Failed my PE exam twice — what finally worked for me

So I finally passed my PE exam on the third attempt last month and I want to share what actually made the difference, because I was seriously close to giving up. The first two times I studied the way I studied in college — just reading through the reference manual and doing a few sample problems. Big mistake. The morning session was okay but that afternoon depth section in structural destroyed me both times.

What changed everything was switching to an ENGINEERING practice test routine instead of passive reading. I mean seriously drilling problems under timed conditions, at least 20-25 problems a night for about 8 weeks. I also found a study guide that broke down the NCEES exam specifications topic by topic and worked through each one systematically. I was scoring around 55% on practice exams in week one and got up to 78% by the end.

My biggest exam tips: don't skip the breadth section even if you're confident in it, and learn your reference manual tabs cold. Time management is what kills most people, not knowledge. Anyone else have a similar experience or currently in the middle of prep?