Should i transition to 5.0 or not?

Should i transition to 5.0 or not?

Postby vrcat25 » Thu May 04, 2017 6:20 am

I just found out that i finally passed the last of the big 3 (PPP) and i'm on the fence as to whether i should transition or not. I can't imagine any test being more difficult than PPP, but i can see how SS and BS could be harder than the two tests I'd have left if i transition. Anybody out there who has taken SS or BS and transitioned to 5.0 and taken PPD? If so, what would you recommend I do?
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Re: Should i transition to 5.0 or not?

Postby chrisschumm » Thu May 04, 2017 8:16 am

I think it's totally dependent on your tolerance to the vignettes... i thought they sucked sooo bad when i first started... now i find them comical... circles offset from a river GENIUS! :roll: If only i though of that instead of the offset command! from what i've read on the 5.0 people say the questions are not as obscure as 4.0 but the case studies take ALOT of time (depending on which ones you get) plus lag between questions & reference material is awful + i guess you cant use the keyboard num pad with the calculator, you need to use the mouse :lol: So basically if that stuff dosent bother you it basically comes down to a roll of the dice wishing you dont get a total WTF question bank...
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Re: Should i transition to 5.0 or not?

Postby ekelsey15 » Thu May 04, 2017 8:39 am

In my experience the lag time complaint isnt true. There is a lag between the questions, but the clock would stop and start at the same time once the question loaded. You didn't lose several seconds per question. It feels that way but if you look at the clock it will start at the same time it was when you hit the next button..
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Re: Should i transition to 5.0 or not?

Postby chrisschumm » Thu May 04, 2017 8:59 am

ekelsey15 wrote:In my experience the lag time complaint isnt true. There is a lag between the questions, but the clock would stop and start at the same time once the question loaded. You didn't lose several seconds per question. It feels that way but if you look at the clock it will start at the same time it was when you hit the next button..



Right but what about the lag between the question and reference material? also did they fix the calculator? I get my info from someone in our office that took it right when the transition was available so perhaps they got the "beta test" plus im in san-diego perhaps theres a longer sever ping time... who knows..
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Re: Should i transition to 5.0 or not?

Postby ekelsey15 » Thu May 04, 2017 9:02 am

No you still can't use the keypad for the calculator.

But the lag time on the reference material wasn't as bad as people have said on here. Some was slow to load, but nothing that I would say impacted my test. On top of it. I had an error that I lost about 5-10 min while I waited for the lady to come over and reboot the machine.

I still ended up with 60+ min for the case studies and left the test early.
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Re: Should i transition to 5.0 or not?

Postby vrcat25 » Thu May 04, 2017 9:12 am

Thanks Ekelsey and Chrisschumm! Your comments help me to understand better of what to expect from 5.0. I've went over both strategies and i just can't see where sticking with 4.0 would be quicker/cheaper, but could definitely see it the other way around. I'm about 90% sure that i'll transition. I don't mind using the mouse for the calculator. In fact, i usually do it that way anyways. As for the lag, I'll be expecting it and that's better than being surprised by it.

Anybody who's taken SS or BS and then transitioned who could shed some light on those two content areas? From what i've heard, there's more overlap from the other content areas so the 5.0 tests are less technical and geared less towards structures and/or systems. Does anybody agree/disagree to that statement?
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Re: Should i transition to 5.0 or not?

Postby gbalaka » Thu May 04, 2017 9:24 am

vrcat25 wrote:I just found out that i finally passed the last of the big 3 (PPP) and i'm on the fence as to whether i should transition or not. I can't imagine any test being more difficult than PPP, but i can see how SS and BS could be harder than the two tests I'd have left if i transition. Anybody out there who has taken SS or BS and transitioned to 5.0 and taken PPD? If so, what would you recommend I do?


You still have plenty of time. Stick with 4.0. (unless you are struggling with the vignettes). I personally like them and they made half the exam tolerable.

If you switch to 5.0, then you'll be asking for which study material to use and they're very very very new and limited. There's also a lot more ARE Coach support for 4.0.
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Re: Should i transition to 5.0 or not?

