Finally passed the LLM certification after failing twice — here's what worked — Forums

Chloe W.OP

May 27, 2026

Okay so I've been lurking here for months and figured it's time to actually contribute something useful. I failed the LLM exam in November and again in February — both times I was hovering around 68% when you need a 75 to pass. Honestly embarrassing, but I kept at it.

What finally clicked for me was ditching the textbook-only approach. I spent the last six weeks doing a mix of the official study guide alongside actual LLM practice test sets timed to exam conditions. Like, full 90-question blocks with no pausing. That pressure simulation was huge. I also stopped trying to memorize everything and started focusing on understanding why wrong answers are wrong — that alone probably bumped my score 8 points.

Ended up scoring 81% on my third attempt last week. If you're studying right now and feeling stuck around that 65-70% range, honestly the best exam tips I can give are: simulate real conditions, drill your weak topic areas specifically, and don't underestimate how much the time pressure messes with you if you're not used to it. Happy to answer questions.

Sofia R.

May 27, 2026

This is exactly what I needed to read right now. I'm three weeks out from my first attempt and been relying almost entirely on the official study guide — sounds like I need to add some timed practice sets asap. Can I ask what topics you found hardest? I keep bombing the regulatory compliance section and can't figure out if I'm just not understanding it or if the questions are weirdly worded.

Mike_T

May 28, 2026

Congrats on passing! The third attempt thing is more common than people admit on here. I passed on my second try and the biggest difference for me was actually sleeping properly the week before. Sounds dumb but I was pulling late nights the first time and my recall was just shot during the exam. Also seconding the LLM practice test approach — repetition under pressure is the only way I retained things long-term.

Daniel M.

May 28, 2026

81% is a solid score, not just a squeaker pass. Nice work grinding through it. For the regulatory section someone mentioned — I found breaking it into separate study sessions by jurisdiction helped a lot. Trying to learn it all at once just blurred together for me.

Finally passed the LLM certification after failing twice — here's what worked

Join the Discussion

Related Discussions