PA Exam, failed 4 times. Passed all others. Am I missing something?
Just got a provisional fail today for PA, this is my 4th attempt. I studied my butt off for these tests. I passed All, except PA. My study materials consist of Amber Book , Francis Ching Construction illustrated and IBC 2021 Illustrated, Site Planning and Design book and skimmed through AGS book and Problem Seeking. As far as practice tests, I use NCARB practice exams, Elifs ARE Questions, Designer Hacks, AmberBook, and Hyperfine Arch. What am I missing ? I study about 15-20 hours a week for 6-8 weeks. Im probably over studying ? Or not retaining these materials ? Almost done, just need to get over this PA hump. Any study tips would be appreciated. Thank you.
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I also failed PA 2 times sofar, if you're looking for study buddy for the next 4 months please e-mail me : haythammohamed_abdelrahman@yahoo.com
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IMO - You are very much prepared. Trying to focus on metal clarity approaching the questions breaking them down into the most simple terms. A strategy that I used to pass these exams was to read the answers before even reading the question. You go into the question with a better understanding and youll find that the wrong answers stand out a bit more. I only used Amber Book and the reviewing the flashcards before the exams was very helpful to wrap your head around the big picture concepts and to not focus on the finite details. By the way I am a horrible test taker with a sad SAT score. So I feel your pain with difficulty of these exams. If I can do it, you can.
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Looking at your study materials, I think the missing piece might be a strategic focus on NCARB's objectives.
You won't see the same batch of questions next time you take the exam, so focusing on score report numbers isn't helpful. There are multiple versions of each exam that vary in difficulty, plus there are unscored questions mixed in.
My recommendation is to get really clear about NCARB's objectives and reverse engineer everything those objectives say. This makes it nearly impossible for NCARB to ask you questions about stuff you haven't studied. The sooner you start focusing on NCARB's objectives, the better off you'll be in the long run.
Don't waste your time studying anything that isn't directly related to NCARB's objectives. This approach has helped many of my ARE Bootcamp students finally conquer PA after multiple attempts.
Keep going - you're so close! And consider changing testing centers if you've been using the same one. Sometimes a change of environment can make all the difference. You've got this!
Michael Riscica
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You can reach me here for a Zoom call to talk about content or strategy.
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I just got slapped in the face with a provisional fail - very confused because my test was nothing like NCARB’s practice exam. Which I just passed with 85% a few days ago. This exam only had one question reading a sun diagram, one on orientation terribly worded, and two adjacency problems. The rest were pick 3 / 4’s about zoning processes. Very “gotcha” sentence structure. Thinking that with the discontinuing of drag and drop, the mix of questions has gotten extremely off-kilter. Wondering if ncarb could weigh in or if they can audit they test questions for stupidity????
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Wow, thank you all for the support and encouragement !
Hi Mermann ,My 1st and 3rd attempts were 484 and 494 respectively. And 2nd attempt was 514. I am still awaiting my current test score results. I do enjoy your videos very much ! Makes studying enjoyable.
I agree with you Mike R. I need to really zone in on the objectives and dissect the objectives vs just reading the materials and hoping it will stick.
battjes2006 , I totally agree with you, I’ll try that technique next round.
Hi JCorrington, I feel that omitting the drag and drop has helped me with time management. But to be honest, it still doesn’t change how difficult these tests are.
Hi Haytham, djones, and cjanthony, . I feel your pain, PA is a really hard exam. Good luck on your studies. My next retake will be in September. If you guys want to set up a study group let me know. Glad we can come to a community like NCARB and get some great advice from the experts and recent exam test takers.
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Don't get discouraged. People comprehend and perform differently. Very few and I mean only a small percentage pass all 6 exams on the 1st try. It took me about 42 months with many attempts to pass all 6 exams. Some were easier than others. Try focusing on daily study instead of weekly times that you have to hit. Do not take any days off. It has been my experience that you will retain more if you do 30 minutes each day as opposed to 10-20 hours on weekends.
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Hi Mariona,
Yes, I’d love to set up a study group! I’m flexible with timing and can accommodate different time zones. I’m currently on GST, which is 8 hours ahead of EDT.
Feel free to reach me at:
haythammohamed_abdelrahman@yahoo.comLooking forward to collaborating!
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Hi Mariona,
Yes, I’d love to set up a study group! I’m flexible with timing and can accommodate different time zones. I’m currently on GST, which is 8 hours ahead of EDT.
Feel free to reach me at:
haythammohamed_abdelrahman@yahoo.comLooking forward to collaborating!
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To everybody who is having trouble and getting discouraged. I passed my last test in December of 2024 and got licensed in February of this year (2025). I do not want to say how may times I have taken the same test without passing but I have made more attempts than y'all before passing!. When you 1st get the bad news it is very emotional. My last attempt before passing it took me 9 days to calm down. Take a little time off to relax and focus on something else. Family, exercise, nature etc. Don't use the "F" word (Fail). Just tell yourself that you have not yet found a way to pass. You have invested a lot of time and energy staying focused. That in itself is very emotional. Your family and friends do not understand the amount of effort that it takes. We all do and have all been there! Just relax for a while and then start studying everyday slowly even as little as 15 minutes per day. It is the daily consistency that is important.
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Hi, I was there just like you. I know your feeling quite well. Before you make another attempt and potentially waste more money, you should take a short break and then get yourself revitalized. You might be very close to pass the exam and just need some more final push. Feel free to take a look at my demo videos from the link below. Or you can contact me from my website and let's set up a quick call. (https://www.arebooster.com/demo) Just don't give up and keep fighting.
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I am studing for PA eaxm and I using below YouTube channel for understanding better the exam. They helped me to pass my CE and PJM exam. It has play list for each exam. Subscribe it since they add more videos
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