HELPPPPPPPP

[thesauce23]

So I have about 4 years exp. I took my first exam (PPP) straight out of college and failed. I then thought, maybe I should wait until I gain a little bit more experience and started trying again in 2015 with PPP SPD and CDS. I failed all three. Womp Womp. I wasn't going to let that stop me. I got a butt load of exp in CA work so I thought it would be great to retake CDS again and again and again until I passed. I just kept failing. I got married last year and put testing on hold. I made my new year's resolution to do the 4.0 to 5.0 transition (PPP, SPD, CDS, PDD & PPD). It is now April and I have failed a total of 11 exams!!! and have yet to pass anything! I am starting to give up all hope.

I have studied the normal (Ballast, Kaplan, Jenny's Notes, Caroline's Notes, Black Spectacles, AEP, and even gave in to a tutoring session with the horrible Funkaar group!).I have taken soooo many practice exams (Chen, Ballast, 3.1, Kaplan, BS, AEP, Designer Hacks, everything). I started my own study group at work and we all took SPD together and of course, I was the only one to fail!

Please someone help me figure out what I'm doing wrong! I'm at my breaking point. I keep thinking to myself that I'm almost done, all I have to do is pass these exams, but then I get smacked in the face with a beautiful blue FAIL! Do I jump ship and just transition to 5.0? Do I take a break? Do I keep trucking through this? HELPPPPPPP

[gbalaka]

Wow.....so sorry to hear about that.

I happen to be on the complete opposite end of where you stand. I literally just received my final pass score this morning (i took SD last). Out of the seven, I failed my third one (SPD). That one floored me and I remember how horrible I felt felt at the time. I cannot even imagine having to go through that 11 times!!!! I got married in May of 2015, so i also got married during the midst of these exams.

The whole process started for me in December of 2014 when i took CDS (I probably studied for a few months for that one).

I got a bunch of questions for you?

1. Do you struggle on the MC portion, the vignettes or both?
2. Do you schedule an exam first and then start studying?
3. When and where do you study? Do you have kids?
4. Are you a nervous exam taker?
5. Do you tend to cram in a bunch of information up until the very last day?
6. Do you use Google or YouTube to do further research on things you don't understand?
7. Do you take practice exams over and over again?
8. How much time do you allot to study for each exam?
9. Do you always answer all questions on the exam? Do you run out of time?

Work experience means nothing for these exams. I cannot speak much about 5.0 since i know nothing about that exam. All i have done is 4.0.

I live in California, so now i need to also take the California Supplemental Exam.....they just never end.

[corbismyhomeboy]

I can't imagine how frustrated you must be!

A few suggestions:

• Do you know if you are a visual learner (you remember pictures better) or a textual learner (you prefer to read something to remember it)? For me, it's easier to remember an image than what a block of text says. If this is true for you, try looking for pictures of what you're studying, especially for SPD, or diagrams for CDS and PPP. Make some diagrams and sketches of what you're reading. If you're better at text, read a paragraph then try writing a summary sentence that'll help remind you of the main idea. Whichever method works for you, do it on your flashcards! (Write a sentence with keywords missing, or draw a sketch where you have to label the parts of the diagram.
• There is SO MUCH study material available to us to get through these exams. It can be exhausting! I find it helps me to really read and more thoroughly understand a few sources than trying to slog through all of them. I typically go for one of the study guides like Kaplan OR Ballast, but not both, select chapters in the recommended books from NCARB, flashcards, and some YouTube videos/googling images or diagrams. It takes so much time to get through the material and a lot of it says all of the same thing just repeated!
• Have you looked at the list of books/resources recommended by NCARB at the end of each exam study guide? Those books are where they get some of their questions!! I've had questions VERBATIM from sources listed in the exam guide. I know I've tried to skirt by these sources because they can be expensive, but it's cheaper to buy/borrow/rent/read online than have to retake the exam!

Hope this helps! Keep slogging through these exams... YOU CAN DO IT!

[tmston2]

