PDD Pass!
I truly believe I passed PDD on the first try thanks mostly to this Community! I scoured so many posts here to best figure out what to expect and the best strategies to tackle this exam, so posting today to pay it forward.
This exam, like many, is a puzzle - I totally get why the word "cryptic" is a popular adjective for this test. Like CE, this exam helps if you have a little work experience because you are experienced at navigating and coordinating drawing sets, but it's not required - I often have to train my brain to step outside of professional mode, and this exam is no exception.
I didn't feel as though I got a lot of Contract Documents questions, even though that supposedly accounts for 1/3 of the exam. That being said, make sure you know your way around a drawing set, especially schedules - it will make your life a lot easier. You need to know enough about everything: ADA basics (ramps, approaches), electricity and power, plumbing, structures (more on that later), lighting and illuminance, acoustics, thermal and wall assemblies, be familiar with how to calculate the temperature at any point in a wall. Know where rebar lies in beams vs. walls vs. columns, and understand the mechanics of why they install/lay rebar in the manner prescribed.
This exam was a lot of structures, but not in the way you might think - I didn't come across any free body diagrams, zero seismic questions, no loads to calculate. The structures questions were frustrating in that the exam was mostly a bunch of obscure vague diagrams which prompted you to make a determination on structural concepts using the least amount of words humanly possible. This exam was a lot less wordy than othes (which I really appreciated coming off of PPD and PA)- BUT it makes you read the question aloud to yourself several times before you understand exactly what they're asking.
Like all of these divisions, don't expect any complex math, and don't waste time memorizing formulas. You should feel comforatble with ratios and finding percentages. They give you all the information you need, but you DO need to know how to apply it. Unlike the study guides, these tests are not subjective - all the information you ever need is always IN the problem, carefully read the words and you'll get it!
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Timothy Cobo Thank you!
I primarily used Amber Book, which I am new to (I passed 4 exams previously without), and supplemented with MEEB, Architect's Studio Companion for the diagrams primarily and light skimmed reading secondary. I refreshed my knowledge of CDs and specs with AHPP, but honestly most of that knowledge I got from work experience.
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Christina,
I'm about to take PDD for the second time, and I totally get what you mean!! Have you taken PPD already? If not, I recommend taking it first!
Also, I'm realizing how much is intrinsically part of the questions based on the NCARB Practice exams, especially for PDD and PA. Not sure how reliable of a source I am yet since I havent' passed yet - but hoping this helps since it definitely opened my eyes while studying this time!
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