PcM Pass! Here's what I did!
PcM Pass! Here is what I did:
Schedule:
I studied 2-2.5 hours/day during the week and around 4-6 hours/day on the weekend. (total of 20-25 hours/week)
Week – during lunch –1 hour - black spectacles videos
Week after work – 1-2 hours - ballast review material, ballast practice problems, AHPP
To/From work – Schiff Hardin Lectures
Weekend – ballast practice exam one day, Black spectacles exam next day, flashcards both days
I divided up my study time per how many sections are in the exam, plus an extra week for review. For example, 4 sections = 4 weeks of studying + 1 week of review. (total 5 weeks of studying). This allowed me to not get overwhelmed by the material and still feel like I had enough time to prepare.
After each exam, I made note of my week points and made sure to study that more intently moving forward.
Materials:
Black Spectacles - I know a lot of people don’t like Black Spectacles but this really worked for me!
- Black Spectacle videos – super broad, but gave me a great foundation to work off of. Sometimes explained things to me in simpler terms so I could understand it better when I was going through the other material
- Black Spectacle flashcards – more in depth than the videos, and you can create your own flashcards too! Great for understanding general concepts/ideas
- Black Spectacle Exams – some of the questions repeat between exams, but I noticed that the format and sorts of questions were like the actual exam. I was scoring around 70-75% on before I sat for PcM.
Ballast ARE 5.0
- Ballast Review Material – was more in depth than Black Spectacles, but I noticed some discrepancies between material, so I asked around the office whenever I noticed discrepancies and got some clearer answers from people in the office
- Ballast Practice Problems – I paired these with the study material of each section I was on. It gave me a general idea of how NCARB might ask some questions related to the topics. I only did these twice – once when I first learned the material and the second time when I was reviewing.
- Ballast Practice Exam – I did this twice. Since it’s the same questions, I remembered some of the problems, but reading the questions and really trying to understand what they are asking was super helpful for me. I noticed I got a few questions wrong both times I took the exam, so I made those questions flashcards for me to review the concepts
AHPP
- I studied chapters 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 13, 16 like my life depended on it. Skimmed chapter 4 (didn’t get any questions on the exam from here, but it was a possibility). However, the reading is super dense and boring. The definitions were helpful and the case studies helped explain things. I only wrote down notes of this whenever definitions were being explained or if they explained formulas.
Schiff Hardin Lectures
- I cannot stress enough how important these lectures are. LISTEN TO THESE LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT. Print off his lecture slides and write down notes after you listen to it. I listened to these in the car and would write down my thoughts after I arrived at my destination on the slides they referred to. This made me listen to the material, read the material, and write about the material. I now don’t feel overwhelmed by contracts. Listen to them This will help you retain the information better.
Biggest lesson learned: learn how NCARB asks questions. You can understand these concepts all day, but until you learn to understand what NCARB is actually asking, it will be hard to pass the exams. A lot of times NCARB gives you way more information than you need. Bring the questions down to the basics.
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Hi Clarissa! Thank you so much for this information.
One quick question that I have been wondering about regarding the different "sections" of PcM. I am trying to figure out how to focus on each big topic.
...would it be 1) contracts 2) types of projects 3) financial equations...and im blanking on the other types of big bodies of studies.
Thanks!!
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For contracts, there are a few important AIA forms you need to focus on. If you are good at reading and a good exam-taker, you can easily pass PjM. Besides, you do learn a lot by studying for PjM and reading the AIA forms, and it will help you perform better at work too.
The AIA forms are a major part of PjM and a few other divisions.
Gang Chen, Author, Architect, LEED AP BD+C (GreenExamEducation.com)
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I followed this schedule and passed! It was a lot of material in a condensed amount of time. The weekly practice exams were very helpful and the last week designated for review for the stuff that wasn't clicking. My intent was to read the AHPP chapters listed but I only ended up reading about 3 or 4 chapters (and by reading, I mean skimming). I was concerned that I wasn't prepared but I felt confident while taking the test and ended up passing!
Good luck fellow testers :)
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If anyone else is looking for advice on how to pass the PcM exam, I made a YouTube video of my advice and best resources to study from. Hope it helps! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTme7fsJBhw&t=3s
I will be releasing a new video every week, so be sure to subscribe so you don't miss any future videos.
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