Study Strategy
I was confused going in because everyone said the test format changed, so I just gathered tons of study materials, unsure what to expect. I purchased the Mometrix: Secrets study guide and the flashcards (but they're the exact same information so you don't need both), certify teacher, youtube videos, Texas Teachers exam test, and the actual exam prep from the Texas Educator Certification Examination website. Pretty much anything I could get my hands on I used- even random universities prep I came across online. I don't feel like I studied all that much, I should have studied more, over all it was probably like a week and a half that I focused on the studying. I would randomly take quizzes and check the reasoning to figure out the thought process behind the answers. I felt like the signal words in the questions were the key.
Testing Strategy
I went through the test marking the MC questions I was unsure about planning to go back to them after the CR, I honestly felt like they were harder than all the practice tests I had gone through. For multiple choice I allotted 3 hours and 2 hours for the constructed response, clearly this was a mistake on my part. Even though I went in with a plan on the constructed response I completely blanked, ran out of time on it and knew walking out I bombed that portion. I left the test feeling like time flew by, that I didn't have enough time, that I didn't do well on the CR portion and the MC wasn't anything like I studied. I waited for my results knowing that it was now out of my hands and planning to have to retake it but I somehow I PASSED. I think as long as you know the material, go slow enough to read specifically what each question is asking (finding the signal words) and have a plan for how you're going to answer the CR then you should be fine! Good Luck!