Failed ALP exam twice — what am I missing in my prep? — Forums

Amanda H.OP

May 27, 2026

So I've been at this for a few months now and I honestly feel like I'm spinning my wheels. Took the ALP exam back in February, scored a 68 — passing is 75 — then hit the books hard for six weeks and retook it last month. Got a 71. Better, but still not there. I'm starting to think my study approach is just fundamentally off.

My routine has been reading the official manual cover to cover, then doing random practice questions I found scattered around the internet. But I'm wondering if I need a proper ALP study guide that actually mirrors the exam format. A coworker mentioned that a lot of those free question banks don't reflect the current version of the exam at all, which might explain why my practice scores don't match my actual results.

Has anyone found a solid ALP practice test resource that actually helped them close the gap? I'm targeting 80+ so I have some cushion. Any exam tips on which topic areas tend to trip people up most would be seriously appreciated right now.

Chris D.

May 28, 2026

I was in almost the exact same spot last year — two attempts, kept landing in the low 70s. What finally worked for me was ditching the random free questions and doing timed, full-length practice exams under real conditions. The time pressure is no joke, and I wasn't used to it. Once I started treating practice like the actual thing, my score jumped 9 points on my third attempt. Also, the leadership competency section is way heavier than most people expect. Don't neglect it.

Daniel M.

May 28, 2026

Honest question — are you reviewing your wrong answers and actually understanding WHY you missed them, or just moving on? I used to just check the answer key and keep going. Big mistake. I started spending twice as long on missed questions as I did on the actual practice test itself. Writing out the reasoning in my own words helped it stick. Sounds tedious but it's the difference between memorizing and actually learning. Also worth looking at the official content outline and checking if your study guide actually covers every domain.

Nicole F.

May 28, 2026

Don't sleep on the situational judgment questions — those are the ones that look obvious but have a best-among-good-answers trap buried in them. I lost probably 8 points on that section before I figured out the pattern. Once you see it, you can't unsee it.

Failed ALP exam twice — what am I missing in my prep?

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