Okay so I've been meaning to post this for a while. I failed my first attempt back in January by about 8 points — got crushed on the scientific foundations section, specifically exercise physiology. I'd been training clients for three years and figured I knew enough to coast through, which was obviously my first mistake. I basically just read the NSCA textbook once and called it good. Big regret.
For round two I completely overhauled my approach. Spent about 10 weeks, roughly 12-15 hours a week. I made flashcards for every physiological adaptation, biomechanics principle, and program design variable I could find. What really helped was doing timed practice questions — not just reading answers but actually understanding WHY the wrong choices were wrong. I used the FREE NSCA CSCS Practical Questions and Answers resource on here a lot for the applied sections.
Passed with a 74 this time. Not a perfect score but I'll take it. Happy to answer questions if anyone's studying right now — this exam is no joke but it's absolutely passable with the right NSCA CSCS study guide and structured prep.