i recently passed the CPSE, it was my first time taking it. i would like to offer some strategic advice to future CPSE-takers, few as they might be since they're phasing it out, but my advice will be relevant for the CPLE as well
i disagree with people who claim that brute memorization is the key to passing this test. i think this test is more about how to take the test than what you know. yes, of course it's important to know all the "facts" regarding diagnosis, legal and ethical standards, etc. Studying the DSM, APA ethics principles, and relevant sections of the California Code will accomplish this. but simply knowing these facts is not enough. rather, you to have to be prepared to think critically about the question stem and be able to decipher each individual piece of it and weigh them against one another. forget that there are 4 different content areas. i mean, if it helps you study to think about it that way, then fine, but in the test that is essentially bull****. a single question might contain multiple issues which touch on diagnosis, treatment, confidentiality, and patient safety, and you have to recognize each piece and rule it out to choose the "best" answer available. memorizing the answers to practice tests will not help with this. if you come across a novel/unusual question on the test you'll be screwed. rather it's crucial to use practice tests to understand why the answer is right. if you're doing practice tests and you don't understand why each answer is right, find out. understand why. without that understanding you can't apply your effort to the actual test, and it becomes difficult to hit 85. if you're crushing practice tests but don't understand why each answer is right, great, nice guessing there. when the test counts you might not be so fortunate so good luck with that approach.
also important is how you move through the test. this is up to personal preference, but I think you want to progress through the whole test quickly on a first pass, knocking out all the easy questions first and leaving time to review the more tricky ones. on the first pass my strategy was to never spend more than 45-60 seconds on any one question. some are easy and you'll know the answer within 10-15 seconds, but even on tricky questions you should be able to narrow it down to 2 potential answers in no more than a minute. if either could be right and you're debating pros and cons, pick one, mark the question, and move on. a better way might even be to skip it if you can't recognize the definite answer within 10-15 seconds, and then come back to do all the rest so you do all your deep thinking on each tough question at one time. the key is finish the test with some "definite" answers locked in with ample time to go back and carefully consider the hard ones.
this is a good approach because, not gonna lie, some of the questions are very difficult. they are written in a way to trip you up. you really need to break down each individual word in the entire question AND each answer to arrive at the best answer. you need time to do that. carefully consider each individual answer and try to rule it out. sometimes the best answer is the one that's the least bad. like the post above said, you have to consider bits of syntax such as "must" vs"may" and "is" vs "might". that's incredibly annoying, but it's what you have to do to pass. i think where people get into trouble in the test is when they think "was there a practice test question like this one? what was the answer then?" and then they pick the answer that's most like what they remember. that's a terrible approach. i mean, maybe it's better than random guessing, but you obviously can't remember every word of every practice item you took, and one word being slightly different could mean right or wrong. better to pick an answer based on an actual rationale than based on your crappy, error-prone memory.
also remember that some responses sound "good" in a vacuum but don't actually answer the critical question or address the need raised in the item. those answers are usually wrong. also if a question seems way out of left-field (totally unrelated to anything in your study manual or anything you else from your prep) and you have no clue, make your best guess but don't waste time in the test being pissed about it. remember it could be an unscored item.
don't be intimidated by this test (or the CPLE which has a similar high bar for passing right now) and don't study for 20 hours a day for 3 months for it. and don't waste $500 on a f*cking prep course, or worse two prep courses. if you can obtain a solid grasp of the content and figure out how to think critically on the test items (which you can, you finished grad school after all), you should be able to pass. i'm writing all this because i personally think it's deplorable that licensed psychologist are charging people (many of whom are slaving away as underpaid fellows after years of the same **** as grad students) half a thousand dollars to help people prepare for these exams. doesn't it say in the APA ethics code not to solicit services from clients who under "undue influence"? i'd say applicants desperate for licensure (and for many of us, our first real job) are the definition of under undue influence. these companies have cornered the market on prep for these tests and are taking advantage of us. f*ck them. work hard and you don't need their stupid course to pass this test.
okay rant over. I hope someone reads this. good luck on the test.