Finally passed my OSTP after two attempts — here's what actually helped

I've been lurking here for a while and wanted to share my experience since I couldn't find much specific advice when I was studying. I took the OSTP for the first time in February and missed passing by 4 points — honestly devastating after putting in three weeks of prep. The second time around I completely changed my approach and passed with an 83.

The biggest shift was actually using a proper OSTP practice test instead of just re-reading the state standards documents. Going through timed practice questions helped me figure out which content areas were eating up my time versus which ones I actually knew cold. I also found a solid OSTP study guide that broke down the reading comprehension section in a way that finally clicked for me — specifically the inference questions, which I was consistently getting wrong.

For anyone prepping right now: don't underestimate the writing component. I thought it'd be straightforward but the scoring rubric has some quirks. Happy to share more specific exam tips if anyone has questions about particular sections.