For those who've failed multiple times...

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For those who've failed multiple times...

Postby guiggster » Sat Jul 08, 2017 3:25 pm

I'm about to start studying for PPP for the first time. I was under the impression, prior to reading this forum and NCARB's pass rates, that PPP was not one of "the hard ones" (SS, BS, BDCS). So, I've been caught off guard by--and getting nervous about--the multiple failing posts.

Are those of you who have had to take the test multiple times at the beginning of your careers or a few years in? Did you have strong architectural history courses in college? I'm trying to get a sense of whether there are some shared backgrounds that make some more or less prepared than others for PPP, even after studying the material. If you have a few years of practice under your belt (have dealt with ADA issues, have taken a project from concept to CDs/CA, etc.) and had strong courses in architectural history are you more likely to pass? I can see how trying to retain that kind of knowledge just from texts could make such an expansive exam particularly difficult. Or is there no pattern or shared background for most who have had to take the test multiple times?

Thoughts?
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Re: For those who've failed multiple times...

Postby gbalaka » Mon Jul 10, 2017 9:52 am

It's not about the material studied - people go in very prepared....nor the experience of people in school.

It comes down the the actual exam and how ridiculous the questions are. It's hard to explain.....take the exam and you'll see why people don't like it.

I personally passed it on my first try....but i might as well have failed it. I walked out thinking i failed it.
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Re: For those who've failed multiple times...

Postby kerzzo » Tue Jul 11, 2017 7:51 am

Gbalaka, you're so right...I don't think anyone walked out of this one thinking the aced it.
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Re: For those who've failed multiple times...

Postby greek22 » Fri Jul 14, 2017 7:00 am

gbalaka wrote:It's not about the material studied - people go in very prepared....nor the experience of people in school.

It comes down the the actual exam and how ridiculous the questions are. It's hard to explain.....take the exam and you'll see why people don't like it.

I personally passed it on my first try....but i might as well have failed it. I walked out thinking i failed it.


Couldn't have said it better myself. This statement is so accurate.
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Re: For those who've failed multiple times...

Postby corbismyhomeboy » Fri Jul 14, 2017 7:29 am

Agree with gbalaka.

I went in with a 3 years experience (almost solely in CD/CA phases) and I took 5 arch history courses in undergrad and have a Masters in Arch History from a very respected University. Not tooting my own horn - it mattered almost zero on that exam. I did pass on the first try, but the questions I got were from all of the exams and random. I personally think the key is having some knowledge of all of the material on all of the exams so you're less likely to get caught off-guard and have a chance of reasoning your way through.

All that being said, don't be scared of it. Don't get nervous. Just prepare as best you can and try to reason through the questions you're unsure about.
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Re: For those who've failed multiple times...

Postby vrcat25 » Fri Jul 14, 2017 10:16 am

greek22 wrote:
gbalaka wrote:It's not about the material studied - people go in very prepared....nor the experience of people in school.

It comes down the the actual exam and how ridiculous the questions are. It's hard to explain.....take the exam and you'll see why people don't like it.

I personally passed it on my first try....but i might as well have failed it. I walked out thinking i failed it.


Couldn't have said it better myself. This statement is so accurate.


Very well said! I've tried to explain it, but have been told i'm doing it "negatively". i really admire you for having passed on the first try and recognizing how ridiculous many of the questions are. It's a very bad testing system, but kudos to you and everybody else who have passed all these tests and are able to move on in their careers.
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Re: For those who've failed multiple times...

Postby gbalaka » Fri Jul 14, 2017 1:57 pm

here's another way to think of this....or most of these exams....

You study for weeks about (whatever exam) and you really know the material studied.

On exam day, Question 1 is "What's the distance between the moon and earth?". You scratch your head and say..."well, I didn't study for this and why am i being asked about the moon, but let me use common sense" (it's probably pretty far), so you look at the answers and your options are:

a. 5 Light Years
b. 250,000 mi
c. 2.5 Light Years
d. 500,000 mi

Now, without using Google...how would you answer that question? Don't they all look right?

And you get a bunch of questions like this........
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