Pass!!! Done!!!

Mechanical & Electrical Plan Vignette and Multiple Choice

Pass!!! Done!!!

Postby Lindalou84 » Fri Sep 22, 2017 8:16 am

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!
Lindalou84
 
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Re: Pass!!! Done!!!

Postby AJD » Sun Sep 24, 2017 3:20 am

Congratulations!!! Very inspiring. Way to go! :)
AJD
 
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Re: Pass!!! Done!!!

Postby donatello » Mon Sep 25, 2017 3:11 am

Linda,
I am very proud of you and I know you are feeling absolutely elated . I failed this one twice and now I am going for it the third time. I have
studied all the items that I used before. Amber, Kaplan, Ballast, MEEB, Equals, YouTube videos, And I am currently looking over the MEEB diagrams.
I am a little jaded and apprehensive on scheduling the next test. Because I don't know what to expect.

What did you do differently this time around.? How did you feel going back into the test? How were the test questions this time? How did you feel after the test?

Any word of advice for me? I really want this round to be the last. I thank you for the words of encouragement in my last post and I am very happy you finished. I pray that I will join you in celebration very soon. Congrats and be blessed.
donatello
 
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Re: Pass!!! Done!!!

Postby Lindalou84 » Wed Sep 27, 2017 10:25 am

I completely understand - all too well. :( I'm so sorry you are having a hard time with this. I felt like this one was impossible for some reason. I scheduled my test and did not move the date (I actually couldn't move the date due to my state's regulations - long story). Because of this I had to stick to a strict schedule. I reviewed ALL my notes from my previous attempt. I went through all of my Amber notes, and misc. Kaplan/Ballast notes. Then I read all of Kaplan. Highlighted anything that wasn't clear. I took more notes in my old notebook (used a different color ink to show that these were "newer" notes) - so that they were all in one place. I read the Ballast chapters related to my weak areas per my previous test score report.
Archiflash was very helpful too - used this my last couple of weeks for reviewing everything. Continued to take notes on anything new that popped up from Archiflash.
I redrew MEEB diagrams to better understand them and looked over chapters related to my weak areas. I spent my last few days of studying going over all of my notes instead of trying to learn something new.

I know it is pricey but would you consider re-taking the Amber course? Since your low scores were different in each attempt maybe you were very close to getting low scores across the board? That's what happened to me on my first try - I contacted NCARB and paid the $100 to review my score and they told me I was close to failing the areas that I passed (likely one or two questions away). I also highly recommend Archiflash because it made me think of certain concepts differently.

Honestly - I did not feel prepared going into the test but I never feel prepared enough. The questions were similar to the ones in previous tests, and I wasn't sure I passed when I walked out because they are so tricky. I did feel that I knew more this time around than the last time so felt a little more confident.

I know everyone says don't memorize formulas, but I memorized some (ones that weren't given) so that i could write them down and address questions on the relationships/concepts related to them more easily. But to be fair, I didn't actively memorize them, I just came across them so often that I had already learned them and chose to write them down for quick reference. It's easier for me to see it and understand it than to read a question and visualize - that helped me with a few questions.

I hope this helps. Praying for you and hoping you pass! I know you can do this - you passed all the others, this is just one bump in the road.
Lindalou84
 
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Re: Pass!!! Done!!!

Postby archimama » Wed Oct 18, 2017 9:33 am

Hi LindaLou84, Congratulations!!! I'm studying for BS and it seems overwhelming with formulas. You mentioned some were committed to memory from studying. Would you mind sharing which ones? Thank you!
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Re: Pass!!! Done!!!

Postby alvychu » Mon Oct 23, 2017 1:46 pm

Thank you guys for your posts; I am also about to retake BS for the third time... I felt so confident coming out of it the on the second try but unfortunately it still wasn't enough. I had studied from Kaplan, Ballast, MEEB, and the amber workbook - this time I'll get the Amber videos. Do you have any additional advice? My level 2's were in HVAC, Plumbing, and Specialties (there were some elevator questions that were out of nowhere!). Seriously hoping to it turns out okay this time.. or else I'll have to wait a couple of months to retake due to the 1-year rule. Congrats to you for finishing your exams though!!! Hoping to be on the same boat soon... :|
alvychu
 
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Re: Pass!!! Done!!!

Postby AREismypimp » Thu Nov 09, 2017 1:53 pm

Awesome! Congrats on the pass and being done. I took the exam on 10-30-17 and I failed. The last time I took this was 8 years ago. When I read your post I could relate to everything you said. I also studied Amber and I grasped the concepts but I didn't do the practice exams. I will take your advice and press on to take BS at the end of the year. I'm trying to fast track and get licensed before 4.0 retires- I've been at this game too long and I want my life back. Thanks for sharing positive thoughts and encouragement- It really helps.
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