The dramatic climax bar gets the screenshots; the quieter work happens earlier. Watch for upthrusts that fail to hold above resistance, rallies that print on declining volume, and down bars that expand participation while price is still near the highs of the range.
Compare effort and result. When large volume produces little net advance, sellers are meeting the bid. When later attempts to lift price look thinner, the balance may already have shifted. You do not need to call the exact exit day — you need to stop treating the range as friendly accumulation.
A mild reservation from clinic work: distribution labels are emotionally harder because they often arrive while the broader narrative still sounds bullish. Peer review helps. Present the chart without your conclusion first; let another student propose a phase, then compare notes.
Keep a folder of distribution sequences you missed. Revisiting them monthly is more valuable than collecting perfect examples from textbooks.