I'll be honest, I was pretty demoralized after failing the IFS certification exam for the second time. Both times I felt like I'd studied hard, but the questions kept tripping me up on the Parts language and the nuances between Self-led states vs. blended states. I was scoring around 68% on practice materials and needed a 75% to pass.
What actually turned things around was finding a solid IFS practice test that mimicked the real exam format — multiple choice with clinical vignettes rather than just definition recall. That shift made a huge difference. I also built a proper study guide around the eight Cs of Self and spent two weeks drilling the unburdening sequence until I could walk through it in my sleep.
Third attempt I passed with an 81%. For anyone else stuck in this cycle: how are you structuring your prep? I'm happy to share what worked, and curious if others found specific topics harder than expected — the firefighter vs. manager distinction was my biggest weak spot going in.