I've been chasing my RCI certification for almost two years now and honestly thought I was going to give up after my second fail. Both times I scored in the low 70s — so close but not enough. My main weak spots were roof system hydrostatics and the flashings section, which I kept bombing even though I'd read through the manuals cover to cover.
What finally turned things around was switching how I studied. Instead of re-reading the same material, I started hammering an RCI practice test every single evening for about three weeks straight. The repetition forced me to actually recognize my patterns — I was consistently misreading questions about slope calculations and inverted roof assemblies. Once I identified those gaps I could target them specifically instead of just reviewing everything.
Passed with an 82 on my third attempt last month. If anyone else is struggling with the exam, I'm happy to share the study guide resources I used and what topics to really focus on. What are other people finding hardest on this thing?