Topic outline

  • Cambridge Personal Styles Questionnaire® (CPSQ) for schools
    Competency: Coping
    • Coping


      Let's start by thinking about what this term actually means.

      According to the Cambridge English Dictionary online, to cope means to ‘deal successfully with a difficult situation’

      For the purposes of your CPSQ report, ‘coping’ is about how you respond to different situations, challenges and changes. When you are coping you may feel happy and confident. When you are struggling to cope you may feel anxious or out of control. Feeling like this is a natural reaction to challenging situations.

      If you feel like you are not coping on a regular basis then you should speak to a close friend, family member or a teacher.

    • Reflective Questions


      Identify strategies to help you cope in different situations.



    • Create your persona


      How do you feel when you’re coping well with a situation? How do you feel when you’re not coping with a situation?

      Use the resources below to create your persona. You can drag the labels in the interactive graphic or download your own version.


    • Coping strategies


      Review the poster or download your own version - how might any of these strategies help you?


    • Goals


      Complete three goals. For each you need to consider what your goal is and why it is a goal. You then need to plan what steps or strategies you will use in the next week, month, and longer.

      You should think about your CPSQ report, the reflective questions, your persona, and the coping strategies you have focused on.

    • Goal review


      To review your goals, complete these review questions. You can use these for each of your goals, and complete them in any way that you wish - this may be part of a discussion, a personal review, or further notes.


    • Coping with demands