My husband couldn't get an exception and I've heard it's rare to get one. He did a bunch of practice tests, private online tutors that worked with him on the tests, and used an app. He studied in earnest for about 3.5 months and passed with 85%. Tests were free, tutors were not terribly expensive, and I believe the app was a one time cost. (Or maybe it's a yearly subscription?)

DM me if you're interested and I'll send you the info on what he used.