PDD passed through online proctoring. Done with ARE
I'm grateful that ARE accompanied me like a cold but faithful friend for the past two years. The knowledge learnt especially during the PPD and PDD preparation really helped me at work. On the not-so-bright side, I read slower than my native English speaker colleagues and I'm a professional procrastinator and a hopeless perfectionist. If you are like me or in most cases, better than me, please allow me to share with you my thoughts.
- Study strategy and material
- I think the most important lesson is to build your own notes as you read through multiple books/materials as opposed to when I started preparing, just read. Just reading and underlining worked for me for the other 4 divisions but not ppd and pdd. Two reasons. Firstly, the sporadic nature of the materials. For example, one book may cover cement types better while the other one does a better job explaining how precast works. Secondly, the sheer quantity and broadness of ppd and pdd require one to "build a shelve first before you put books on it", meaning one need to generally find a way to gain an overview- set up different chapters, before you dive into each and fill it with your notes.
- For me Amber book videos are the best tool to help me build this framework. I used the following as section titles of my note.
ADA; IBA; Site; Thermal; Lighting; Acoustic; Seismic & Structure; Concrete; Masonry; Metal; Wood and Plastic; Enclosure; Opening; Interior Finish; Fire and smoke protection; MEP; Conveying Equipment; Cost and Spec. - Fundamentals of building construction is another "overview" book that touches every point regarding construction and material. Plus it has a lot of construction photos in construction sequence! For this reason I really don't recommend starting form Ching's Construction illustrated, which tells the story in a very fragmented way: beautiful drawing and axon with tons of leaders.
- I use digital notebook for this task (Microsoft OneNote) because it offers a platform I can have access from PC, iPad… I can easily paste screenshots from YouTube, Amber videos, books in digital format. I can also take photos with my iPad from a hardcopy. This is critical for any knowledge better explained in a diagram than words.
- Once the notebook is built, congrats, you can "go through everything for a second pass" in 3 days, cause you distilled, reformatted and restructured every piece of knowledge in the first pass. In case you need to strengthen your grasp of a specific chapter, you can also go directly to it without cross referencing different sources.
- I don't use flashcards. It's too fragmented and not systematic. The tests are about understanding/application not rote memorization.
- Create a spreadsheet to track your progress. Treat it like work/research plan. Better be very specific to which chapter/pages form which source you plan to cover in which week. I envy my colleague Melissa's calendar, and I stole this skill from her. Here is the format:
- (Before Spreadsheet, watch Amber videos to build the framework!)
- Then start planning in spreadsheet
On X axis I have all the chapters, maybe in groups for better time management: ADA+ IBA; Site; Thermal+ Lighting+ Acoustic; Seismic & Structure; Concrete+ Masonry…….;Practice Tests; Second pass of notes
On Y axis I have all the names of study materials:
Heating, cooling, lighting; Ballast; Fema; Architect's Studio Companion; Fundamentals of building construction; Building construction illustrated; ADA; IBC.
ARE Questions by Elif; ARE Black Spectacles Test, ARE 5.0 handbook; Designer hack; Ballast practice problems; Hyperfine.
In the cells, put pages and days to finish. Use color of the cell to track: Yellow=finished
- Timing
- Pace during the test: for pdd and ppd, I only took one break before case study. 1.5 hr left will be a good target cause the case studies in ppd or pdd takes longer than other 4 divisions (one or two drawing set + IBC+ zoning)
- Prep time between ppd and pdd: 1 month. They do overlap, but pdd is more about construction detail than program planning. One way to think about it is that ppd is SD, while pdd is DD or CD. It's worth revisiting your note or picking up a new book on construction. Typical ppd question: what is the minimum construction type that can fulfill the area and height requirement. Typical pdd question: which of the detail should be used in this scenario.
- About the new release of ARE 5.0 and pros and cons of online proctoring, please read my other post
https://are5community.ncarb.org/hc/en-us/community/posts/1500000376682-PDD-passed-through-online-proctoring-Done-with-ARE
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Congratulations!!! thanks for sharing your experience and advice with the group! I HIGHLY agree with your point #1 above.
I am old school...I do use flash cards...but...not old-style dumb flashcards. NOT "What is a vapor barrier?", "What is the R-value of 3 1/2" fiberglass batt?", "What is a Thermal Short?"....yeah- you have to know that stuff...but we are way beyond just memorizing little fact-lets.
