Finally passed my GRI exam after two attempts — here's what actually helped

Okay so I've been wanting to write this post for a while. I failed the GRI exam back in November by like 4 points, which honestly crushed me because I'd put in about 6 weeks of prep. The second time around I completely changed my approach and passed with an 82. I'm a working agent with two kids so I don't have unlimited study time, which made it even more important to study smarter.

The biggest shift was switching from just reading the textbook to doing actual timed practice questions. I found a solid GRI practice test online that mimicked the real format and it was a game-changer — suddenly I could see which modules I was weak on instead of just guessing. Sustainability reporting, stakeholder engagement, and the materiality sections were where I kept bleeding points.

If you're working through a GRI study guide right now, my biggest exam tip is to not skip the scenario-based questions. The real exam loves those situational judgment calls and no amount of memorizing definitions prepares you for them. Happy to answer questions if anyone's in the thick of prep right now.