Finally passed MDRAO after failing twice — here's what actually helped

So I've been on this journey for about eight months now and I genuinely didn't think I was going to make it. Failed my first attempt in September with a 68 (needed a 75), then failed again in January with a 73. I was this close to just giving up and sticking with my current dental assistant role without the ortho designation. But my manager really pushed me to try one more time.

What finally clicked was stopping trying to memorize everything and actually understanding the material. I used an MDRAO study guide that broke down infection control and orthodontic procedures by concept rather than just bullet lists, which helped so much. I also did timed MDRAO practice test sets every single day the last three weeks before my exam — I was averaging maybe 90 minutes a day on those. My score jumped to an 81 on attempt three.

Honestly the exam tips that helped most were about time management during the actual test. Has anyone else found the clinical scenario questions way harder than the straight knowledge questions? I'd love to compare notes with others who've been through this recently.