Postby vrcat25 » Thu May 04, 2017 9:50 am

gbalaka wrote:
vrcat25 wrote:I just found out that i finally passed the last of the big 3 (PPP) and i'm on the fence as to whether i should transition or not. I can't imagine any test being more difficult than PPP, but i can see how SS and BS could be harder than the two tests I'd have left if i transition. Anybody out there who has taken SS or BS and transitioned to 5.0 and taken PPD? If so, what would you recommend I do?


You still have plenty of time. Stick with 4.0. (unless you are struggling with the vignettes). I personally like them and they made half the exam tolerable.

If you switch to 5.0, then you'll be asking for which study material to use and they're very very very new and limited. There's also a lot more ARE Coach support for 4.0.


Make that 85% sure now...:)

Here's my thoughts gbalaka. As far as vignette's, i've never really had any issues with them. As for study materials, I would probably just use the study material i already have to supplement what i don't have for 5.0. I'm thinking it may even be cheaper since I might not need Thaddeus/Amber courses for 5.0.... Initially, i was going to stick with 4.0 because as you said, I still have time (june 2018). The thing is, from what i've gathered with the case studies, matching and some of the MC overlapping from 4.0 divisions, i'm pretty close to being ready to take PPD. I believe i already have a pretty strong base since i've read some of MEEB and Kaplan structural systems along with the FEMA docs and could probably schedule both 5.0 tests a month from now and be pretty much prepared for them or at least the first attempt. Best case scenario i pass them both. Worse case, i fail them both and have a retake 3 months from now. Does this sound overly optimistic for 5.0? On the other hand, I could see struggling with BS or SS and taking a year to pass either one of those. I never thought that would happen with PPP and it did so I just want to be realistic. Even though, i don't have any issues with the vignette's, i would still need to study for them and to prepare for SS alone, it would take a month. I would probably need at least a month for BS too and wouldn't want to take it at the same time as SS. The more i think about it, the more i start convincing myself that 5.0 is the way to go. I do appreciate your opinions though and will take them into consideration. I'm going to do some research this weekend and won't make a decision until Monday at the soonest. Thanks everybody for your input!
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Re: Should i transition to 5.0 or not?

Postby denacourtney » Sat May 06, 2017 8:23 am

I am currently wrestling with the same questions...and i am leaning toward 5.0 too. Thanks for starting this thread as this has helped to convince me also to about 85%.

i am currently trying to decide if i am going to do the 5 exam transition plan or if i am going to transition to 5.o and just start there fresh. i don’t like that there are not as many study materials for the 5.0 exams and less support as well. but i think there is enough to where it is possible to pass... as people are doing it! i was wanting the study material from architect exam prep and they do not have the study material i need for the order i plan to do the exams. the exams i plan to do first, they have not produced the study material for yet. but, black spectacles has the study material and i may sign up for that until architect exam prep has their study material i need finished. and then i would have studied 2 sources and that is not necessarily a bad thing. also, if i wanted another study source i should also go to bright wood architecture and get study material there too.

i hate the vignette’s. i have struggled with them from the beginning and the cumbersome program they use...it would just be easier to not have to deal with those! as i feel like i also ways have to stop studying early and make sure i spend enough time with the program to get used to it as well as learn the vignette’s. which i always feel like takes away from me studying content.

for me, i kind of like the idea of transitioning because i want a fresh start. i had a bad experience with 4.0 (passed all and then had to start over, i won’t bore you with the trifling details)...on an emotional level i kind of want to transition so i can get a fresh start with a new exam and not have the bad memories with the old.

and lastly, as silly as this sounds, i think i would like to take the exam or exams about running a practice. i may want or need to do that one day and i want to have a clue about how to do that. As i finished the 4.0 exams and still did not have a clue on that. So i like the idea of having an exam or 2 on that. i think it better prepares us for the real world and if we want to or find that we need to go into practice for ourselves.

thanks so much vrcat25, for this post, as it has helped me answer some questions cause i am in the same boat you are! i am spending more time deciding this than i should wile i just need to get this figured out and move on so i can study.

