FROM SETBACK TO SUCCESS
After Failing Her Property & Casualty Exam Twice, Natalie Honestly Wondered If She Was Cut Out for This Career.
Real Student • Real Data • Real Results • Verified Google Review
Shared with Natalie's permission.
"I honestly started wondering if I was even cut out for this career path."
Natalie had just failed the California Property & Casualty exam for the second time.
Her score?
72.
She needed 90 to pass.
On her first attempt, she went in thinking she knew enough and hoped for the best. She scored a 71.
By her second attempt, she felt much more prepared and was sure she'd pass.
When she failed again, she was confused, and honestly started wondering if she was even cut out for this career.
She decided not to give up.
Working Through It, One Session at a Time
Natalie didn't have the option to simply show up to a classroom and get pulled aside. She was studying on her own, through Smart Prep, with the same material available to her whenever she needed it.
What she had was consistent support. Whenever she got stuck, she could reach out and get an actual answer, not just another quiz to retake.
She kept taking practice exams. She kept reviewing what she missed. Slowly, her scores climbed until she was consistently landing at 80% or higher.
But consistency in practice wasn't translating to the real exam. Something still wasn't clicking.
Where She Started
Before settling into a study routine, Natalie ran three full State Simulations to see where she actually stood.
Her scores? 78%. Then 65%. Then 74%.
Not a straight line up. Not a clean starting point.
But it was enough to show exactly which subjects needed the most attention. From there, she moved into targeted quiz practice, sharpening the specific areas that were holding her score down.
Natalie's Actual Progress
Every green bar represents a full State Simulation percentage score. Blue bars represent Smart Prep quizzes used to reinforce weak areas between simulations.
Instead of wondering whether she was improving, Natalie could actually see her progress.
CONSISTENTLY READY
One good practice score doesn't guarantee success.
Neither does one bad one.
After her second attempt, Natalie changed how she studied, not just how often. She kept taking practice exams and reviewing the material, but this time she focused on understanding why an answer was right, not just recognizing it.
By the time she sat for the exam a third time, she wasn't just hoping she was ready. She knew exactly what had been missing before, and she knew it was fixed.
NATALIE'S MESSAGE TO FUTURE STUDENTS
"If you're struggling with the material, don't give up. Keep pushing and find a way of learning that works for you!"
In Natalie's Own Words
We didn't write what's below. She did, in the Google review she posted right after passing her California Property & Casualty exam.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Verified Google Review
Natalie K.
At first glance, it was really difficult for me to retain all of the material I needed to pass my Property & Casualty exam. I ended up failing twice before finally passing on my third attempt.
On my first attempt, I went in thinking I knew enough and just hoped for the best. I scored a 71. By my second attempt, I felt much more prepared and was sure I was going to pass. However, when I ended up failing again with a 72, I was confused and honestly started wondering if I was even cut out for this career path.
I decided not to give up. The constant support from Gareth, along with the focused practice tests, really encouraged me to keep going. I continued taking practice exams and reviewing the material until I was consistently scoring 80% or higher.
I realized that if I really wanted the information to stick, I needed to learn it differently. I couldn't just read the words on the screen and expect to remember everything. I needed to actually understand the material and find ways to make it stick in my head. Even though it took a few extra steps and a lot of repetition, it was completely worth it.
On my third attempt, I scored a 95 and finally received my license! I'm really grateful for the support and resources that helped me keep going when I was doubting myself. If you're struggling with the material, don't give up. Keep pushing and find a way of learning that works for you!
Great Test Academy
Owner
Natalie, this one made my day. Congratulations!
Going from a 71, to a 72, and then all the way to a 95 is an incredible turnaround. More importantly, you figured out exactly what needed to change. You stopped trying to simply remember the material and started working to actually understand it.
That is something I tell students all the time: reading the course is only the beginning. Practice, repetition, reviewing what you get wrong, and learning WHY an answer is right are what make the information stick.You absolutely earned that 95. I’m glad you trusted the process and kept going, especially after that second attempt. Thank you for sharing your story because I know another student who is sitting at home frustrated after a failed exam is going to read this and realize they can turn it around too.
Congratulations on your license, Natalie! Welcome to the insurance business!
READY TO WRITE YOUR OWN SUCCESS STORY?
Whether you're taking the California insurance exam for the first time or preparing after multiple unsuccessful attempts, Great Test Academy was built to help students who are ready to pass.
If you're willing to commit to the process, we'll help you get over the finish line.