So I passed the CPOA last month on my second attempt and honestly I'm still relieved. First time around I completely underestimated the legal and regulatory sections. I scored a 68 and needed a 75, which stung. Took me about three months of more focused prep before I tried again.
What changed the second time was being way more systematic. I used a CPOA study guide that broke things down by domain instead of just reading the handbook cover to cover. I also found a CPOA practice test that mimicked the actual question style — multiple choice with some tricky scenario-based stuff — and doing those under timed conditions made a huge difference. I was averaging maybe 90 minutes of studying four days a week.
For anyone starting out, the public policy and administrative law domains are heavier than you'd expect. Don't sleep on those. Happy to share more specific exam tips if people have questions about particular sections.