I'm not going to sugarcoat it — I bombed the CML exam the first two times and I was starting to question whether this certification was even worth pursuing. First attempt I scored a 68, needed a 75. Second time a 71. Both times I thought I'd studied enough but clearly I was missing something fundamental about how the test actually works.
What finally clicked for me was switching up my approach entirely. Instead of just reading through the CML study guide cover to cover, I started doing timed CML practice test sessions every single day for the last three weeks before my third attempt. I'd do 30 questions, review every wrong answer, then write a one-sentence explanation of why the correct answer was right. Sounds tedious but it forced me to actually understand the reasoning, not just memorize.
Ended up passing with an 82. Happy to share more specific exam tips if anyone's grinding through this right now. The treasury management and liquidity sections tripped me up the most — anyone else find those disproportionately weighted on the actual exam?