So I just got my results back and I passed! Honestly didn't think it was going to happen after my first attempt last fall where I completely bombed the language section. I'm 16 and my parents and I decided the chspe exam made more sense for me than staying in traditional school while I pursue my music career. If you're in a similar boat, I really want to share what worked.
The biggest game-changer was drilling practice tests obsessively in the two months leading up to my second attempt. I'd do a section, check my answers, and go back to figure out WHY I got things wrong rather than just moving on. For reading, I used the CHSPE Reading Comprehension practice material here and it was surprisingly close to the real test format — like uncomfortably close. I was spending about 90 minutes a day, six days a week.
My target was just to pass clean in both sections without needing the essay override. If you're studying for the chspe test, don't underestimate the math — I almost did and it nearly sank me again. Ask me anything!