What did you eventually decide to do? did you transition?

Dena Courtney :)
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Re: Should i transition to 5.0 or not?

Postby sb84 » Sat May 06, 2017 9:12 am

Contrats vrcat... I know ppp was a pain for you. I thought you were adamant about staying in 4.0 a few months ago when ppd scores got released? what changed your mind if you don't mind me asking?
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Re: Should i transition to 5.0 or not?

Postby vrcat25 » Sun May 07, 2017 10:01 am

sb84 wrote:Contrats vrcat... I know ppp was a pain for you. I thought you were adamant about staying in 4.0 a few months ago when ppd scores got released? what changed your mind if you don't mind me asking?


Thanks sb84...Yes, PPP sure was a pain...The reason that i'm transitioning is because i couldn't possibly imagine another test having such obscure and ambiguous questions as they were for 4.0...Furthermore, I barely thwarted two critical over-sites on the last vignette and I love the idea of not having to learn another 4 vignette's, even though i never struggled with vignette's. After taking the 5.0 practice test and reading the handbook, I feel as though with a little more studying of the Ballast review manual and practicing the ARE sample problems, i'm already prepared for PPD and PDD. The test seemed to be more balanced and in line with what i've been doing at the firm i've worked at for the past 5 years. To be honest, I can't think of a reason NOT to transition, if you're like me and have passed the "big 3".
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Re: Should i transition to 5.0 or not?

Postby Kiedys.Zdam. » Sun May 07, 2017 10:04 am

I probably am missing something, but this is not true that calculator works only by mouse in 4.0!
This may only be the case if your number button on left upper corner of the small number keyboard is off. I don't know about 5.0, but on ALL of my 4.0 exams I used the number keyboard on right hand side of the keyboard!
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Re: Should i transition to 5.0 or not?

Postby vrcat25 » Sun May 07, 2017 10:31 am

Kiedys.Zdam. wrote:I probably am missing something, but this is not true that calculator works only by mouse in 4.0!
This may only be the case if your number button on left upper corner of the small number keyboard is off. I don't know about 5.0, but on ALL of my 4.0 exams I used the number keyboard on right hand side of the keyboard!


Yeah, i've heard about that already...I've always used the mouse to click the numbers, so i do it that way already...I would have more of a problem the other way around, probably not much though...
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Re: Should i transition to 5.0 or not?

Postby vrcat25 » Sun May 07, 2017 10:33 am

The one thing that i'm a tad bit concerned with is that there's lag between question sections that i need to prepare for...
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Re: Should i transition to 5.0 or not?

Postby sb84 » Sun May 07, 2017 1:33 pm

VRcat. I hear you about the no vignettes. When I finished the "big 3" I already had SD completed as well so decided to finish with 4.0. Passed BDCS in March and BS in April. Now preparing for my last test, SS. For me, I felt that there was more chance of random questions in 5.0 actually. I felt that 4.0 was more concentrated on material in the exam. But each person is different and makes decisions that are best for you. I wish you good luck in your 5.0 journey.
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Re: Should i transition to 5.0 or not?

Postby vrcat25 » Mon May 08, 2017 7:34 am

sb84 wrote:VRcat. I hear you about the no vignettes. When I finished the "big 3" I already had SD completed as well so decided to finish with 4.0. Passed BDCS in March and BS in April. Now preparing for my last test, SS. For me, I felt that there was more chance of random questions in 5.0 actually. I felt that 4.0 was more concentrated on material in the exam. But each person is different and makes decisions that are best for you. I wish you good luck in your 5.0 journey.


Thanks and good luck to you to SB84! I know we haven't always seen eye to eye, but I really appreciate your help. As you said, everybody is different and I just don't like the format for 4.0. It's a minor detail, but even after you take a test in 4.0, you're required to wait a week. I heard that with 5.0, you usually get your test result a day later? If that's true, I love that aspect of 5.0. I'm sure they may be things i don't like about it, but i'm going to jump in head first and i find out more about it when i take it in 3 weeks. Take care!
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