Well, if you did really well on the exam, then there's something about your method that is working for you. I wouldn't tinker too much!
It sounds like you want a way to learn just as much material, but in a shorter frame of time. There are some obvious techniques, which I'm just going to state out loud for the sake of discussion:
(1) Minimize distractions while you study. Cell-phone off, no email, no internet, in a place where you are focused on studying.
(2) Try to be well-rested, well-fed, well-hydrated, and possibly somewhat caffeinated. Have some snacks with you.
(3) Relate what you learn to your daily life. Think of this as the analogical equivalent to using a new word three times in your day. So for financial regulation, you might try to find analogues in products you handle in ordinary life (e.g. your soda company must disclose certain information on the soda can to you, the prospective purchaser), and you can play a little with the analogy to discern similarities and differences. This will help strengthen newly learned information, and you'll get a form of "study" out of everyday experiences.
(4) I've found that reading material, or at least reviewing material, shortly before going to sleep, and then glancing at it again the next morning, can be extremely useful.
(5) Stay healthy. Moderate exercise, and a good diet, can really help.
(6) Take practice tests (in sections, if the entire test is too long to take regularly).
(7) As you learn material, think about questions that could be asked. Write them out neatly, in question format, with the answer hidden somewhere (on the back of the paper or card). A few days later, review the questions and see how well you answer them.