Failed 15 times
Between 4.0 & 5.0 I have failed this exam 15 times. That's roughly $4,600 on one exam alone. This exam is the reason why I couldn't transition into 5.0 with just two exams left. Honestly it seems like such a common sense kind of exam. No matter if I over study for this exam or understudy for this exam I just keep failing! I'm tired of literally throwing my money away. But after this many fails I dunno what to do! And to those who may say hang in there.... I've been hanging for a long time. I live in PA so I can't even see what I've gotten wrong. I thought this would be my year. But it's still not. This thing sucks for people who don't test well. I know so many licenced architects that passed them all on their first try who honestly don't know a thing! It's so frustrating. I've used all of the study material. After 15 fails I don't even know what I can do differently. Unless someone knows of a program that promises an absolute pass or I get all my money back.
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Learn to be a good test-taker may help. It is feasible and should not take too much time. Your goal is to pass the exam, NOT to learn everything that is available under the sun for PA. Train yourself to be a goo test-taker, pass the exam and be done with it.
Gang Chen, Author, Architect, LEED AP BD+C (GreenExamEducation.com)
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Gang Chen, Architect, LEED AP BD+C 's advice is solid. I have learned for myself, however, that it requires a bit of 1/2 knowing the content backward and forward — and the other 1/2 is being a good test-taker (i.e. - timing yourself, using resources intelligently, knowing how/when to use your break, etc.) Good luck, Ariana Parrish - I'm taking my 2nd P.A. attempt in a few weeks.
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Ariana,
I feel your pain. Feel free to send me a message mbarkitek@gmail.com and I can try to offer you some helpful advice about taking the PA Exam. I had to train myself how to answer PA questions the correct way per the exams / study material.
Gang's advice is solid. Perhaps anxiety about the test has built up and blocking you from achieving success. I wish it was so easy to just "become a good test taker." Perhaps you need to hone down on the things you learned and not be overloaded by all the materials you have studied.
What do you think has kept you from passing? What material trips you up? Is it the tricky questions themselves? Would love to try to help you.
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Is PA your last exam??? If no, then why do you keep retaking it? Which other exams have you passed?
Michael Riscica - The ARE Boot Camp
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I think judging from who has responded to you, that there are plenty of people and programs that want to try to help you actually pass the exam and get over whatever it is that is keeping you from doing that.
I know that taking practice exams and practicing active recall and spaced repetition helped me to not only remember but also better understand the questions the test was asking. That was my method.
Maybe you should try Rebekka Klos's study guide and one on one tutoring program:
An actual study program with tutoring helped my coworker get over his 4 fails of PA.
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Thanks everyone! I have PA, PPD & PDD left. I have been failing them all in heavy rotation. But PA has the most fails. I just don't really want to count all of the other fails at this point.
I will try to look into this does anyone know of a tutoring ARE or testing services for one-on-one help? I honestly felt like I was at rock bottom this past Sunday after receiving my fail in big bold blue.
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Wow, I admire your persistence Ariana.
I have several questions - is English your 1st language? How and what are you studying? I think PA is a unique exam. It's a bunch of non-related site and planning topics and analytical puzzles and planning diagrams.
Are you having trouble with time management?
I recommend taking these exams in a particular order.
How many hours are you spending studying each time?
I think you are well beyond the point where you need coaching or one on one tutoring.
I'm a weirdo - I thought PA was the fun one! It was my last exam, and I was super excited to pass it on the first try and be DONE.
Can you email me your score report for PA and I can try to help you figure out what you need to do? stepuparch@gmail.com Maybe send me your entire score report screen from ncarb with all your exam results.
I also have a list of 'tips for exam day' that may be helpful, but I'm not allowed to post the link here. <sorry>
Rebekka O'Melia, B.Arch, M. Ed, Registered Architect, NCARB, Step Up ARE Coaching
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Arianna,
It took me several tried to pass PA. Hang in there. What I did when I finally passed was to read Problem Seeking very carefully and to learn and understand it. Including the math problems in there. To understand the why too. Plus the definitions.
Look at your score reports. How did you do on the content areas with the largest percentages? I had taken my last PA exam a couple of weeks after I took PPD. I failed the PPD, but honed in on the programming and was happy to have passed. My biggest hurdle NOW is the PPD.
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I agree a whole lot with Gang Chen's strategy, becoming a better test taker, pass the test and move on. I have taken four different sections so far and failed 5 times. I am trying every possible ways to improve on what's lacking from my test taking skills. I was wondering if anyone has any recommendations for developing test taking skills?
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It goes without saying that I recommend giving practice tests a try.
Practice tests with immediate feedback can help you not only identify what you do and do not know - but provide you with links to the resources so you can focus your studying onto those topics you do not know.
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I agree with you and I have been taking practice tests with feedbacks for everyone of the exams but that didn't seem to help. i always feel great about the subject once i am done with a few of those and even even get a great score. The problem is I get completely lost on the actual test becasue I don't seem to find any similarieites between the information i have studied and the actual exam questions.
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Yohannes
Head over to the contact me page on archizam and send me an email.
We can connect and I can try to help you with study techniques and maybe some things that will help you.
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thank you Mark Baker i will reach out to you ASAP
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