So I passed the CIPP-E exam. Spent way too long just reading materials at first, which honestly didn't help much. Then I tried CertBoosters' free demo and realized what I was actually missing. After that, It was when I started answering practice questions for their exams that things just fell into place. Having actual practice questions from the exams and working out my weaknesses was the key.
Main takeaway: active practice beats passive reading. If you're studying for this exam, start with the free demo to get a feel for it, then do their practice questions early and often. That's what actually prepared me.