Okay so I've been lurking here forever and I figured it's time to actually contribute something. I passed my FSD certification last Tuesday after failing twice before, and honestly I want to save someone else the frustration I went through. My first two attempts I just read through the material once and assumed I knew it. Big mistake. The financial services domain stuff catches you off guard if you're coming from a technical background like me.
What finally clicked was treating the FSD practice test questions like a diagnostic, not just review. I'd do a set, then go back and understand *why* I got things wrong — not just memorize the right answer. I also found a decent study guide that broke down the competency domains with actual weightings, which helped me prioritize. Spent about 6 weeks, maybe 8-10 hours a week.
Anyone else struggling with the regulatory compliance section specifically? That's where I kept losing points early on. Happy to share what resources I used if it helps.