Anyone else studying for CJE in the next month? Want to study together

I actually failed the first time by a few points. Total gut punch. But passed on the second attempt with a comfortable margin.

What changed: I stopped trying to memorize answers and started actually understanding the material. Specifically on CJE exam — I went back to basics and worked forward from first principles.

Also switched from reading to doing. Less time with the textbook, more time on practice questions with detailed answer explanations.

You've got this. The second attempt is always better because you know exactly what the exam is like.

Appreciate everyone sharing their experience here. I'm 4 weeks out from my CJE exam date and feeling more confident after reading this. The consensus on study guide being the hardest section matches what I'm seeing in my practice scores — going to put extra time there this week.

This thread saved me from making the same mistakes. The tip about study guide being weighted heavily is accurate — I adjusted my study time based on this and it made a real difference. Also seconding the recommendation for certified journalism educator.

Honestly I almost bailed on this whole thing about two weeks in. The breadth of content just felt overwhelming and I kept second-guessing whether I was even studying the right stuff. What actually helped me turn a corner was doing targeted practice on specific competency areas instead of just rereading my notes, and I found the free cje student engagement assessment really useful for figuring out where my actual gaps were versus where I just felt shaky.

Stick with it. I'm glad I didn't quit because it ended up clicking once I stopped trying to memorize everything and started thinking about how the concepts connect. If you're three weeks out you've got enough time, just don't waste it on stuff you already know.

Failed my first attempt back in February and honestly it was a wake-up call. I'd been studying the wrong way — just reading through the material without really testing myself on it. What actually made the difference the second time was doing practice questions consistently, like every single day, even if just for 20 minutes. The journalism ethics and law sections wrecked me the first time because I wasn't treating them seriously enough.

If you want to study together I'm down. I'm about three weeks out too and I've been focusing hard on the areas where I know I'm weakest. Having someone to check in with genuinely helps because you can't just tell yourself you studied when you have to report back to another person. Let me know what your schedule looks like.