Passed and DONE!!!! - 5 exam method

Passed and DONE!!!! - 5 exam method

Postby billyz » Fri Jul 07, 2017 7:51 am

Thank you COACH and for all of you who regularly contribute to this awesome site. This has been a grueling process, but hearing (reading) tips, struggles, complaints, and success stories from others certainly helped push me through. I have been trudging through the ARE since 2011 - Crohn's diagnosis/surgery set me back and extended my clock for a little over a year - but i finally made it through and i am so relieved!!!!!

My path followed the "5 exam method" (PPP, CDS, SPD + PPD & PDD). I was hesitant to transition to 5.0, but i thought it was the best option because i only had 4 months before my passed sections started expiring. After deciding to transition, I immediately scheduled PPD and PDD for consecutive days. To maximize the number of times i could take these (3 times - factoring in 60 day waiting periods if i failed) i could only give myself 2 weeks of prep time prior to my first attempts. But i figured, what the heck - if i fail, it will be a good learning experience for my second attempt. So, i ordered the amber videos - i know, lots of money - and i crammed for 2 weeks watching videos and taking Ballast 5.0 practice tests. That's all i did and i PASSED BOTH!! And they were NOT DIFFICULT!!! I felt very well prepared - nothing caught me by surprise.

Sorry for the long post, but i think some of you need to hear this. ARE 5.0 is not the nightmare that VRCAT25 says it is. His/her posts scared the crap out of me, but boy were they wrong. ARE 5.0, PPD and PDD at least, are indeed more relevant to current architectural practice. PPD and PDD are very similar. I actually thought PDD was easier. Both mostly focused on SPD, BS, and BCDS material. I STUDIED NO STRUCTURAL, other than the steel, wood, and concrete amber videos. I may have had 4 or 5 structural questions......total....for both tests. The case studies were pretty straight forward. If you know how to navigate through the IBC, how to translate zoning requirements, and how to cross reference plans, elevations, and sections (you know, the stuff you should be doing at work every day), then you will be fine. I finished both tests with 30 minutes to spare. The most difficult part of these tests is enduring the 4.5 hours of staring at that screen....and the slow loading times for plans and code references...they really need to fix that.

In closing, don't be afraid to transition and try the 5 exam method. USE THE AMBER VIDEOS!! They are very, very, very helpful and worth the money!!! Lastly, i think i figured out why VRCAT25 is so negative...........i think he is really David Thaddeus.......he is upset because people will no longer need his seminars to pass the ARE!!!

Good luck!!

Billy
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Re: Passed and DONE!!!! - 5 exam method

Postby sb84 » Fri Jul 07, 2017 10:10 am

Congrats on passing!

I did not have any 5.0 experience so i cant really comment on if he/she was right, but just by the posts i feel what you wrote is exactly how the test is. Way to go preparing and knocking them out. good luck on your future as a licenced architect. Welcome to the club.

SB
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Re: Passed and DONE!!!! - 5 exam method

Postby vrcat25 » Fri Jul 07, 2017 1:30 pm

billyz wrote: Lastly, i think i figured out why VRCAT25 is so negative...........i think he is really David Thaddeus.......he is upset because people will no longer need his seminars to pass the ARE!!!

Billy


That's the most ridiculous thing i've ever heard. In fact, i highly doubt you even passed these tests. It's also sad that it has taken you OVER 5 years, even if you have a disease, this ounds like an excuse...This also sounds like an advertisement for the Amber videos...Most of us don't have a problem "reading" and "studying". I'm not sure if crohns disease effects your studying capabilities since i know little about your disease. It's ironic that you called me out as David Thaddeus, since it really sounds like you are pushing the Amber videos. I've also heard of many people NOT passing after wasting their money on videos so you definitely haven't changed my mind any and i won't be purchasing those videos. For me, the videos are a waste of money and i'd rather study than just watch videos. I've watched a couple sample Amber videos and was not impressed. It seemed like a waste and mainly just very basic information that has little to do with the ARE test. BTW, I still have over 3.5 years left for my rolling clock and i would be very upset if it even took me another year to pass all of them so you really shouldn't compare me to you since i have over 10 tries left for PPD and PDD before i would have exceeded my rolling clock...

You say i'm being negative, but you called me out and according to only 20 something posts in 6 years, you haven't really contributed anything to these forums besides gloating even after it took you 6 years...I hope that you have found some of my posts beneficial and not just a smear campaign towards another person on this forum.

Anyhow, if you really did pass these test which i highly doubt, good luck as a future architect. You sure will need it since you're obviously hindered by your disease and lack of structures comprehension. I wish you the best of luck on all your future endeavors...
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Re: Passed and DONE!!!! - 5 exam method

Postby billyz » Fri Jul 07, 2017 2:06 pm

Thanks VRCAT25. You're right, you have no idea what Crohn's disease is and how it's affected, and continues to affect me and my family - i'll leave it at that. Hopefully, you will continue to have good health as you continue to "read" and "study" your way through the ARE. I apologize for "calling you out" - i just wanted to give folks a positive spin on 5.0 since all i saw was negative. I truly wish you the best. Stay positive my friend.
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Re: Passed and DONE!!!! - 5 exam method

Postby sb84 » Fri Jul 07, 2017 3:07 pm

billyz wrote:Thanks VRCAT25. You're right, you have no idea what Crohn's disease is and how it's affected, and continues to affect me and my family - i'll leave it at that. Hopefully, you will continue to have good health as you continue to "read" and "study" your way through the ARE. I apologize for "calling you out" - i just wanted to give folks a positive spin on 5.0 since all i saw was negative. I truly wish you the best. Stay positive my friend.


Your fighting an uphill battle He/she won't give up lol. Believe me, most people feel the same as you about those post. Glad you came out with a positive experience with 5.0 so others won't be scared to jump in. I myself finished in 4.0 bc I didn't feel comfortable with the unknown of 5.0. More tests but I got it done so no harm no foul. Again, congrats on passing and best of luck
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Re: Passed and DONE!!!! - 5 exam method

Postby vrcat25 » Fri Jul 07, 2017 5:44 pm

sb84 wrote: Believe me, most people feel the same as you about those post.


So are you the voice for "most" people and are you saying that most people are ignorant?...Actually, i know way more people on here that aren't ignorant and don't make false accusations and are supportive unlike you sb84...You're free to feel how you want, but when you make false accusations or assumptions, you can expect that i'm going to respond back. In yours and billyz world, i guess you think you can degrade people and they're not suppose to respond back? Besides you, i don't really have a problem with anybody else on here. Actually, i've moved passed your insults and degradations and i sincerely hope you can too. Do everybody a favor and let them speak/think for themselves.
Last edited by vrcat25 on Fri Jul 07, 2017 6:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Passed and DONE!!!! - 5 exam method

Postby sb84 » Fri Jul 07, 2017 6:11 pm

Not even really worth responding to but y not. I have not been derogatory towards you. Just bc someone believes differently from you doesn't mean they are against you or speaking down to you. Stop thinking this exam and people that don't believe what you do are part of some conspiracy theory. People are actually trying to help you. If you took some time to look at my posts I I often commented on people's vignettes to HELP them. With that being said I genuinely wish you and EVERYONE on here good luck. Whether you want to believe it or not.
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Re: Passed and DONE!!!! - 5 exam method

Postby billyz » Fri Jul 07, 2017 8:11 pm

Thanks SB84!
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