IMHO a line of 8 grade is really a plus. when i signed in my name thru the initial 'application form' (every applicant signs in there and writes their basic info like name, number school) anyway one of the things you write down there is your board rating. my friends who went with me line of 7's didnt recieved a text from TMC and i got a text only after a week. as for the exam, IHMO it was easy, and thats the part that sucks because it was easy, i was given false-hopes that i would get at least an interview. but then again after the exam, we were asked again to put down our names, contacts etc. AND RECOMMENDATIONS, so simply put. your grade in the NLE and the exam will really not matter unless you got a "big name" backing you up. i guess thats how things go nowadays!:banghead: