Finally passed FE exam after two failed attempts — here's what actually worked

Okay so I've been lurking on this forum for almost a year and I feel like I owe it to everyone here to post my story. Failed the FE Civil in October 2024, failed again in February 2025, and just got my pass notification last week. I genuinely cried at my desk. Two and a half years post-graduation, three attempts, and more money than I want to admit spent on reference materials.

The thing that finally clicked for me was actually taking timed EIT practice test blocks instead of just reading through the NCEES handbook. I was spending hours re-reading fluid mechanics sections I sort of understood but couldn't apply under pressure. Switched my whole approach in March — did 40-question timed sets every single night for six weeks. My weak spots were water resources and structural analysis, so I hammered those specifically.

Happy to share my full study schedule if anyone wants it. Also found a solid EIT study guide breakdown that helped me prioritize which topics actually show up heavily vs. what feels important but isn't. What are other people's biggest sticking points going into their exam?