In my mind, sounds like you are over studying and possibly rushing thru the material, thats basically how I started out. and right out the gate with about 5yrs experience I failed like 4 exams in a row.
The exams are not like school or anything else for that matter, you have to definitely and thoroughly understand the concepts like "why is not a good idea to build a
4 story office building on a site with a 5' depth of bedrock over a site with 7' depth water table".
Dont fall victim to the people bragging about passing all exams in a weeks or 6 months or less, there are some that do but that is as rare as personally knowing someone who's an astranaut
The a.r.e. is a beast all in of itself, u know its a monstrous animal because it can bring grown men to an emotional low so much they get liquored up once they see a fail!
its difficult to prepare for an exam when 50-60% of it you have no real way to prepare for, and out of the exam area there are literally 100 million questions they can ask you
which really boils down in my opinion to 5 things; how well you can follow instructions, how determined you are, how well you understand english language, how good of a test take you can be, & minimal competency of ncarbs exam
but here is my tips on how I have passed the 3exams I have passed so far,
• understand concepts first (why they are doing what they do)
• dont overstudy, ex. steel connections; bolt, rivet, weld. weld being best and most economical, but dont lose yourself in all diff kinds of bolts and threads and bolt shear strength, weld temperatures of metals etc.. crap
• try to review everyday at min. 45mins
• answer how ncarb wants you to answer, no matter how you do it in practice, do it like ncarb says
• limit yourself to 3-4 study sources, google, ballast, kaplan, bci, studio companion handbook
• be consistent with studying
• review practice exams, understand why you got it wrong and what concept was covered
• dont waste time reviewing stuff you already know
• group exams that over lap together (ppp, spd), (bs, ss,& bdcs) or 5.0 (ppd & pdd) therfore you can cover more with less
• understand what the questions is asking you, you may have to read, read & re-read the questions. ex. which is the best is diff from which is most likely and diff from which is most economical or most
• answer questions you definitely know 1st, answer harder questions 2nd, answer calculations questions last.
• make sure you definitely understand larger percent area's first and thoroughly
• understand how to apply what you are reading & learning
• understand all your goal is to pass the exams, you are not trying to learn every single stupid thing cover'd in the material
• if you can explain it to someone else, then you are more than likely ready for the exam
• its a marathon not a sprint, even ncarb gives you 5yrs to get it done and also says it take 3yrs on average to pass all the exams
• sometime you do have to just take it one exam at a time, forget about everything else and just take it one exam at a time
thats all I got, I test sat. morning 5.0 PPD, wish me luck
Godspeed to you as well my friend

[chrisschumm]

Dang, i guess all i can say is stick with it! I've bombed a few of these tests (cds right out of the gates) while yes it does suck....i just keep telling myself it will be over sooner or later. Fortunately my company reimburses for passed tests, i think that helps with the misery. I've read a few books on amazon about taking these tests, one of the best breadcrumbs i found was to set a goal of something you really really want (aside from being licensed, or retiring lol) and you can't have it till your done with these stupid tests... that way you are constantly working towards your goals. I also set up a testing schedule spreadsheet in excel/ google sheets that tracks my progress and dates for testing/ study duration's...

Not sure if that was helpful but i wish you the best!

[thesauce23]

Wow.....so sorry to hear about that.

I happen to be on the complete opposite end of where you stand. I literally just received my final pass score this morning (i took SD last). Out of the seven, I failed my third one (SPD). That one floored me and I remember how horrible I felt felt at the time. I cannot even imagine having to go through that 11 times!!!! I got married in May of 2015, so i also got married during the midst of these exams.

The whole process started for me in December of 2014 when i took CDS (I probably studied for a few months for that one).

I got a bunch of questions for you?

1. Do you struggle on the MC portion, the vignettes or both? I tend to struggle with the MC and Vn the vignettes
2. Do you schedule an exam first and then start studying? I tend to schedule my exam a month or two out and then start studying
3. When and where do you study? Do you have kids?I have an hour commute, so I study on the train both ways, and then an hour when I get home at the kitchen table with no distractions. No kids, just dogs.
4. Are you a nervous exam taker? I'm usually a nervous test taker
5. Do you tend to cram in a bunch of information up until the very last day? I rewatch the dorf vignettes the day before and try to chill the night before
6. Do you use Google or YouTube to do further research on things you don't understand? I Google everything I don't know. and Youtube vignettes and read thru the comments
7. Do you take practice exams over and over again? I take practice exams repeatedly. I tend to memorize the answers on accident.
8. How much time do you allot to study for each exam? I usually allot 1-2 months
9. Do you always answer all questions on the exam? Do you run out of time? I answer all of the questions and have only run out of time on my SPD site design vignette

Work experience means nothing for these exams. I cannot speak much about 5.0 since i know nothing about that exam. All i have done is 4.0.

I live in California, so now i need to also take the California Supplemental Exam.....they just never end.

I feel like I am a poor test taker

[thesauce23]

Godspeed to you as well my friend

Thank you!

[thesauce23]

Dang, i guess all i can say is stick with it! I've bombed a few of these tests (cds right out of the gates) while yes it does suck....i just keep telling myself it will be over sooner or later. Fortunately my company reimburses for passed tests, i think that helps with the misery. I've read a few books on amazon about taking these tests, one of the best breadcrumbs i found was to set a goal of something you really really want (aside from being licensed, or retiring lol) and you can't have it till your done with these stupid tests... that way you are constantly working towards your goals. I also set up a testing schedule spreadsheet in excel/ google sheets that tracks my progress and dates for testing/ study duration's...

Not sure if that was helpful but i wish you the best!

Thank you for your input! I started a study calendar and update it at the end of each week. hopefully this is the end of my failing spree! PPP is next in May!

