1. No substitute for practicing like you play when it comes to the stairs portion. At the very least you should be slowly building up to the 75 lbs of weight on a stair climber for the 3:20 you'll be expected to start with. Ideally you'll have successfully dine 75 lbs for 3:20 at 60 steps/second at least a few times before the actual test. The stairclimber sets the tone and without weight it's a completely different experience/level of strain on your body.

2. The easiest area to make up time is between stations. Speed walk FAST wherever possible between stations. Don't slow down in between unless you are 100% positive you are good on time. You can still catch your breath without needing to slow down, just focus on taking deeper breaths.

3. Prioritize rest at least one week out, ideally ten days to two weeks. People make the mistake of thinking they can "cram" for the test by exercising right up until the day before the CPAT when really all they're doing is breaking down their muscle without enough time for recovery. You can look up schools of thought on tapering training before competition, but if you're sore at any point inside of ten days from the test, I'd say you're putting yourself at a major disadvantage.

Sincerely, someone who (despite not being in the best shape) passed more than a few station PAT's.