Okay so I'm pretty frustrated right now. I've taken the MUA certification exam twice and both times I've landed in the low 70s, which isn't passing for my state board. I've been doing makeup professionally for about three years so I figured the theory stuff would be easy, but there's clearly something wrong with how I'm studying. I spend maybe 2-3 hours a night going through my textbook notes but it's not translating to the actual test.
Someone in my cosmetology Facebook group mentioned using a dedicated MUA practice test site to simulate the real exam format, which I hadn't really tried — I was mostly just re-reading notes. Has anyone here actually found that approach helpful? I'm specifically struggling with sanitation protocols, color theory applications, and the client consultation sections. Those three areas feel like where I'm losing points.
I've got my third attempt booked for six weeks from now and I genuinely cannot afford to fail again — both financially and emotionally. If anyone has a solid study guide recommendation or specific exam tips for the harder sections, please share. I'll take anything at this point.