[alkali]

Don't give up hope! Although this is coming from a person who just passed his final exam, it took me 21 times to do it! My advice would be to go back and read the NCARB Exam Guide Content areas; this will help to focus your study areas. Second, on your practices test, just focus on the correct answer descriptions and try to understand why the answer is correct. Third, as a test taking tip, try to eliminate a wrong answer at the very beginning; some answer choices will be obviously incorrect. Fourth, don't beat your self up! Believe you can do it! Picture logging into your NCARB record and seeing "all Passes"! In 2015 I took 5 exams and failed all 5! Just keep going! I know its easier said than done but just remember that you are just as capable and qualified as any one who has ever taken and completed the ARE!

[thesauce23]

Don't give up hope! Although this is coming from a person who just passed his final exam, it took me 21 times to do it! My advice would be to go back and read the NCARB Exam Guide Content areas; this will help to focus your study areas. Second, on your practices test, just focus on the correct answer descriptions and try to understand why the answer is correct. Third, as a test taking tip, try to eliminate a wrong answer at the very beginning; some answer choices will be obviously incorrect. Fourth, don't beat your self up! Believe you can do it! Picture logging into your NCARB record and seeing "all Passes"! In 2015 I took 5 exams and failed all 5! Just keep going! I know its easier said than done but just remember that you are just as capable and qualified as any one who has ever taken and completed the ARE!

Thank you!

[gbalaka]

Wow.....so sorry to hear about that.

I happen to be on the complete opposite end of where you stand. I literally just received my final pass score this morning (i took SD last). Out of the seven, I failed my third one (SPD). That one floored me and I remember how horrible I felt felt at the time. I cannot even imagine having to go through that 11 times!!!! I got married in May of 2015, so i also got married during the midst of these exams.

The whole process started for me in December of 2014 when i took CDS (I probably studied for a few months for that one).

I got a bunch of questions for you?

1. Do you struggle on the MC portion, the vignettes or both? I tend to struggle with the MC and Vn the vignettes
2. Do you schedule an exam first and then start studying? I tend to schedule my exam a month or two out and then start studying
3. When and where do you study? Do you have kids?I have an hour commute, so I study on the train both ways, and then an hour when I get home at the kitchen table with no distractions. No kids, just dogs.
4. Are you a nervous exam taker? I'm usually a nervous test taker
5. Do you tend to cram in a bunch of information up until the very last day? I rewatch the dorf vignettes the day before and try to chill the night before
6. Do you use Google or YouTube to do further research on things you don't understand? I Google everything I don't know. and Youtube vignettes and read thru the comments
7. Do you take practice exams over and over again? I take practice exams repeatedly. I tend to memorize the answers on accident.
8. How much time do you allot to study for each exam? I usually allot 1-2 months
9. Do you always answer all questions on the exam? Do you run out of time? I answer all of the questions and have only run out of time on my SPD site design vignette

Work experience means nothing for these exams. I cannot speak much about 5.0 since i know nothing about that exam. All i have done is 4.0.

I live in California, so now i need to also take the California Supplemental Exam.....they just never end.

I feel like I am a poor test taker

Thanks for answering my questions....here's my 2 cents.

One thing I will tell you is that I never scheduled an exam first and then started studying towards it.
Let's take Structural Systems for example. I spent 3-4 months just reading through all the material - however long it takes you - no rush (Kaplan, AreExamPrep and some Ballast at the end - it's way too detailed). While doing that I would obviously be looking at Google and YouTube (just as you did). Then, I take ALL of the practice exams once (start to finish) and I remember getting like 50% right...something like that. At this point, I schedule an exam about a month from then. I see each practice exam question as 4 questions. It's just not about which is the right answer, but as to why the other 3 answers are wrong. It's great that you are memorizing the right answer, but it's also good to know why the other three are incorrect and what they mean.

Even with all that said, this will only prepare you for half the exam. I get to the test center and I get a bunch of WTF questions - don't let that discourage you - just answer something, mark the question and go back to it later.

You seem to be extremely motivated and i can see that you would like to accomplish this goal - don't give you. You now have lots and lots of experience with these exams and i am positive you can do it!

[standard]

I would ask - what do you think is the main issue?. I have a feeling that you know the material well and have a good grasp of it. My first guess is that the primary issue is feeling overwhelmed during the actual test.

Something I did when practicing for the vignettes is practice as if I was being timed like the actual test - but also I played super random and distracting youtube videos in the background. I wanted to practice tuning out any kind of distraction. The real goal is to figure out a way to get in the "zone" and focus. During the test you can't think about "I have to pass this!" you have to deal with each problem at a time and take the pressure off of yourself. If you have more serious anxiety concerns figure out a way to address those. Because you can pass these tests. And you do know the answers.

[home_alone]

Wow I feel your pain.

I failed PPP twice in a row when I first started and my study habit was at night only after an exhausting work day and the baby went to sleep. Then I flipped it to a morning routine where I study from 6-8 every morning and luckily my kid wakes up at 8. That was a complete game changer and I could finally really get focused study without the days stress and distractions on my mind. Maybe a similar radical change to your study settings is worth a try?