Third try and Fail...

Follow
Avatar
seungahlee

I tried taking PA for the third time and failed again...

I am hopeless as I definitely thought I did well this time. I understood a lot of the questions and also had 30min remaining time. (compared to the previous two exams which I did not have enough time and had no idea what few questions were asking about) I took the remaining time and reviewed all the marked questions. I was very confident that I passed this time..but another fail. When I checked the result, I even did worse than the previous two exams. 

I am out of ideas now... trying to study for other divisions first and come back.. 

My study methods were reading through Ballast several times, took notes. Reviewed BS lectures and exams. Looked through hyperfine questions. Studied for 2months.

What else can I do differently? So tired of retaking over and over again :(

 

0

Comments

8 comments

Sort by Date Votes
  • Avatar
    Lizann

    Hello Sally,

    Did you take any practice tests? From the context, it sounds like this is the first division you tackled? If that is the case, I recommend incorporating practice exams to your study schedule. I have found Designer Hacks and ArchiPrep helpful tools in exam preparation with one caveat: don't waste time memorizing answers to questions as you will not likely see questions verbatim to the exam. I gained confidence through practice exams and exercised my mind to logically attack questions. 

    I found studying PPI Flashcards were adequate preparation for the material covered for the PA Exam. 

    Also, take time to review resources from NCARB like the resources matrix, handbook, and guidelines. There are sample questions and videos on how to solve here.

    Everyone's journey is different. I, for example, transitioned from 4.0, and PA was my first exam in 5.0. It's easy to be tempted to compare your path to others. You are winning just by attempting the exams, and I'm sure you learn something each time.

    If you're looking for encouragement, I wrote my Top Ten Tips for Professional Exams here: http://blueprintsouthdakota.com/2020/01/taking-professional-exams/ 

    I hope one of these recommendations is relevant and helps.

    Best, Liz

    1
    Comment actions Permalink
  • Avatar
    David Kaplan

    Sally,

    I too would recommend switching from third-party study guides to the resources identified in the NCARB Handbook.  When I first took these tests that was the tip that most stood out to me on this forum, and it worked for me.  

    0
    Comment actions Permalink
  • Avatar
    Alana Davidson

    If misery loves company I am in the same exact boat. I really felt prepared and I honestly thought I at least did well enough to pass.

    I’m frustrated too...I’m going to move on to the next and see if I can get some passes. 

    1
    Comment actions Permalink
  • Avatar
    NINA AZEVEDO

    Sally,
    Here is what worked for me:
    Www.Designerhacks.com - good variety and good price.
    www.tryweare.com - harder questions, but alerts you on subject to study better.
    www.ppi2pass.com along with the PPI book - great mock exams and the book is also pretty complete.
    For this particular test, take a good look at the IBC, familiarize yourself on the chapter contents and where the tables are,
    So far I have taken the exams 7 times,, including 3 fails and is not easy- but it is not the end of the world. Chin up and keep on pushing forward. Sooner than later you will have your license.
    Regards,
    Nina

    0
    Comment actions Permalink
  • Avatar
    Mark Lazaro

    Same boat here Sally, and about to take it one more time. If I don't pass, I think I need to step away from this exam and move on to the next one. Hopefully when I step back to this one, the new perspective will help in studying again. I can't keep reviewing the same stuff over and over again.

    0
    Comment actions Permalink
  • Avatar
    Kelly Ann Collini Colberg-Amador

    Same boat Sally. The questions on this exam made no sense to me.

    0
    Comment actions Permalink
  • Avatar
    Robin Kuc

    Sally, what worked for me was to do a thorough study of primary resources -- however (!) what this study prepared me for was judgment decisions for questions.  "Judgment" was probably the operative word for my exam.  I had very few actual "from the resources" questions that I thought were what I was preparing for.  Also, whole subject areas were missing from my experience.

    I took note of your comment that you "looked through" Hyperfine's questions.  What I did was to do a deep dive on Hyperfine, working out ALL the exercises and problems and looking up almost EVERY link included in his study guides.  (This takes considerable time and I took however much time I needed to think carefully and deeply about each exercise.)  I found this resource to be probably the most relative of all for preparing for this exam.

    Please see my write-up found here:

    https://are5community.ncarb.org/hc/en-us/community/posts/360051119034

    Hope this will be helpful for your next go-round.

     

    0
    Comment actions Permalink
  • Avatar
    Devina Parbhoo

    Don't give up!

    If anyone else is looking for study advice for the PA exam, I made a YouTube video about how I was able to pass the exam. I cover the best resources to study from and a sample study schedule. Feel free to check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPKOq9rqgMg

    I will also be releasing a new video every week, so be sure to subscribe so you don't miss any future videos!

    -1
    Comment actions Permalink

Please sign in to leave a comment.

Didn't find what you were looking for?

New post
Powered by Zendesk