I got word last week that I passed my final exam (SS!) and want to pop in and tell you that YOU CAN and YOU WILL succeed. Don't let yourself get bogged down with study material and feeling you have to master everything - you just need to pass. The exam questions will not be like the practice exams, and maybe you will fail - but keep pushing and believing in yourself and you will do it. I only studying Kaplan for all the exams (I had the Ballast at the ready and I intended to read it but I always ran out of time).
Find the alternate vignettes, learn how to set them up on your computer and practice as much of the alternates as you can! That was so valuable for me. Also, reviewing this forum for the vignettes was so valuable! It's a great little community resource right here! As much as I would try to do the NCARB vignette with 'fresh' eyes - it was nearly impossible for me to NOT do the corrected version once I knew the right answer.
My story: I took and failed my first (2) exams - CDs and PPP in 2013 (vignette MAJOR deficiency in both!). It took me until 2014 to get myself together and try again. Took and passed CDs, PPP, failed SPD (again because of the vignette - this was before I knew how to set up the alternate vignettes dwg to use in the practice software), passed SD in 2014. Passed SPD and BS in 2015. Passed BDCS in 2016. Passed SS in 2017. I only share that because I know it wasn't 'normal' but life happens and here we are. I'm done (THRILLED!!) and I want to encourage you to keep pushing and succeed!!
YES YOU CAN AND YES YOU WILL! Go get it! Keep pushing!