Okay so I've been lurking here for months and figured I owed it to this community to post my experience. I failed the CHA exam twice — first time by 11 points, second time by 4. I was devastated after that second attempt because I'd studied for six weeks straight. The problem was I kept using the same approach: just re-reading my textbook and hoping things would stick.
What finally clicked for the third attempt was switching to active recall. I found a solid CHA practice test resource and started doing timed question sets every single day, even just 20-30 questions in the morning before work. I also grabbed a CHA study guide that broke down food safety regs and sanitation protocols by category — that structure helped me stop mixing up concepts I'd been confusing forever.
My biggest exam tip: don't ignore the regulatory compliance section. I underweighted it both times I failed. It ended up being a huge chunk of the actual test. Scored a 78 on my third attempt. Not flashy, but it's a pass and I'll take it. Ask me anything.