failure or others' comments gives an incomplete picture.

Correct answer: D. You tried well and can improve next time

Explanation: A supportive response recognises the friend's effort and communicates that improvement is possible. It avoids defining the person by one result and encourages reflection and future practice. Insults, hopeless predictions, or telling the friend to stop trying can damage motivation and confidence.

Correct answer: A. Accepting the problem and finding a solution

Explanation: Positive thinking remains connected to facts. It acknowledges the problem, considers what can be controlled, and searches for a practical solution. Denying the difficulty, relying only on imagination, or assuming success without preparation is unrealistic and does not help a person take effective action.

Correct answer: B. I will practise for twenty minutes daily

Explanation: A confidence-building goal should be specific, realistic, and connected with regular action. Option B sets a clear duration and a repeatable daily behaviour, so completing it can provide evidence of progress and strengthen self-belief. Options A, C, and D are unrealistic because they promise instant mastery, success without practice, or complete freedom from mistakes. Sustainable effort is more useful than perfection.

Correct answer: C. I have strengths and areas to improve

Explanation: Healthy confidence includes an accurate view of oneself: recognising genuine strengths while accepting that some skills can improve. This balanced view encourages learning without self-insult. Believing one knows everything or can never be wrong is overconfidence, while judging others does not build real self-knowledge.

Correct answer: D. Stay calm and attempt the next question

Explanation: If one answer is difficult, remain calm, move to a question you can attempt, and return later if time permits. This protects time and prevents one problem from affecting the whole paper. Leaving, panicking, or copying is neither effective examination behaviour nor honest learning.

Correct answer: A. It can reduce negative thinking and increase confidence

Explanation: Positive self-talk replaces harsh, absolute thoughts with balanced and encouraging statements, such as recognising effort and the possibility of improvement. With practice, this may reduce unhelpful negative thinking and support confidence. It cannot instantly solve every problem, replace study, or prevent all sadness.

Correct answer: B. Preparing and learning from the result

Explanation: Lasting confidence comes from preparing carefully, making a genuine effort, reviewing the result, and learning what to improve. This approach accepts both success and mistakes as information. Self-praise without work, denial of errors, or constant comparison with others is less balanced and may create pressure.

Correct answer: C. I can improve at this through practice

Explanation: The thought that practice can lead to improvement is positive and realistic. It recognises personal influence and leaves room for learning after difficulty. The other statements use hopeless or absolute ideas, treat one mistake as final, or deny the role of effort, all of which can weaken motivation.

Correct answer: D. Setting small goals and completing them

Explanation: Small, realistic goals provide manageable opportunities for action and success. Completing them gives evidence that effort can produce progress, which strengthens confidence and prepares the learner for larger challenges. Hiding mistakes, copying others, or avoiding all difficulty prevents genuine skill development.

Correct answer: A. Learn from the mistake and try again

Explanation: Positive thinking treats failure as information about what needs to change. The student can review the mistake, seek guidance if needed, practise, and attempt the task again. Stopping study, blaming others, or hiding the result avoids responsibility and removes the chance to learn from the experience.

Correct answer: D. Accepts the mistake and tries to correct it

Explanation: Self-confidence does not mean believing that one is always right. A confident student can accept a mistake without feeling worthless, examine its cause, and make a correction or try a better method. This response shows responsibility and a willingness to learn. Refusing to admit the error, quitting permanently, or blaming another student avoids learning and weakens improvement.

Correct answer: A. Self-confidence increases

Explanation: Recognising genuine strengths helps a person understand existing abilities and use them effectively. This awareness can increase confidence while still leaving room to improve weaker areas. It does not make every weakness disappear, remove the value of support, or make every task automatically easy.

Correct answer: B. It motivates a person to find a solution

Explanation: Positive thinking directs attention toward what can be understood, changed, or attempted in a difficult situation. This encourages solution-focused action and persistence. It does not hide problems, guarantee success without preparation, or remove every worry instantly; it changes the response to difficulty.

Correct answer: C. One's own past performance

Explanation: Comparing present performance with one's own earlier performance highlights personal progress and identifies the next improvement step. Everyone has different starting points and circumstances, so constant comparison with classmates or social-media images can create unfair pressure. Healthy comparison is used for self-improvement, not superiority.

Correct answer: D. I failed once so I can never succeed

Explanation: The last statement turns one failure into a permanent judgement about the future. Words such as “never” often signal all-or-nothing thinking and ignore the possibility of practice and change. The other statements accept effort, learning, or practice, so they are more constructive and realistic.

Correct answer: A. Practising regularly

Explanation: Regular practice develops competence and gives repeated opportunities to notice improvement. As skills become stronger, confidence can grow on a genuine basis. Avoiding challenges prevents experience, forgetting achievements hides evidence of progress, and insulting oneself creates shame rather than useful motivation.

Correct answer: B. Encouraging the friend to continue trying

Explanation: A discouraged friend benefits from respectful listening, encouragement, and practical support. Encouraging continued effort communicates that the present difficulty is not the end and that improvement is possible. Mockery, silence, or comparison may increase shame and pressure instead of helping the friend regain confidence.

Correct answer: D. I will practise for twenty minutes daily this week

Explanation: Practising for twenty minutes each day this week is specific, measurable, time-bound, and reasonably achievable. Completing it can create a real sense of progress and strengthen confidence. The other goals are vague, unrealistic, dependent on constant comparison, or disconnected from the practice needed for success.