Finally passed S 13 after two attempts — here's what actually worked

by Amanda H. 23 views3 replies
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Amanda H.OP
May 27, 2026

So I just got my results back yesterday and I'm still kind of in disbelief. Passed with an 82 after failing my first attempt in March with a 71. If you're prepping right now and feeling discouraged, stick with me because I made some pretty dumb mistakes the first time around that I think a lot of people repeat.

The biggest thing that changed my second attempt was actually using a decent S 13 practice test instead of just re-reading the manual cover to cover. I was scoring in the high 70s on practice exams and thought that was good enough — it wasn't. The real exam has these situational questions that trip you up if you haven't drilled them specifically. I probably did 400+ practice questions over six weeks leading up to my retake.

I also leaned heavily on an S 13 study guide that broke down the regulatory sections by topic rather than just chapter order. That structure helped me connect concepts I kept mixing up. Anyone else have specific topics they struggled with? The hazmat communication section nearly wrecked me both times.

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James R.
May 28, 2026
Congrats on passing! I took mine last fall and honestly the practice tests were the only thing that saved me. The questions on the actual exam felt way more "what would you do in this situation" than straightforward recall. I found that timing myself — like strict 90 seconds per question — really helped me stop overthinking. Finished with a 79, which I'll take.
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Daniel M.
May 28, 2026
This is really helpful, thank you. I'm scheduled for the end of June and the hazmat communication stuff is exactly where I keep losing points on practice exams too. Do you remember roughly how many questions covered that section on your actual exam? I'm trying to figure out where to focus my last two weeks. Also — did you use any specific resource for the S 13 exam tips or just general prep sites?
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Hannah K.
May 28, 2026
The situational questions are no joke. My instructor told me to always ask myself 'what does the regulation require first, not what feels logical' — that mindset shift alone probably added 6-7 points to my score. Good luck to everyone still prepping.

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