BUILDING SYSTEMS PASS + ADVICE (LONG EXPLANATION)

Mechanical & Electrical Plan Vignette and Multiple Choice

BUILDING SYSTEMS PASS + ADVICE (LONG EXPLANATION)

Postby shart012 » Thu May 18, 2017 10:09 am

Okay, so I passed Building Systems! Only one left to go praise the Lord! Heres my advice for those still in the BS Exam struggle:

Quick tips: Amber Seminar is extremely helpful. I do find it over priced, especially for recent grads...but it works and it's in high demand so pay up haha. I WOULD NOT do what he says and take the course and do the exam right after. I personally needed to study before and after the Amber Seminar. I would not have passed Buildings Systems if I DID NOT take the Amber Seminar, however I would not have passed it if I had ONLY studied using the seminar and Amber Book. So that would be my one quick tip.

Most helpful things I did: I did not neglect studying for acoustics, elevators, escalators, and all the other little extra stuff. I also found that going through the MEEB book and redrawing the diagrams forced me to look at each part and understand what the caption under the picture was describing. Lastly, the Chen Mock BS Practice Exam was a great gage as to wether or not I was ready for the exam and knew the info well.


My process: I studied for 5 weeks. 4 hours every morning before work and a minimum of 8 hours on the weekend.

WEEK #1: I listened to the AEP Audio Material and outlined the Kaplan Book. On the weekend I took the AEP Multiple Choice Online Practice WEEK #2: I began the Amber Seminar which was a total of 15 hours of video. I watched 4 hours each morning during the week while taking notes. On the weekend I read through Ballast and made flash cards out of the content.
WEEK #3: I practiced the flash cards I made from Ballast every day Mon-Fri. On the weekend I took 3 practice exams. (Kaplain, NCARB, and Designer Hacks free 25 questions) Each question I got wrong I made flash cards out of the answer explanations.
WEEK #4: I practiced my self made flash cards set Mon-Thurs. Friday I worked on learning the Vignette. On the weekend I rewatched the entire Amber Seminar and watched areas I was week in again.
WEEK #5 (FINAL WEEK): I did a practice exam a day Mon-Wed. This time using Ballast, Amber Book Practice Exam, and Chen Mock. At lunch at work I flipped through the MEEB Book redrawing each Plumbing and Elect. Diagram.
Then Thursday the day before the exam I worked on practicing only the calculations and the Vignette.

BOOM...pass.

I hope this is helpful for all you guys, I'll comment below on my feelings before taking the exam and after if that's something your interest. Keep pushing everybody! Godspeed!




While studying for the exam I was very overwhelmed by the amount of content that I needed to learn but I tried not to think about it and just kept pushing through the material really focusing in and googling things that I didn't quite understand or get how it related to other things I was studying.
Everytime I took practice exams I was weak in the same content areas, electric and other (i.e. Acoustics, Escalators, Elevators, Etc.) Concepts Like 3phase power, Wye and Delta, and VVF Control weren't clicking for me so I googled a lot of explanations for them until I found info that made me have an "aha" moment.
When I actually took the exam I felt terrible. I was always in between two answers. I ended up running out of time and had to guess on 5 fill in the blank calculation and answers. When I did the Vignette I was pretty confident, but figuring out whether to use rectangle lights or square lights in two of the rooms really had me running short for time. I wasn't sure how much overlap and how much under-lighting in the room was okay.
I came out feeling defeated yet hopeful that maybe I did better than what I thought...but if not, I'll just go right back at it and try again. I said my prayers, let go from thinking about it, and enjoyed my study free week until my results came.
shart012
 
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Mar 08, 2017 2:50 am

Re: BUILDING SYSTEMS PASS + ADVICE (LONG EXPLANATION)

Postby nidagm » Thu May 18, 2017 2:35 pm

Thank you for the detailed explanation and congratulations on your success. God is good. I was going to ask what videos you watched about "3 phase power, Wye and Delta, and VVF Control". These are concept I am struggling to understand too, and my exam is next week. Thanks.
nidagm
 
