Failed IES once — what actually helped you pass the second time? — Forums

Jordan L.OP

May 27, 2026

So I sat for the IES back in March and missed passing by 8 points. Honestly I thought I'd studied enough — I read through the NCIDQ reference manual twice and felt pretty solid on building systems, but the codes and standards section absolutely wrecked me. My score report showed I was weakest in lighting design and mechanical systems, which is frustrating because those are areas I use at work every day.

I've got my retake scheduled for late August and I'm trying to build a smarter study plan this time. I've been using an IES practice test from a couple of different sites to benchmark where I'm at, and my scores are hovering around 68% right now. I need to hit around 75% consistently before I feel confident. Has anyone found a particular study guide or resource that really clicked for the codes portion specifically?

Also curious how many hours per week people are putting in during their final 8 weeks. I'm a project manager now so my hours are unpredictable, but I can realistically carve out 8-10 hours a week. Is that enough, or should I be restructuring my schedule more aggressively?

Marcus T.

May 27, 2026

I failed my first attempt too — by 12 points, so I know exactly how demoralizing that score report feels. What turned things around for me was switching from passive reading to active recall. Instead of re-reading chapters, I'd close the book and write out everything I remembered. For codes specifically, I made flashcards for every table in the NFPA and ADA sections. Took me about 10 weeks of 10 hours each but I passed with room to spare.

Mike_T

May 28, 2026

8-10 hours a week for 8 weeks is doable but you'll want to be really strategic. Don't spread it thin across everything — pick your two weakest areas from your score report and go deep there first. The strong areas can just be maintenance review in the final two weeks.

Tom W.

May 28, 2026

The lighting design section caught me off guard as well. I'd been practicing residential and small commercial work for years, so I assumed I had it, but the exam tests calculation methods I hadn't touched since school. A friend recommended working through exam tips from candidates who'd recently passed — the forums on NCIDQ's own site actually had some solid breakdowns of question formats. Also, timed practice under real conditions matters more than people realize. I did full 4-hour blocks on weekends and it made a huge difference for my pacing.

Failed IES once — what actually helped you pass the second time?

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