I hear you. I was Band 9 last year as well. People who said that they aced Level III last yr, I saw again this yr at the testing center. Last year, I made the mistake of leaving early during the afternoon (had a lot going on) but did not repeat that this year. Used every minute of the time for both AM & PM. Time management was tough for AM but I was a lot more precise in my answers this year. Also surprised at what they emphasized and what they left off of the exam entirely.
Do NOT want to do this again next yr. Especially since this whole thing is starting to feel a bit like a racket…