Posts: 142
Joined: Sat Jun 06, 2015 9:44 am

Re: BUILDING SYSTEMS PASS + ADVICE (LONG EXPLANATION)

Postby nidagm » Thu May 18, 2017 2:36 pm

shart012 wrote:Okay, so I passed Building Systems! Only one left to go praise the Lord! Heres my advice for those still in the BS Exam struggle:

Quick tips: Amber Seminar is extremely helpful. I do find it over priced, especially for recent grads...but it works and it's in high demand so pay up haha. I WOULD NOT do what he says and take the course and do the exam right after. I personally needed to study before and after the Amber Seminar. I would not have passed Buildings Systems if I DID NOT take the Amber Seminar, however I would not have passed it if I had ONLY studied using the seminar and Amber Book. So that would be my one quick tip.

Most helpful things I did: I did not neglect studying for acoustics, elevators, escalators, and all the other little extra stuff. I also found that going through the MEEB book and redrawing the diagrams forced me to look at each part and understand what the caption under the picture was describing. Lastly, the Chen Mock BS Practice Exam was a great gage as to wether or not I was ready for the exam and knew the info well.


My process: I studied for 5 weeks. 4 hours every morning before work and a minimum of 8 hours on the weekend.

WEEK #1: I listened to the AEP Audio Material and outlined the Kaplan Book. On the weekend I took the AEP Multiple Choice Online Practice WEEK #2: I began the Amber Seminar which was a total of 15 hours of video. I watched 4 hours each morning during the week while taking notes. On the weekend I read through Ballast and made flash cards out of the content.
WEEK #3: I practiced the flash cards I made from Ballast every day Mon-Fri. On the weekend I took 3 practice exams. (Kaplain, NCARB, and Designer Hacks free 25 questions) Each question I got wrong I made flash cards out of the answer explanations.
WEEK #4: I practiced my self made flash cards set Mon-Thurs. Friday I worked on learning the Vignette. On the weekend I rewatched the entire Amber Seminar and watched areas I was week in again.
WEEK #5 (FINAL WEEK): I did a practice exam a day Mon-Wed. This time using Ballast, Amber Book Practice Exam, and Chen Mock. At lunch at work I flipped through the MEEB Book redrawing each Plumbing and Elect. Diagram.
Then Thursday the day before the exam I worked on practicing only the calculations and the Vignette.

BOOM...pass.

I hope this is helpful for all you guys, I'll comment below on my feelings before taking the exam and after if that's something your interest. Keep pushing everybody! Godspeed!




While studying for the exam I was very overwhelmed by the amount of content that I needed to learn but I tried not to think about it and just kept pushing through the material really focusing in and googling things that I didn't quite understand or get how it related to other things I was studying.
Everytime I took practice exams I was weak in the same content areas, electric and other (i.e. Acoustics, Escalators, Elevators, Etc.) Concepts Like 3phase power, Wye and Delta, and VVF Control weren't clicking for me so I googled a lot of explanations for them until I found info that made me have an "aha" moment.
When I actually took the exam I felt terrible. I was always in between two answers. I ended up running out of time and had to guess on 5 fill in the blank calculation and answers. When I did the Vignette I was pretty confident, but figuring out whether to use rectangle lights or square lights in two of the rooms really had me running short for time. I wasn't sure how much overlap and how much under-lighting in the room was okay.
I came out feeling defeated yet hopeful that maybe I did better than what I thought...but if not, I'll just go right back at it and try again. I said my prayers, let go from thinking about it, and enjoyed my study free week until my results came.


Thank you for the detailed explanation and congratulations on your success. God is good. I was going to ask what videos you watched about "3 phase power, Wye and Delta, and VVF Control". These are concept I am struggling to understand too, and my exam is next week. Thanks.
nidagm
 
Posts: 142
Joined: Sat Jun 06, 2015 9:44 am


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