So the first thing I want to share is that the test was nothing like what I expected it to be. Rather than the types of questions to focus on ethics, knowledge, process, or Inputs, Tools, Techniques, and Outputs (ITTO), it really seemed to blend them a lot more than I thought. Knowing all of the pieces were needed in order to answer the questions. There was also a larger portion of the test around EVM, EMV, and the equations in general. As Cornelius mentions, just memorizing the ITTOs is not going to lead to success because they like to remove words you were expecting, add words you were not expecting, and provide alternatives to your "go-to" answer that you have to then pick the second best answer. In the end I scored "moderately proficient" on all of the categories except Monitoring and Controlling, which i scored a "proficient" in. I ended up using the entire 4 hours, pressing submit with about 30 seconds to go. I did have to take the survey before they let me see the score, which was not fun.
I had passed the CAPM previously (about 4 years ago), but I still spent about 6 months studying. The first three months I was lightly studying (1-5 hours a week) and the last three months I studied about 2 hours a day (with about 10 hours a day on a three day weekend before). I additionally used the PMPrepcast practice tests, which did wonders for keeping my mind steady during the incredibly anxious 4 hours. I listened to the PMPrepcast all of the way through, and then revisited my trouble sections. If I could do it again, I would have spent more time with Andy Crowe's "The PMP Exam: How to Pass On your First Try", which I only picked up about 2 weeks before the exam. I found the PMBOK to be incredibly tedious, and only referenced it when I needed additional clarification of a particular section. Mr. Crowe's book however, does a good job translating the verbiage into regular English.
Additionally, I partook in my friend's advice for PMP test preparation, which I will refer to as the "Stepbrothers (TM) Method". The idea here is to watch a brainless comedy, in addition to not studying the day before, which helps you to wind down further.
