Finally passed my PG exam after two attempts — what actually worked

by Nicole F. 7 views3 replies
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Nicole F.OP
May 27, 2026

So I just got my results back yesterday and I finally passed the PG (Professional Geologist) exam. Honestly didn't think I'd make it after failing by about 12 points the first time around. I want to share what changed between attempt one and attempt two because I wasted so much time on the wrong stuff initially.

First time I basically just read through my old geology textbooks and called it a day. Huge mistake. The second time I found a solid P G practice test online and started doing timed sections every weekend for about eight weeks. The practice questions were way closer to the actual exam format than anything else I tried. I also leaned heavily on a structured P G study guide that broke down stratigraphy, structural geology, and hydrogeology by topic weight — that helped me stop over-studying geochemistry when it's barely on the exam.

Anyone else going through this right now? Happy to share more exam tips if people have specific questions about the format or timing strategy. The 8-hour day is brutal and pacing matters more than most people admit.

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Jessica L.
May 28, 2026
I passed on my first attempt last year but I genuinely think I got lucky on the hydrogeology section. My advice: don't neglect the engineering geology questions, they're sneaky. Also the exam tips I found most useful were about skipping and flagging — don't burn 6 minutes on one question early in the morning session. Come back to it. Your brain is sharper in the first two hours, use that time on the stuff you know cold.
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Tyler B.
May 28, 2026
Congrats! I'm sitting for it in September and the pacing thing is real — I timed out on my first mock exam with like 30 questions left. What section gave you the most trouble? I'm finding structural geology way harder to prepare for than I expected. The practice tests I've found vary a lot in quality so I'm trying to figure out which ones are actually worth the money.
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priya.test
May 28, 2026
Two attempts is more common than people admit. Most of my study group needed a second shot. The stigma around it is way overblown. What matters is you got there — congrats and good luck to everyone still grinding through their prep.

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