Hmm I've modified my opinion regarding the magnitude of returns from preparation.
It simply can not be denied that my jump from 62% to 99% in §III was anything short of miraculous. To me it was a matter of some delicacy, as I had spent the better part of a year telling people that studying for the UMAT was pointless and counterproductive.
Basically, I would say STUDY is misguided, but there is no harm in being PREPARED. Know what you are up against, take some time to investigate and be familiar with the challenges ahead. In my case I was naturally adept at the logic games because I'd been playing them my whole life. I was particularly succesful in the empathy section because I had put much time (and energy) both mentally considering and physically executing the very methods they put forth. My weakness in 2003 was the shapes section, and the difference here was that while I had considerable experience in the other two fields, I'd never seen such a thing before.
Needless to say, I changed that. In 2004 I was particularly fortunate because they increased the use of sequence puzzles which (like the logic games) I'd been doing for many years.
Basically, familiarity rather and confidence are far more advantageous than some devised "formula for success".