bad PPD exeprience

bad PPD exeprience

Postby kerzzo » Thu Jul 27, 2017 10:39 am

Hello all, finally got the bad news on this exam. The result does not show the 7 weeks I spent going through all the materials and taking practice quizzes and exams.

Here is what I studied the most:

- Brighwood 5.0 front to back --took all the quizzes, did not score anything less than 70%
-Nalsa Archiflash(selected sections pertaining the subjects mentioned in NCARB)
- Sun Wind and Light-all the diagrams and strategies for passive design
-Grant Videos on building construction all chapters
-Arch graphic standards--chapters on foundation assemblies for steel , concrete and planning, as well as building systems
-building construction illustrated- everything on foundations, materials, site, environmental
-Architect's companion--all of the good stuff in there

I spent about 3-4 hours every day of the week on studying and weekends between 5-6 hours all to run into this problem and every minute possible on the train reading definitions and taking quizlet type of exams and flashcards including study-blue diagrams

My experience---

-i showed up extra early to prometric--pretty awake and alert and fully prepared
- the first question was a WTF , i kept going
-finished all the MCs with 1.75 hrs left to complete the two case studies
-case studies made me rush as the material appeared incomplete based on the questions they were asking even if the formula was provided
- many WTF questions even on the case studies
-guessed probably 1/3 of them based on common sense


surprises? well besides the obvious, a lot of ambiguous lighting fixture selection questions---similar to what a CID exam would ask---i thought it was useless--- the case studies did not test for the life safety of the public at all--it was more of an I-trick-you set-up

lots of structures, more structures structures and Mechanical--, very little CDS/BDCS material---I hope it is not the case in every exam----full of unclear questions and diagrams, some cant even be seen well===

the type of question that probably beats the one with the body of water everyone talks about(I had four of those myself)? yes, you might have run into it.... there is a load on the simple beam, but we are to assume the object is "weightless" yes, I will assume that in real life and see what happens----for the love of the profession....need to say more?

here is to another wasted 2 months...moving on to PDD no matter what happens :)
Hope this helps and if there is a will to try to find local people taking the same exams, maybe this helps each of us? please contact me.
the most important thing? no one can say we are procrastinating on these exams.
kerzzo
 
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Re: bad PPD exeprience

Postby tmston2 » Thu Jul 27, 2017 11:39 am

Trust me I feel your pain. took this exam twice already and taking it again sat.
just to stay on top of things i have jus decided to study everything. figured thats
the best I can do given as you stated the last time I took this exam it was loaded with
struct. questions and about 3 bldg placement near water
best advice for us is never quit
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Re: bad PPD exeprience

Postby Lvfowler » Thu Jul 27, 2017 12:40 pm

Ugh sorry to keep hearing about people's bad experiences with this one. Its not giving me much hope as I'll be going into my 3rd try.

I , like you, also noticed that there was a LOT more structures on this round than my first PPD and even PDD. Not calculations, but just conceptual. I also noticed that there was not much BDCS, not much CDS (not that I expected any, and I'm very comfortable with CDS). I'm looking for books and things I haven't read. I've already gone through my firms library and I'm going to do EVERY 4.0 practice question I can find. Even though I know i've done most of them before. Have also purchased every section of Designer Hacks, I'm going to run through them all again. I still feel like all the 4.0 material out there is better than whatever exists for 5.0. With it being the last exam for me...I ought to know everything by now, right?
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Re: bad PPD exeprience

Postby kerzzo » Fri Jul 28, 2017 5:21 am

all- thanks for the very encouraging posts---I know we will get through this...even if NCARB says otherwise, the failed exams can be used as a learning tool :lol:
kerzzo
 
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Re: bad PPD exeprience

Postby mdrnarch » Sun Jul 30, 2017 5:51 am

I'm sorry to hear about your experience. Reading your post definitely left me with a sour taste in my mouth in regards to this exam. I'm testing in about a week and now I'm just cringing to the fact that I'll be going through the same. I took PDD and failed (probably due to running out of time). I had horrible loading times/ lag during my exam. There were times that my screen went completely blank and questions wouldn't load all while the clock was still ticking away like a runaway train. I was so aggravated while taking it that at one point I wanted to just get up and leave!

Btw... if you haven't taken it yet. Read section on U-Values. I had so many questions on cost estimation that were time consuming! I know now to skip all these types of questions and then get back to them later.


Based on the exam... how in depth did they get into MEP? You mentioned a lot of structures and mechanicals...Were there calculations?

