Exam Results?

[kcljr2008]

I tested Monday of last week (3/13) in NJ, my registration is NY. I haven't received any results, and the suspense is starting to wear me down. I was wondering if anybody is in the same boat? Perhaps the winter storm had something to do with it - I know the testing center was planning to close on Tuesday.

[corbismyhomeboy]

See thread: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=47125

[introversed]

I tested on Thursday 3/16 in NY. My registration is in NY. For what it's worth, I've typically gotten my score 9-10 calendar days after testing. Still waiting for this one..

[monierb]

I tested on Friday 3/17 and got my results this afternoon. one day late

[kcljr2008]

I received the results Saturday morning around 5am. Literally woke up every hour and checked my phone. I passed which is awesome. Leading up to the exam, I was studying 8 hours a day and totally exhausted. I took the test, im pretty sure I was on autopilot because I couldn't recall many of the questions afterwards. There were a few WTF questions that I might have known had I studied BDCS earlier. The test is hard - there must be a huge curve. Here's my advice for what its worth....
- Thaddeus lectures: Pay the $350, it is 100% worth it
- Ballast: I dont think I read anything for this exam
- BDCS: Study for this BEFORE you take SS
- Fema - 4,5,8,9
- Buildings at risk
- Any practice test you can get your hands on. I also paid the $12 for EQals questions. Very heavy on math, but every little bit helps
GOOD LUCK - on to BS!

[corbismyhomeboy]

Congrats kcljr on the pass! I still have a month of studying to go - to the day - for SS... YIKES!

Are you saying you didn't read any Ballast for this exam? Did you do any of the Ballast/Kaplan practice questions? I read Kaplan, which drove me to buying Thaddeus because I was so lost! I was planning to read Ballast after I finished all of the Thaddeus lectures, very very close to finishing! Then read all of the other crucial items - B@R and FEMA. Did you make your own flashcards or NALSA flashcards or anything like that?

Good luck on BS! If you got SS, then BS should be no big deal. I actually enjoyed BS! I'm sure you've seen this before but the Amber Seminar is every bit as helpful as Thaddeus is for structures, and the production is a little more sophisticated. (And it's cheaper if you find a partner!)

[kcljr2008]

Thanks! Yea I was looking at Amberbook, Ive heard good things.
I may have briefly read Ballast, but didn't find it interesting of helpful. If anything I would go back and read ballast BDCS. I would say I went through all of Thaddeus 1.5-2 times. I also gave up on understanding trusses - method of sections / joints. Also, I found Thaddeus' practice test commentary incredibly helpful. If I had to choose where to put my time, I would make sure to read B@R and FEMA and Thaddeus lectures. Everybody's different, but that's what worked for me. Also, It may be helpful to go back and watch the pertinent lectures after you read B@R and FEMA.
Yea from what I recall, there are like 400 kaplan questions. I would try to get through as many of these as possible. Keep in mind that there are a lot of math questions, and the answers have a lot of errors (atleast my copy did). Also, I think the highest percentage I scored on this was around 70%, so don't feel too bad if you're doing poorly. Also, I thought the ballast practice questions were much easier than kaplan, which is odd because its usually the other way around.
For the flash cards I have the archiflash app on my phone, and this is helpful to kill time. In addition, when I was listening to Thaddeus or doing practice questions and there was something important I would make a flash card. For me the act of writing it down was enough to remember the concept, answer, equation etc.
FOCUS ON CONCEPTS, NOT MATH! You'll probably leave the test braindead and feeling like you failed, but more often than not it will be just fine. Also take the test on a Monday. Good Luck!

[corbismyhomeboy]

Thanks kcljr! That helps a ton!