Exam Success Story
As of last week, I have officially passed all 6 divisions! I was able to pass all exams on the first try, after using only Amber Books and the NCARB practice exams. I studied for 2 months before starting to take the exams and took them over the course of 3 weeks (I couldn't condense my testing period down any further due to my full-time job).
I am less than 6 months out of school and am now just chipping away at my experience requirement. Owning the knowledge is the most important key to success. I would also recommend taking as many practice exams as possible and treating each like the "real deal". This vastly helped with my mental stamina as well as test-taking ability and problem solving.
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I had a very similar, but prolonged experience. Unlike you I chose to wait until after my AXP hours were done. I also chose the Amber Book 16 week schedule instead of the 8 week (which is what I assume you chose) because of the full time job situation. I also stretched my exams out over a 7 week period with a one week break over the recent holiday. I whole heartedly agree with everything you have expressed. MULTIPLE practice exams for each division (I recommend a minimum of 3 for each) was a big part of my success. The more practice problems you see the better you will do. PERIOD. I mixed in some Black Spectacles exams, but I found those to be much harder (I was scoring on average 10% lower on black spectacles compared to amber books and ncarb practice exams).
I would say that these exams are very passable, but you really need to devote yourself to the task and put the hours in. There are no short cuts.
Congrats on passing your exams, and way to go on getting them done so fast!!
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Aaron, thanks for sharing your experience. Yes, I structured my studying around the 8-week study plan, but in reality, it took me closer to 10 weeks to get through. The entire last month was dedicated entirely to flashcards and practice exams for all divisions. I also took the exams in an unorthodox order, leaving PjM and PcM for last. To brush up on my pro practice knowledge, I ended up going through the pro practice portion of Amber Books again right at the end.
I used Black Spectacles practice exams for PDD and PPD, and I had the same experience you did with scoring about 10 points less per attempt. Looking back, if I could do anything different, I would likely cut out this step altogether, as I don't feel it was the best use of my time (aside from becoming more comfortable with the exam UI).
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