Passed in Burbank - first attempt

Passed in Burbank - first attempt

Postby effe_emme » Sun Nov 06, 2016 12:13 pm

Passed on my first attempt in Burbank. Although I haven't been very active on this forum, reading others' posts was immensely helpful: thank you Coach, and everyone who contributes.

I don't have any unique insight that has not already been shared by others who have taken the exam, but I'm more than happy to answer any questions (within the limitations set by CAB, of course).

I based my studies on the Whole Enchilada, but reduced Doucette's study plan to 10 weeks - although the last couple of weeks were fairly intense. I also used Woo's study guides and mock exams, Ching's Building Code Illustrated, Shiff Hardin lectures, Pass X Flash, and various prime sources (Green Building Code, CA Energy Code etc). As others have mentioned, the amount and method of studying varies: I found the practice exams useful to a point, and soon realized they were just tiring me and taking away precious time days before the exam... so I stopped taking them and focused instead on my own notes and flashcards. Although I found Woo's study guide very useful (particularly in its brevity when reviewing topics), I got extremely frustrated by his mock exams, and had to make an effort not to get discouraged by the scores I was getting. I think they are still useful in presenting a completely different take from DD's, but I felt I had to take everything with a grain of salt.

A few general points on the exam: it's difficult, requires concentration and knowledge of the material. Time management is essential. It took me about twice as much time to go through the actual exam from the mock exams... to my surprise. It's easy to get caught up by a single question, but knowing when to move on is essential. Finally, it's important not to get discouraged while taking the exam... this is the best advise I got from this forum, and it's worth repeating. The exam is hard, long and exhausting, but if you know the material you need to remain focused and confident - and you'll pass.

Let me know if you have any questions...

Thanks again!
effe_emme
 
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Re: Passed in Burbank - first attempt

Postby kass » Sun Nov 06, 2016 7:24 pm

congrats!!!
kass
 
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Re: Passed in Burbank - first attempt

Postby winifreddy » Mon Nov 07, 2016 5:53 pm

Congratulations! Outside this forum and arch, so few people realize how BIG of a deal becoming a licensed architect is... so I hope you take a little extra time to celebrate the achievement and be proud of what you have done. :D :D :D

I appreciate the comment on the Woo exams being discouraging. I started taking one, but I put it away pretty quickly after scoring 50% on the first few questions. I'm not sure if it is worth the damage to my self-confidence. You mentioned you used a few supplementary sources. I have Pass Flash and am going through them- though I'm hoping to mostly stick to the Enchilada. Were these other sources useful for repeating information to iron it into your brain, or did they contain new information you found useful on the exam?

I know I should listen to Schiff Hardin again... boo!

Yay yay yay yay yay for you!
winifreddy
 
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Re: Passed in Burbank - first attempt

Postby effe_emme » Mon Nov 07, 2016 7:36 pm

winifreddy wrote:Congratulations! Outside this forum and arch, so few people realize how BIG of a deal becoming a licensed architect is... so I hope you take a little extra time to celebrate the achievement and be proud of what you have done. :D :D :D

I appreciate the comment on the Woo exams being discouraging. I started taking one, but I put it away pretty quickly after scoring 50% on the first few questions. I'm not sure if it is worth the damage to my self-confidence. You mentioned you used a few supplementary sources. I have Pass Flash and am going through them- though I'm hoping to mostly stick to the Enchilada. Were these other sources useful for repeating information to iron it into your brain, or did they contain new information you found useful on the exam?

I know I should listen to Schiff Hardin again... boo!

Yay yay yay yay yay for you!


-
thank you winifreddy - I thought the Enchilada was a great source, and I don't want to give the impression that the supplementary sources are indispensable. I just felt that I needed a little bit more context for particular topics, either because of my own weakness in those specific areas, or because I did not feel that just memorizing the Enchilada content would give me a good grasp of it. I pretty much stuck to the Enchilada throughout my studies, and added the other sources in the last 2-3weeks as I was reviewing. It gave me a good overall sense of all the material before I could evaluate for which topics the extra material was needed. Worked for me... but it really depends on what's most effective for you. On exam day, you'll need to be able to retain a lot of knowledge - how each of us does it, is always a bit different.
effe_emme
 
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