I hope I can inspire positive vibes to those who are feeling burdened and overwhelmed. BS was the toughest for me - passed on the 3rd try. It took me nearly 3 years (not including IDP) to pass all 7. In the meantime I dealt with life issues (wedding, buying a house, renovations, cancer caretaker, deaths in the family, and juggling everyday life with a full time job and family obligations). I wish I was one of the many who could say they were able to finish in a year. Or passed each one on the first try. This was a tough process to get through for me. And I received many fails which were heartbreaking.
A) You can do this. I almost gave up several times but am so glad I stuck with it. Life happens, keep pushing through. I've known people to take all 5 years. And who failed the same exam 3, 4, 5 times. They finished. And in the end it doesn't matter how many fails or how long it took. Just push through and finish.
B) A "fail" does not mean you are not a good architect. It does not mean your are not smart. These tests are hard. I had to remind myself of this every time I failed because it tore me apart to work so hard and see that I did not pass.
C) This forum is amazing. Thank you for your support!!! I encourage anyone and everyone to take full advantage of this community and contribute whatever you can. We are all going through this process and no one outside of this field truly understands.
As for BS - below is what I used for study resources.
- I relied heavily on Kaplan this time (the first couple of times I used Amber as my main study guide), I read the book and took the Kaplan tests and quizzes
- Ballast for practice Qs and test, also read chapters on my weak areas per my previous score reports
- MEEB - read the chapters related to my weak areas and looked over all diagrams. I drew many of them out to better understand them.
- Amber notes (I used Amber the first and second time I took this test. I just used the notes I had instead of buying the lectures again)
- Googled anything I didn't quite understand
- Archiflash for reviewing
- And studyblue notecards, someone on here was so kind as to pass on his/her flashcards after I failed the 2nd time.
Thanks all!!! And good luck!