The amount of studying material for Building systems is extensive and trying to focus on what maybe on the exam is next to impossible. The most frustrating part is going in and then realizing that what you've studied is not even in the exam. Almost in every case for these exams.
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Re: bad PPD exeprience

Postby kerzzo » Sun Jul 30, 2017 6:58 am

There will be questions you did not study for , no different than 4.0
The nature of systems and structures on PPD was concepual, but for us to "get it" you have to know how to use the formulas and probably get to understand mostly the basics on how buildings fail-brush off on memorizing diagrams(alhough the exam is no supposed to be about memorizing)--calcs? Not in depth, but we all should get strictly familiar with all of these and surprisingly, lighting design and layouts is an important item. I went back to 4.0 BS Kaplan and found good stuff there , I got new books on structures cited on the 5.0 handbook so that i pretty much will become an egineer after this hahahha, and well, not just for PPD, as I hear that PDD has actual calcs.
It's insane to think that in real life i have coordinated very complex projects both new and existing for all trades and the exams are rather coomceptual scenarios...
kerzzo
 
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Re: bad PPD exeprience

Postby ghost » Tue Aug 01, 2017 5:42 am

I am retaking PPD in two weeks (passed PDD after failing PPD).

What is a good source to study lighting for PPD? I felt very unprepared in that area. Best resource for the odd site design/layout questions as well? It's time to begin reviewing for the 2nd attempt so I can be DONE with these exams!!
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Re: bad PPD exeprience

Postby kerzzo » Tue Aug 01, 2017 6:00 am

ghost--congrats on passing PDD--- I am supposed to take that one next (first time)...until I am sure of the type of questions I'll be facing, I wont schedule it...I cannot afford to spend 7 weeks again studying for nothing :)
I am honestly considering paying one of our lighting consultants to give me a Lighting 101 course and same with the acoustical--probably excessive, but...
kerzzo
 
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Re: bad PPD exeprience

Postby vrcat25 » Tue Aug 01, 2017 9:45 am

ghost wrote:I am retaking PPD in two weeks (passed PDD after failing PPD).

What is a good source to study lighting for PPD? I felt very unprepared in that area. Best resource for the odd site design/layout questions as well? It's time to begin reviewing for the 2nd attempt so I can be DONE with these exams!!


Not sure that there's 1 singular source, but a couple sources recommended by NCARB are Sun, Wind and Light and MEEB. Have you studied the lighting section in both of those? Also, for the zonal cavity method take a look at this PDF if you haven't already -> http://aesl.hanyang.ac.kr/class/are141/zonal%20cavity%20ratio%20method.pdf

Good luck and I agree 100% about looking forward to being done! NCARB sure does a good job with over complicating these tests to the point where some questions are nearly impossible to get correct...What a TERRIBLE testing process and one that i will NEVER be proud of, even after i pass these last two (PPD and PDD)
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Re: bad PPD exeprience

Postby blancovero » Tue Aug 01, 2017 1:02 pm

I failed PPD and PDD which are my last two tests before checking out.
I am retaking them on Sep 11 and 13.
I found in both tests a similar situation which I am not sure if any of you had it.
They asked to locate a drain (hot spot type of question) but the interesting thing is that the "site plan" is a horrible PDF, so small, so blurry, close to impossible to read because in the test center they do not provide a magnifier, even with a magnifier it was impossible to read...
Anyway... how the hell can you figure out where to locate the stupid hot spot? Off course I tried my best, but definitely it was not enough because I failed both...
I still thinking that 5.0 is not that bad, or perhaps I am just trying to convince myself I made the right decision.
Hopefully, we all can get the head together and beat this test once I for good...
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Re: bad PPD exeprience

Postby vrcat25 » Tue Aug 01, 2017 1:17 pm

blancovero wrote:They asked to locate a drain (hot spot type of question) but the interesting thing is that the "site plan" is a horrible PDF, so small, so blurry, close to impossible to read because in the test center they do not provide a magnifier, even with a magnifier it was impossible to read...
Anyway... how the hell can you figure out where to locate the stupid hot spot?


Have you contacted NCARB corporate? I would suggest calling somebody from the corporate office since the operators won't do anything about it. I had MULTIPLE questions that were also too small and impossible to read and when i called customer service, they were no help and there's still been no resolution. I'm going to email corporate too. Please do the same since all of our scores rely on the accuracy of the questions and you aren't the first one who's complained about this.
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