28-Month ARE Journey Complete: What Finally Worked for PPD + PDD
I wanted to share a short post to pay it forward and thank this community. I finally passed PDD, my final ARE exam, and officially closed a journey that took a little over two years (28 months to be exact)
I started studying in August 2023, passed my first exam (PcM) that October, and crossed the finish line with PDD on December, 2025. Along the way, I had wins, setbacks, retakes, and moments where I truly doubted myself. Twoi exams I passed on the first try, two needed one retake, and PPD and PDD each took 4 attempts each. When those were the only two left, I honestly felt like I had hit a wall and nothing was clicking.
I began my journey with Architect Exam Prep, and I’m very grateful for it. The Slack channel, weekly Zoom meetings, and the support from Eric and David, as well as the community itself, made a big difference. Having a space where questions were always welcomed and answered kept me moving forward when motivation was low.
In the middle of this process, I also had a medical issue with my eye that required surgery, which forced me to pause studying for almost two months. That was a tough moment, and I questioned whether I would ever finish. But I didn’t give up.
On top of that, I am an architect from Mexico. Even though I speak good English, it is not my first language, and that added another layer of difficulty. I had to learn not only new technical concepts, but also how those concepts are named, framed, and tested in the U.S. context. It wasn’t easy.
When I was struggling most with PPD and PDD, I realized after failing 3 times each that I needed a shift in gears. I came across ARE Questions with Elif Bayram. After reviewing my exam reports with her, she helped me identify my weakest areas and pointed me toward specific textbooks and chapters. It was a lot of reading, but it was the turning point. I stopped looking for shortcuts and focused on truly understanding the concepts. Her video lectures, questions, and quizzes helped me make sense of the material. After taking the time to complete all the recommended material, I first passed PPD, then applied the same approach to PDD, and finally passed my last exam.
Key takeaways from my journey:
•Read the recommended textbooks, even if that means cover to cover. There are no shortcuts.
•Answer a lot of questions and use them to identify gaps, not just to test yourself.
•Practice the math problems. they are learnable and predictable.
•Stick to a consistent study routine. I studied every weekday for about 2 hours at the end of the day, and on weekends 2–3 hours in the morning and 2–3 hours in the afternoon.
•On exam day, stick to your plan. Don’t try new strategies. Like a marathon, training is where you experiment—on race day, you just execute.
•Mindset matters. You can know the material, but resilience is what carries you through. There are no real limitations—only the ones we put on ourselves. I once read during marathon training: “Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.” That applies here too.
What I learned through all of this is simple but powerful: if you put in the time and really dig into the material to understand it, the results will come. I know that now as a fact.
To anyone who’s struggling, stuck, or doubting themselves, especially international candidates or non-native English speakers, this process is hard and rarely linear, but if you keep showing up and don’t give up, you can reach the finish line.
It will happen.
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Congratulations, Alexis!
I am so happy for you. Your journey is truly inspiring. Thank you for sharing it and I hope it encourages the community to keep pushing forward.
Reading the materials in depth is not easy. It requires focus and patience, but in the end, it leads to less struggle and less suffering overall.
Congratulations again. Well done -
Thank you!
For me what made a difference was reading:
1. MEEB (Chapters regarding a HVAC, lighting and plumbing)
2. Heating, Cooling, and Lighting
3. Architect’s Studio Companion
4. Building Construction Illustrated
5. Mehta’s Building Construction (this was really helpful reading the entire book.)
6. Architectural Graphic Standards (For details)I hope this helps.
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