How can I pass the PPP exam?

Site Zoning Vignette and Multiple Choice

How can I pass the PPP exam?

Postby ARE-032785 » Mon May 29, 2017 6:43 pm

Hello Everyone,

This is my third time going to take the PPP test. I am worried about not passing it. English is my second language, so if any subject took you guys 1 minute, I probably needed 2 minutes to understand it, which is one of my disadvantages on this test. Last time I didn't study enough materials for this test: I just studied the ARE Architect Prep material and I got worse results than the first time, when I just studied Ballast Chapter 2, and 3. Do you have any suggestions for study material or any suggestion for a great study schedule?

Thank you,
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Re: How can I pass the PPP exam?

Postby sofiasalvat » Tue May 30, 2017 8:17 am

Hi ARE-032785,

I understand the language struggle as English is my second language as well, but it also looks like you need to expand your study material. Here is a list of some helpful sources, most of these can be found on Google, if not try purchasing them on Amazon:

-Ballast - PPP & SPD chapters then skimmed through SS BS BDCS chapters because I heard this exam was a mix and wanted to be fully prepared
-Kaplan - PPP & SPD Quizzes
-Caroline's Notes
-Jenny's Notes
-PPP - Whole Enchilada
-Rudger's Vignette Tutorial
-Problem Solving by William Pena
-Archiflash flash cards
-FEMA Designing for Earthquakes (skim this for basic understanding)

It is also helpful to research into concepts that you don't understand on Google. There are tons of resources out there.

Best of luck!
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Re: How can I pass the PPP exam?

Postby corbismyhomeboy » Tue May 30, 2017 11:19 am

ARE, have you taken any other exams? This is a hard one going into right off because this exam covers so much material from the other exams. It may be of help to dip into some of the info from CDS and SPD to make sure you've got your bases covered. If you're not planning on transitioning, or you haven't taken the other exams yet, I'd consider moving onto CDS or SPD in the mean time.
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Re: How can I pass the PPP exam?

Postby ARE-032785 » Wed May 31, 2017 8:27 pm

Thank you sofiasalvat. I start studying the study materials that you suggested.
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Re: How can I pass the PPP exam?

Postby ARE-032785 » Wed May 31, 2017 8:43 pm

Hello corbismyhomeboy,

I studied for all of the tests almost a year ago and took all 7 tests on 7 consecutive test days. I studied SD one day and passed it, and I passed the vignettes on all the tests. I studied again for CD and took it 2 more times and I was close to passing but didn't. I took PPP one more time and did worse. Now I started studying PPP again. I hope I can pass PPP, SPD, and CD before 2018 then I can take the two other next within the next year.
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Re: How can I pass the PPP exam?

Postby corbismyhomeboy » Thu Jun 01, 2017 6:21 am

ARE, if it's an option to change your testing order, I would suggest starting with SPD. The material is much easier to grasp because it is physical and visual (what CDS is not) and will give you a good base to start with. Then go onto CDS then PPP. PPP is really hard to start out with because it covers so much material. If you start with PPP, you're spending a lot of time covering material that will a part of CDS and SPD. If you take SPD and CDS first, you'll have a more thorough knowledge of both of the material for those exams and will only have to study the PPP material. Make sense?

This tactic may also help you break up the information into smaller pieces so you aren't trying to digest so much at once, and in a different language! (Kudos to you because even native English speakers have a hard time with this stuff!) I found the ArchiFlash flashcards (also called NALSA) very helpful to get the hang of how the questions are asked, test knowledge, and work on navigating the tricky wording. Either way, I would think once you get through the reading, really focus on practice questions! Good luck!
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Re: How can I pass the PPP exam?

Postby vrcat25 » Thu Jun 01, 2017 7:18 am

Hello ARE. I can understand your struggle. English is my first language and i have always been strong with vocabulary and reading, but these tests are very difficult because of the deductive reasoning and subjectivity so I can't imagine how hard it would be for somebody who's native language is not English. I agree with Sofia's list with a few exceptions I wouldn't bother with the Fema chapters until you take SS. Also, I wouldn't bother with the whole enchilada or kaplan. However, I would study the Architects Handbook of Professional Practice. For me, it was the best source for PPP, but i waited until my fourth try before figuring out how valuable of a resource it is. AHPP is a over 700 pages, but don't get intimidated by it and try to read it cover to cover. Just use it as a reference guide and study the chapters that you need the most help with.

I also agree with Corb and that PPP is the most difficult and you may want to take CDS and SPD first. I would have thought CDS and SPD would be more difficult, but the pass rates on PPP are lower and i've heard that it's unnecessarily difficult because it's the "gate keeper" to 5.0. I would take CDS, SPD and PPP in that order. Create a schedule and try to take 1 test every 6-8 weeks. It sounds like you are very close. Good luck!
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Re: How can I pass the PPP exam?

Postby gbalaka » Thu Jun 01, 2017 9:37 am

7 Exams in 7 Days and English is not your first language - that sounds like a recipe for disaster.

These exams are in no way, shape or form easy; especially since most of what you read about in the study guide won't even be on the exam. You need to go into each exams truly understanding the main concepts in order to pass the exams.

That being said, allow yourself more time per exam. To start off, give yourself at least a month per exam (some would even say at least 8 weeks...). More time is not bad...you have 5 years to finish the exams, not 7 Days. Also, you need to read multiple sources and you'll see how different they all are.

There have been people who have successfully finished 7 exams in 7 days, but they are also really really good exam takers.
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Re: How can I pass the PPP exam?

