So I've been lurking here for a while and figured I'd finally share my story since I wish someone had posted this when I was struggling. I failed the RIBO licensing exam in October and again in January — both times I thought I'd studied enough but clearly hadn't. The second fail was honestly demoralizing because I'd put in maybe 60 hours and still came out 12 marks short.
What finally clicked for me was switching up my approach entirely. I stopped just re-reading the IBAO course materials and started doing timed RIBO practice tests under actual exam conditions — phone away, timer running, the whole deal. That's where I figured out my weak spots were really in commercial lines and the legal obligations sections, not personal auto like I assumed.
Third attempt I passed with a 76. Took me about five weeks of focused prep — probably 8-10 hours a week. Happy to answer questions if anyone's going through the same thing right now.