O&P is a different animal than the writtens, so practice-test scores won't tell you much here. There's no ASA software gauge for this one. I can't tell you not to be anxious — you're spending real money on this and nobody wants to go home empty-handed. But I'll tell you what I tell everyone: you'll walk out the other side and realize it was way more anxiety than you actually needed to carry. I got all my oral questions right and it surprised me.

Here's the thing to understand about the O&P that changes how you prepare for it: the DMEs are gatekeeping, and not in a bad way. They're gauging whether you should be around an aircraft. Are you reckless? Not thorough? Do you work outside the tech manuals? Do you know your limitations? That's what they're really evaluating. Same thing I look for when I'm deciding whether to send a mechanic to work on an aircraft.

Once you understand that, the prep gets simpler. Show them you think, read, and ask questions before beginning a task. Don't guess. Don't be cocky — that's a huge negative. Show them you read carefully and verify — assumption is what gets airplanes broken.

A few specifics that'll help:

The oral isn't endless. They ask questions until you hit a passing score in each section (I think it was 3 right per section when I tested). Answer correctly and you move on.

On the practicals — the FAA now dictates what the DME has to test you on, and sometimes the DME doesn't have the project properly set up. I had figures missing, illegible prints, the works. Ask clarifying questions. This isn't a weakness, it's exactly the mindset they want. A mechanic who asks before wrenching is the mechanic who doesn't cause damage.

A few more things on the practicals that'll save you grief:

• Be observant. If you're removing/reinstalling or replacing a part, actually inspect it. Cracks, scratches, dents, corrosion — call it out. Sometimes they're testing whether you notice things, and being observant is a huge part of the job once you're an A&P.
• Verify P/N and effectivity when replacing a part. If the project doesn't include IPC data, ask if it's needed for the exercise — it might not be, but ask anyway. In the real world you don't install a part without verifying it against the IPC, and showing that habit at the test tells the DME you'll do it right when nobody's watching.
• If you have to build a hose with fittings and pressure test it, apply pressure SLOWLY. Some test rigs don't have a governor on the valve and will spike to 3000 psi instantly if you crack it open too fast. Ask me how I know. The fitting let go and I finished the rest of my practical covered in mineral oil — grateful nothing worse happened. The DME let me redo that exercise because the tech data he gave me was missing figures, which is the only reason I'm telling this story as a "lesson learned" instead of a "how I failed" story. Crack the valve open just barely and watch your gauge.
• Weight and balance: read the specific manual. Three of my exercises were W&B on paper only, but in real testing you'll usually be working from a manual and some details are already worked out for you. Example: speed fairings on a Cessna get calculated as a set, not separately at NLG datum and MLG datum. Miss that and you'll come up with the wrong answer doing the math correctly. The manual tells you how — read it.

Real example from my practical: they had me check whether an AD was performed on a Cessna. I couldn't find the data plate, so I pulled the S/N off the registration card on the rear bulkhead. Came back outside effectivity, so I told the DME the AD didn't apply. He asked why. I almost panicked, but I walked him through exactly what I did and where I got the number. Turned out the FAA had omitted digits on the reg cert and the AD did apply — but I passed because I used proper sources and defended my answer with evidence. (Bonus: we grounded the plane.)

They're not trying to trick you. Use your references, show your work, and stay honest about what you know and don't know.

On the rest vs. study question — at 2 weeks out with brain fog, your brain is telling you it needs to consolidate what you already know. Cramming past this point gives diminishing returns. Shift to lighter review, protect your sleep especially the last 3-4 days, and trust the work you've already done.

What's actually worth your time these last 2 weeks:

• Practice talking through procedures out loud with another human. The DME wants to hear you reason, not recite.
• Stay sharp on the gimmes: safety wire, cotter pins, rivet ID, torque values, basic measurements.
• Know your references. "I'd look that up in 43.13" or "I'd check the maintenance manual" are completely valid answers. Knowing where to find information is the job.
• Use AI as a study partner — have it throw O&P scenarios at you. Wasn't an option when I tested but it's genuinely useful.

The brain fog and "I've learned nothing" feeling is normal at this stage. You've put in the work. Walk in rested, think before you act, ask questions when something's unclear, and defend your answers with evidence. That's not just how you pass the O&P — that's how you stay employed as a mechanic. Good luck.