Postby ARE-032785 » Thu Jun 01, 2017 12:43 pm

Thank you all for your suggestion it was very helpful. I change my schedule to take SPD in July, CD in September, and then PPP in November. Now, I was wondering if you have any suggestions for SPD study material ? I really wants to pass these test ,this is the firs time in my life that I didn't pass my test. :(
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Re: How can I pass the PPP exam?

Postby gbalaka » Thu Jun 01, 2017 4:24 pm

ARE-032785 wrote:Thank you all for your suggestion it was very helpful. I change my schedule to take SPD in July, CD in September, and then PPP in November. Now, I was wondering if you have any suggestions for SPD study material ? I really wants to pass these test ,this is the firs time in my life that I didn't pass my test. :(


So does mean you're all done with BDCS, SS and BS?

Anywhoos, here are my recommendations for study material.

My main study guide was the Whole Enchilada and I took the OMCES a month prior to the exam until i was getting close to 100%.
Kaplan (read the whole book and take the practice exams).
Ballast (read the chapters that are about Site Planning and Design - I think it's 2 and 3).
Sign up for DesignerHacks. It's $30 per exam and it just opens you up to more practice questions. Becomes a game and you want to score 100%.
You can even look at Building Construction Illustrated (chapters related to Site Planning and Design). Soils, foundations, such things.
Do the practice exam that NCARB provides. Don't just memorize the correct answers, but do some research on the answers (since NCARB doesn't explain them).
Google things you're unfamiliar with and even better if you see if there are videos on YouTube about whatever.

Repetition, repetition, repetition. That's the best way to learn.

Good luck.
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Re: How can I pass the PPP exam?

Postby vrcat25 » Thu Jun 01, 2017 4:52 pm

ARE-032785 wrote:Thank you all for your suggestion it was very helpful. I change my schedule to take SPD in July, CD in September, and then PPP in November. Now, I was wondering if you have any suggestions for SPD study material ? I really wants to pass these test ,this is the firs time in my life that I didn't pass my test. :(


Everybody has s different approaches, but for me, I mainly just read Ballast and Jenny's notes for SPD. Have you read Jenny's notes and do you understand all of the information in it and Ballast? Also, i would order "ARE sample problems - Site Planning and Design" from ebay or amazon. It's probably my favorite source because it has 2 practice tests. It's nice to take those tests and time yourself and to also study the questions that you missed and know why you missed them. I thought SPD was the easiest of the 3 and has the most objective questions, but there is quite a bit of overlap with PPP and CDS. You may have not given enough time for yourself for SPD and too much of your time for CDS and PPP, but you know yourself better than anybody. Don't be so hard on yourself. Many people who are good with tests have problems with the ARE and remember that these are mostly just hypothetical questions. It doesn't mean you're good or bad at architecture. Best of luck to you!
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Re: How can I pass the PPP exam?

Postby corbismyhomeboy » Fri Jun 02, 2017 6:34 am

If my memory is correct, SPD for me in order of use was:
-Started ALL of the exams by watching the NCARB videos on YouTube about the MC (saved the vignette video until right before I started to practice for the test)
-NCARB practice exam to see where I stand
-Kaplan SPD (we actually used the pre-Kaplan ALS guide for my site planning class in college so I reread that!)
-Ballast chapters on SPD and Ballast practice questions (both the ones with the explanations right under the questions and the actual practice tests.)
-Building Construction Illustrated chapters on soils, sites, foundations, etc.,
-Try to get your eyes on at least one soils report done for a project at your office and talk to the Project Manager about what it contains and why it was important for their project and how it affected the decisions made for the design
-Black Spectacles SPD section videos
-Black Spectacles free mock exam on YouTube
-I would've used NALSA flashcards, but my set (from 3.1) didn't have any for SPD.
-Vignette practice 4-7 days before the exam

Things I would've looked over if I had known better:
-Architectural Graphic Standards (use for ALL of the exams!!!)
-Maybe Building Codes Illustrated (can't remember how much site design it covers)
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Re: How can I pass the PPP exam?

Postby ARE-032785 » Thu Jun 08, 2017 8:48 pm

Thank you all for your comments and great suggestion. I will post here when I pass my first test.
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Re: How can I pass the PPP exam?

Postby JORDANARE » Sat Jun 10, 2017 3:50 pm

This is a good question. I've taken the exam twice. Once I had a computer error right before the vignette and accidentally exited myself out. Once I flat out failed. If I remember correctly I had level 1 on all of the multiple choice before the vignette on the first one, maybe one level two.

Test 1: This was the easiest ARE I had taken to date, I think it was my 4th. I failed SPD, then passed CDS and SPD. In order to pass this exam (at least the multiple choice) I would say you should be pretty knowlegable of all the prime sources. Think Ballast, Secretary of Interior, and pertinent info from CDS and SPD, and know Carolines notes pretty thoroughly...ohh and at least have a solid understanding of programming and William Pena's problem seeking. Also, if you have some money to throw at designer hacks, make sue you're at 90% + before the test.

This is the bare minimum based on my experience.

Test 2: In order to pass this exam, you need to understand how all aspects of a project relate to one another. That means you need to review drawing sets from consultants, you need to study relevant info from structures (history, code, materials), You need to have a second level understanding of secretary of interior document, You also need more than just a superficial understanding of programming, code, and project delivery. You need to actually be able to think of how all of these aspects apply to different situations.

The short answer really is that it depends on the test you get. My strategy for taking the exam is to review all 7 sections and look at how they relate to practice, programming, planning, and code.That's two weeks for each section. On the second exam, there were several questions that kind of combined certain ideas like Building systems and preservation.

In my experience, in 4 tests I've had maybe five WTF questions, the rest are just questions that require deeper understanding. As for the vignette, I would try Ballast examples as they were slightly more difficult and practice using ben Rodgers strategy until you develop your own.

Good luck!
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