Finally passed my ASE certification after failing twice — here's what worked

So I've been a shade-tree mechanic for about eight years and decided last year to finally get my ASE A1 Engine Repair certification to move into a dealership job. Failed the first attempt with a 62 (passing is 70) and honestly I was devastated. Second attempt I got a 68. So embarrassing.

What finally turned things around was actually doing structured practice. I found a solid AUTOMOTIVE MECHANICS practice test site and started treating it like a real exam — timed sessions, no phone, logged every question I got wrong. Spent about 6 weeks, maybe 45 minutes a night. The study guide sections on fuel injection and valve timing were where I had the most gaps, apparently.

Third attempt I scored a 79. Anyone else here grinding through ASE certs? Curious what topics tripped you up most — for me it was the engine performance questions, specifically anything involving scan tool data interpretation. Happy to share more exam tips if it helps someone else not waste $36 on a retake fee.