PA failed 3 times Need help
Hi to all
I have failed PA 3 times this year already and am getting really frustrated. I am currently using Amber Book and Elif ARE Questions as my study sources. I have watched all Amber Book videos, studied the PA flash cards and took the PA practice exams. I also took the NCARB practice Exams several times before test day. I used Black Spectacles and Amber Book together before but found Amber Book more useful as it helped me pass CE and PDD recently. I have already passed PJM, PCM,PDD and CE. What other resources am I missing in order to pass this division. Need help. Thank you in advance.
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Are you reading any of the primary materials like the Site Planning and Design and Problem Seeking textbooks? Creating your own flash cards to understand the application and definition of terms and how they integrate into projects? Secondary sources such as the ones you've listed are great to continue understanding the topics, but ultimately the exams aren't based on them.
Refer to the Reference Matrix in the ARE Handbook and see which primary and supplemental sources you should check out to hone your knowledge in preparation of your next attempt, good luck!
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I failed PA by 2 questions and then passed on retake. I agree with the advice given - consider restarting and refreshing all of PA/PPD/PDD from Amber Book, and treat it as 1-big exam. That is what helped me. Also, I made this post after passing, you might find it useful. https://are5community.ncarb.org/hc/en-us/community/posts/33155836564503-Passed-6-in-9-months-with-Amber-Book-after-25-years-gap-from-architecture-my-strategy
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Urgh. I just failed PA for the third time as well. Last spring and summer I used Black Spectacles. I then, purchased all four of the recommended books and have been using Amberbook for the last 8 weeks. I think I am getting mixed up in all the different methods of calculating square footages and ratios vs percentages of spaces. I find Problem Seeking a difficult book to study from. NCARB notes this as the primary resource for this exam and outside of Black Spectacles and Amberbook I don't feel I am finding the right material to study and keep straight the Programming information. Anyone have more suggestion. I don't know what else to do.
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Its not what resources you use, its how you use it. Try focusing on active recall learning. Focus on taking your own notes, quizzes and practice exams. You need to create your own knowledge management system for your ARE. I have documented the most effective way to pass AREs on my https://blog.arniko.academy/
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Thank you for sharing however the page is not found. I have been re-typing, re-writing, taking text notes and diagrammatic notes, using ChatGPT to explain more difficult items, flash cards. I have been listening to any podcasts I can find as well as Youtube videos with this content.... all the things to take in information in as many ways possible that helped me pass the first three exams.
As stated above I have taken the NCARB, Amberbook and Black Spectacles exams and passed just fine. Actually, even with quite high scores. I find, "Problem Seeking" the primary resource for this exam to be difficult to study however, I have read it front to back and revisited many topics multiple times. I am still struggling to differentiate decimals to ratios, keeping straight the various ways to measure square footage along with the programming process shared in Problem Seeking. I wish how I was studying was the issue here but I don't believe it is.
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Stacey, the above link should be working now. I understand your frustration. Have you used any custom GPTs specifically made for AREs? If you reach out to me at rajan@arniko.academy, I can share 2 custom GPTs specifically made for AREs and has helped people pass their exams after multiple fails.
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