Finally passed my ADRA exam after two attempts — here's what actually helped

So I just got my results back yesterday and I passed with a 78, which honestly felt like winning the lottery after failing by four points in February. I work in claims at a mid-size regional carrier and my supervisor basically told me the certification would be a condition of my next performance review, so the pressure was real. First time around I just read through the manual twice and figured that'd be enough. Spoiler: it was not.

What actually turned things around was finding a decent ADRA practice test that mirrored the real question structure — the actual exam is way more scenario-based than I expected. A lot of it is less about memorizing definitions and more about applying reinsurance accounting principles to specific situations. Facultative vs treaty distinctions kept tripping me up until I started doing timed drills.

Curious if anyone else has been through this recently. How long did you study and which topics gave you the most trouble? I spent about six weeks the second time, probably 45 minutes a day, and finally felt ready. Would love to compare notes on the exam tips that worked for different people.