Okay so I've been lurking here for a while and finally made an account because I want to share what clicked for me after two failed attempts at the UXCP. My first try I scored a 68 (passing is 75) and I honestly thought I was prepared — I'd read through the IA Institute materials and felt good going in. Second attempt, 71. Super demoralizing.
What finally worked was switching my study approach completely. Instead of just reading, I started doing a UX practice test every single day for three weeks. Timed, no notes, treating it like the real thing. I also found a solid study guide that broke down the interaction design and usability heuristics sections, which were killing me. Those two areas alone accounted for probably a third of the questions I kept missing.
Passed with an 82 on attempt three. The difference was just repetition and actually understanding why wrong answers were wrong, not just memorizing correct ones. Happy to share more specifics if anyone's prepping right now — what stage are you at?