I'm a conductor trainee with about eight months on the job, and I will not sugarcoat it: this exam absolutely humbled me. Failed my first attempt by six points, second attempt by three. My supervisor kept telling me to just re-read the rulebook, but honestly that wasn't cutting it for me — I'm not someone who retains stuff well from straight reading.
What actually turned things around was finding a solid GCOR practice test that mimicked the real question format. The rulebook has 11 chapters and I was spending equal time on all of them, which was a huge mistake. Chapters 5 and 6 (train handling and signal rules) make up a disproportionate chunk of what gets tested. Once I built my study schedule around that, my practice scores jumped from the low 70s to consistently hitting 85+.
I also grabbed a GCOR study guide that broke down the signal aspect ratios in plain English instead of regulatory language. Took me about three weeks of focused prep — maybe 45 minutes a day — and I passed with an 88. Happy to share the specific exam tips that helped if anyone's grinding through this right now.