Hi inabw - I've very recently sat all mine. My advice would be to read all the books to get a sound understanding of each topic. Then, it's a good idea to go on one of these 9 exams in a week courses. This will revisit all the stuff you've studied yourself, and then sit the test at the same time. They're not cheap, but they're not that expensive either, so in my opinion, very worth it. Once you have passed those, you can get on with your flying training knowing all the theory, so you're a much more confident pilot before you sit your skills test.
I did the silly thing and sat all my test just 3 weeks before my flight test, but it still worked out OK. If I were to do it again though, I'd certainly try to get them all out of the way before my first solo if I could. This would've helped immeasurably.
With regards to the skills test, my biggest tip is to relax. Remember, if you've been put forward for your test, it's because your instructor knows you can pass, so all you have to do is fly like you did with him/her and you'll be fine. Also, if it's not too much to handle, have some friendly chat with your examiner as it'll make you feel more relaxed (it did me, anyway).
Hope this helps
T