Just took PDD

Just took PDD

Postby cloudyy » Tue Jan 31, 2017 4:18 pm

I just took PDD earlier today. I found that it was pretty solidly SS (my weakest point) with some BS, and CD-level questions relating to both of those. There were a lot of multi-answer questions (fill-in-the-blanks, hotspots, drag-and-drops, 'pick three'). The test itself was still unbelievably laggy which is especially annoying at the case studies, it's really almost discouraging to use them. Still, I wouldn't expect NCARB to fix this because why would they.

I didn't really know what to study beforehand, and I had heard it was similar to PPD, so I studied far and wide. I wish I had been a bit more focused and studied some certain things more in-depth, but I didn't really know that while preparing--the NCARB prep material is pretty vague. It was similar to but more specific than PPD; there were some big SS topics which I felt didn't even get covered at all, but instead PDD (or my version at least) seemed to pick a couple of systems/topics and go deeper than I had expected. So anyway I'm happy I get the free re-test because I'm probably going to need it.
cloudyy
 

Re: Just took PDD

Postby odessaboots » Tue Jan 31, 2017 5:05 pm

Would you say that the structural topics covered required the use of the complex equations, or generally more concepts regarding structures? I guess without be too specific, which would you have wished you studied more?

I am taking it in a couple of weeks, have studied the structures material broadly, and can do the basics like solve for reactions, resolve trusses, etc.. but some of the more complex calcs get tricky...
odessaboots
 
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Nov 15, 2015 8:26 pm

Re: Just took PDD

Postby cloudyy » Tue Jan 31, 2017 7:07 pm

Hmm...hard to say exactly without potentially saying too much...I think the calculations were a little more in depth than your examples, but I wouldn't call them complex or tricky. They didn't seem like things that were necessarily entirely out-of-left-field but while studying I think I made the conscious decision that it was better to study other things. Perhaps others might be able to figure it out but like I said I'm less confident with structures and have little/no day-to-day experience with this.
cloudyy
 

Re: Just took PDD

Postby eoanna » Wed Feb 01, 2017 9:32 pm

Did you find a decent amount of BDCS as well? Or mainly structures, building systems, and cds?
eoanna
 
Posts: 17
Joined: Tue Jan 12, 2016 10:10 pm

Re: Just took PDD

Postby oconnll2 » Thu Feb 02, 2017 8:22 am

What did you use to study for the exam? Did you feel your study materials contained most of the information on the exam? I am like you in that structures is my weakest subject and it is so daunting trying to learn it in only 2 weeks. I have been using a structures book, but it assumes the reader already has knowledge of structural design.... and I really don't. I am picking up the PPI Ballast guides this week and hope that they will focus on the key topics.
oconnll2
 
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2016 6:49 am

Re: Just took PDD

Postby cloudyy » Thu Feb 02, 2017 10:24 am

I think there was actually more BDCS than BS--sorry if that was confusing in my first post. @oconnll2 definitely tackle structures.

I used Ballast 4.0 for SS/BS/BCDS, Ching's Building Construction Illustrated (I liked this a lot), the various study guides available out there, and FEMA stuff. I don't think there were gaping holes in content but I do which I had focused more on structures than I did. I don't know what PPI Ballast is but sounds interesting.
cloudyy
 

Re: Just took PDD

Postby dklorensen » Thu Feb 02, 2017 6:17 pm

Cloudyy- Can you shed a little light on what the case studies were like without saying too much? NCARBs example for their practice test is more suited to PPD it seems like.... Thanks!
dklorensen
 
Posts: 51
Joined: Sun Feb 22, 2015 1:44 pm

Re: Just took PDD

Postby cloudyy » Fri Feb 03, 2017 5:07 pm

Their 5.0 'Demo Exam' definitely seems more along the lines of a PPD test. I had a PDD case study which had plans that looked ~~verrrrry familiar~~ from my PPD test...but where PPD asked you to look at their case study drawings relative to codes/planning/etc. I think PDD asks more about construction/detailing/etc.
cloudyy
 

Re: Just took PDD

Postby dklorensen » Sat Feb 04, 2017 8:41 am

Thanks! I'm taking PDD 2/23 and PPD 2/27. I was one that got caught in the system crash this past Monday, so I had answered 91/120 questions in the MC part (and felt pretty good about them), but didn't get to see the case studies before the crash. Now I'm preparing for PDD, hopefully PPD right after will be a piece of cake.
dklorensen
 
Posts: 51
Joined: Sun Feb 22, 2015 1:44 pm


Return to PDD - Project Development & Documentation

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 34 guests

cron