Page 1 of 1

Failed TWICE :(

PostPosted: Tue Mar 14, 2017 6:05 pm
by shortkm1
I took PPD back in November 2016. When they finally released the scores, I failed :( So I rescheduled for a week and a half later. I studied everything I had before (well mostly my notes from the previous PPD test) as well as everything I had for PDD and looked through more BDCS info from 4.0 exams. Took the test and still felt terrible about it. I felt like on the first round, I had a ton of MEP questions. Then this round, I had way more structures questions. Found out a failed AGAIN :cry:

First time:
Content Area 1: Environmental Conditions & Context 10-16% ----○------------○--------------○-------------●----
Content Area 2: Codes & Regulations 16-22% ----○------------○--------------●-------------○----
Content Area 3: Building Systems, Materials, & Assemblies 19-25% ----○------------●--------------○-------------○----
Content Area 4: Project Integration of Program & Systems 32-38% ----○------------○--------------●-------------○----
Content Area 5: Project Costs & Budgeting 8-14% ----○------------○--------------●-------------○----

2nd time:
Content Area 1: Environmental Conditions & Context 10-16% ----●------------○--------------○-------------○----
Content Area 2: Codes & Regulations 16-22% ----○------------○--------------●-------------○----
Content Area 3: Building Systems, Materials, & Assemblies 19-25% ----○------------○--------------●-------------○----
Content Area 4: Project Integration of Program & Systems 32-38% ----○------------○--------------●-------------○----
Content Area 5: Project Costs & Budgeting 8-14% ----○------------○--------------●-------------○----

Any advice would be helpful. I had been studying from Ballast 5.0, but I feel like it is not very good material. I need to look into some other material but REALLY dont want to buy a whole other set of books for one test. I have a few of the resource books from when I was in grad school, but they are so huge! Is there any way to tell which chapters I need from those books? I am scheduled to retake the exam in mid-May.

Thanks in advance!!

Re: Failed TWICE :(

PostPosted: Fri Mar 17, 2017 11:01 am
by tmston2
Sorry to hear about the fail, I dont know what to tell you without sounding like a broken record!
• keep studying
• try to see more of the Big Picture
• dont over study
• Figur out and answer like a.r.e. want you to and not what you or your boss or coworkers would do
• Do as many practice exams as you can, then review and try to understand the concept of the ones you got wrong and why and even the ones you guessed right
• Work on being a better test taker
• Dont flood your-self with tomany study materials
• the a.r.e. is a real bitch!!! #justThe truthOfTheMatter
• Dont rush it itha, its a marathon not a sprint my friend

I feel your pain on the study material tho, I just got my ballast question & answer guide and most of the questions are same as from 4.0
best to you!!

Re: Failed TWICE :(

PostPosted: Sun Mar 19, 2017 7:06 am
by shortkm1
Thanks for the advice. I feel like my problem is less of the test taking itself. I took the three 4.0 exams and passed the first time. So, I feel like it is more of a content overload for me. I do think that taking practice exams is helpful, but there are not many yet for 5.0 and I have taken most of the 4.0 versions. I am wondering if anyone who has passed 5.0 PPD studied anything other than Ballast. I know they give you the whole list of resources you are supposed to study from but I just don't know how anyone could get through it all.

Re: Failed TWICE :(

PostPosted: Sun Mar 19, 2017 2:23 pm
by tmston2
In my opinion, the content of the exams 4.0 & 5.0 are basically the same, the only difference is how its arranged, ur basically driving a diff vehicle to get to same place, brake, gas pedal & shifter may be in diff place but its still there and works da same way.

that said, in my mind i percieve that ppd is a more culmination of 4.0 bs, ss, sd, & some ppp, with hotspots & casestudies making up for vignettes without the " all or none" of the vignettes, ( or ncarb hasnt confirmed yet, just says cut score is def based on which exam u get & how many you gt rite out of 120, which is suppose to be roughly 62% or higher)

i wudnt be afraid to use even 3.0 practice exams which i have & am.

Re: Failed TWICE :(

PostPosted: Fri Mar 31, 2017 6:29 am
by lbsoccer13
So sorry to hear about your results, and your frustration with the study materials. My husband and I transitioned to 5.0 but also didn't want to spend money on un-tested study materials. We studied for PPD using Ballast 4.0 material for BS, and Jenny's study guide for SS. We also did an overview of Jenny / Caroline's notes for CDS and SPD as a quick refresher.

For PDD we added into the mix Ballast 4.0 for SS, as well as Jenny's notes for BDCS which seemed to work well.

In general, for me the dual approach of Ballast with Jenny/Caroline's notes seems to work well. Sometimes Ballast is way too dense and wordy for me to grasp the concepts, while at the same time Jenny/Caroline can be perhaps just a bit too broad-brush. So the combination of the two approaches has always served me well. You're right - using 4.0 material for the 5.0 exams seems like a ton of material - I filled a 2" binder with study materials for each test. But if you can keep in mind that the ARE will test you on the application of the knowledge, rather than specifics, that should help!

Re: Failed TWICE :(

PostPosted: Mon Apr 03, 2017 9:27 am
by gbalaka
You're able to retake a test just a week and a half later? Is that new with ARE 5.0???

When it comes to these exams, the last thing you want to do is cram in a bunch of information in a short period of time. You want to take your time and digest the information. With each test, on my first try, I simply just read all the information from cover to cover (at this point, i'm just reading and getting a sense of what's on the exam). Certain things will make sense, others will not. On my second pass, I spend more time on the concepts that I don't understand and I will literally just google the topic and even find videos on YouTube to further grasp the information. You'd be surprised how much information is out there.

I find Kaplan to be a good read to start with. If you do Ballast first, you get caught up in too many details. I save Ballast for last. And then keep taking the practice exams. Don't just learn the right answer, but also learn why the other choices are wrong. Make your own flashcards (i suggest www.studyblue.com). I made one for Structural Systems and Building Systems (i wish i had used that for my previous exams).

I can keep going, but i'm repeating the information said by others.

Find your comfort zone and stick to it. Whatever you do - do not rush!

Also.....I think the absolute worst thing to do is to schedule an exam first and then start studying with that deadline in place. (but that's my opinion).

Re: Failed TWICE :(

PostPosted: Tue May 16, 2017 5:57 am
by shortkm1
Finally passed!! See my post for what I studied here:

viewtopic.php?f=28&t=49645

Re: Failed TWICE :(

PostPosted: Tue May 16, 2017 9:24 am
by vrcat25
gbalaka wrote:You're able to retake a test just a week and a half later? Is that new with ARE 5.0???
.


I'm curious about the same thing? Was this part of the early incentive? You still have to wait 2 months to retake a test in 5.0 right?

Re: Failed TWICE :(

PostPosted: Tue May 16, 2017 11:46 am
by shortkm1
No I took the test in November 2016. Then waited 4 months to even find out my score. You have to wait 60 days from the day you TAKE the test...and I had waited well over 60 days...

Re: Failed TWICE :(

PostPosted: Tue Jun 20, 2017 7:31 am
by kerzzo
no biggie, keep the momentum and keep testing (if the economical abilities are there) and don't lose hope. I tested in 4.0 PP and failed miserably although i was close and passed on a third attempt. all three times I felt the same after leaving the test center...all wtf questions that left me frustrated specially if I had studied for over 6 weeks, but this enabled me to transition to 5.0.