Especially in PDD...i draw out important details. I'm a visual person. Drawing the things helps me to remember. I used different color pens to make my drawing smore clear...ex: roof membrane blue, underlayment or insulation, green, flashing is red....etc. Also put down any cogent remarks. Like on a parapet detail..."Note the stainless steel pins that retain the coping stone...and make sure the coping drains INWARD towards the roof"
Because it's not a book, I find these to be very digestible, When I am studying later, reviewing, I start with the whole pile of cards I made....anything that seems like I still don't know cold goes onto a pile. The stuff I am totally good with goes into another pile. Wrap an elastic around it and don't look at that stuff again. Next round of studying, repeat the process so that your "Done" pile gets bigger and bigger, and your "To go" pile gets thinner.
Additionally, as you point out, when I'm studying one resource and the topic doesn't seem very clear to me...go to another source and research it so you end up with a firm knowledge base from several perspectives. My cards are all labelled at the top PDD 5.0- Waterproofing, PDD 5.0 Thermal and Air....etc. So that I can regroup them into logical groups later if i need to or if they got too randomized. Similarly, if you find a video or something that tackles a subject...you could label it like this ...PDD 5.0 Hyperfine Video-Electrical 1/19, 2/19, 3/19, 4/19.....etc. so that you not only keep the hyperfine content separate but you can reorganize it into the order in which you studied it.
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Hi, Haoxiang:
Congrats and thanks in advance.
ZahidulKhan@hotmail.com -
Haoxiang, Congratulations that you finished all exams!
and the idea of the spreadsheet is really worth a shot.
thank you for sharing in advance! rebeccaelizabethaa@gmail.com
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Congratulations! It is good to hear people pass after the new online test is introduced.
Gang Chen, Author, Architect, LEED AP BD+C (GreenExamEducation.com)
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Congratulations! Thank you for sharing in advance! darci.chamberlain@gmail.com
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Haoxiang,
Congratulations...and thank you for sharing your experiences and tips. I too just started with Amber book video and very much like its framework of where to focus on. Also, I'm starting to learn OneNote.
Did you take all the exams in two weeks as suggested from the Amber book?
It would be helpful if you can share your progress tracking spreadsheet. 5ddaica@gmail.com
Tia -
Yes, South China University of Technology (SCUT).
Gang Chen, Author, Architect, LEED AP BD+C (GreenExamEducation.com)
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After everything I heard about so much overlap between PPD and PDD.... I was surprised that they were much more distinct than I thought. PPD was more challenging because of all the structural, sieismic, mechanical, electrical., ADA.... And the large amount of IBC. PDD was much more about details and almost nothing about code and larger mechanical and electrical systems. If I took PPD, I'd want at least another month before hitting PDD ... Depending on how much detailing on commercial and institutional buildings you have done.
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Hi Haoxiang, would love your study spreadsheet! Thanks so much in advance
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Haoxiang,
If you are interested, I can add you to the SCUT School of Architecture alumni WeChat group in North America. You can email me at plantingdesign@yahoo.com
Gang Chen, Author, Architect, LEED AP BD+C (GreenExamEducation.com)
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Haoxiang, thank you for taking the time to share your experience on this exam. I passed all divisions except this one, and I agree with the notes above regarding PPD vs PDD, they are not as similar as some sources claim. If you’re still willing to share your spreadsheet, I would be so grateful. Ginaann01@gmail.com. Congratulations on your pass, wishing you much success in your career.
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Hi Haoxiang, congrats on finally being done with the AREs!! If you are still sharing your study plan spreadsheet it would be much appreciated! Thanks so much!
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Haoxiang, Congratulations!! I'm always so happy & inspired when fellow test takers pass this ARE. I really like the idea of this spreadsheet framework. If you are still sharing your study plan I would really love a copy. Congratulations again and thank you for sharing!
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Hi, Haoxiang -
Congrats!!!
Are you still sharing the spread sheet? If so, could you please send it to hcarv9@gmail.com ?
Thank you!
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Hi Haoxiang -
If you are still sharing your spreadsheet, I'd love to take a look! Please send to regina.v.teng@gmail.com
Thank you,
Regina
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Hi Haoxiang,
Thank you for your post. It's very helpful. If you are still sharing your spreadsheet, could you please send it to me? Thanks!
email: nbuarchitecture0720@gmail.com
Nuo
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Hi Haoxiang. Congratulations on your achievement! I would love to share your study spreadsheet if possible! Thank you in advance. My email is : sarimolhem@hotmail.com
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Hi, Haoxiang, thanks for sharing your experience.
Are you still sharing the spread sheet? If so, could you please send it to elvie.ibarra@gmail.com
Thank you!
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