Passed this morning! It was definitely challenging but after wrapping up all the questions I was reasonably confident that I had passed. There were certainly the gotcha questions in the exam, but as David has stressed, you must understand what the question is asking. If I was able to do that, the answers usually became apparent. I'd say that in both sections, I immediately knew about 50% of the answers, could reasonably figure out about 30%, and then had to spend some real time thinking about the remaining. At the end of the exam, I had about an hour to spare combined from both sections.
In total, I spent 12 weeks and about 1-2 hours per day studying. In addition to The Whole Enchilada (old test plan, and HIGHLY RECOMMEND), I studied the following:
- AIA Contracts (A201, B102, B201, C401, G701)
- Architects Practice Act (know this VERY well)
- CalGreen Chapter 5 (know this VERY well)
- Mechanics Lien and Stop Notices (read the primary source material)
- Building Codes Illustrated (good to have but not necessary)
- Schff Hardin lectures on B101 and A201 (very useful)
- Wetlands Permitting Guide (must read)
- Jenny PDX guides to CDS and PPP
What made studying a lot easier for me was listening to the audio guide on my phone at 1.6x speed while reading along.
Here's a tip for any of you are testing in the PSI center in San Francisco. If you are able to identify at least 3 ADA violations in the 2nd floor restrooms, then fear not, because you are thinking like an architect and should feel good about the exam.