PA exam failed
I have taken the exam two times and, unfortunately, failed both attempts. I had hoped to do better on my second try, but it actually went worse. I scored better on my first attempt, even though I didn't study for it. I started using Amber Book, but I'm not sure what I did wrong, as my score did not improve at all. I am going to use Hyperfine as a supplemental study material.
I have heard some good and bad things about Black Spectacles, not sure if I should try that instead of the Amber Book. Has anybody tried both and can give me some advice? I feel very disappointed because I was expecting at least to improve my score.
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I am sorry to hear that - I am taking it in two weeks! If you would like to study together - I am setting up a discord server for this very purpose! https://discord.gg/ZuzbMxSyWb (Zero Tolerance for sharing official test questions or content)
There is a lot to PA!
Edit: I have taken the PA exam (4/5/26) and received a "provisional pass". What I will say - understanding that answer options that reduce liability to the architect; prioritize life safety; follow the illustrated programming and contractractual steps are usually the best option. -
I am in a similar boat. I think if you have an understanding of the content then maybe its understanding how NCARB asks the questions. And taking more of the NCARB practice exams. I found that the Amber mock exams are helpful because they over prepare us but it can catch you off guard when you sit for the exam. Just my thoughts!!
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Yes, it took me off guard. I went to the exam more confidently that at least I would improve my score, but that was not the case. Hopefully, this time I can pass it: I also do not want to have high expectations lol. I've been reading the books abruno 168 was recommending, and I feel it's helping me to understand how NCARB is formulating the questions and what they are looking for an answer. Good luck with your exams =).
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Hi Lizeth,
What were your 3-digit scaled scores from the first page of your score report each time? I see a lot of people who were extremely close - in a revise and resubmit situation where they need to spend most of their time maintaining the knowledge they have - but they don't realize it and spend all of the time in the 2 months before their retake reviewing new topics - and forget a third or more of what they knew before their first attempt.
Best,
Ralph, the Amber Book Team -
I understand that frustration - I as well took it 2 x and failed - the first time was really because I ran out of time and started panic clicking the answers - had too I had 8 min and 20 questions to go.
This time I Studied approx 80 hrs and when I opened the exam first 18-25 questions were nothing that I remember ever covering in the BS videos and quizzes and NCARB practice exams or / Amberbook practice exams - then the case study questions were nothing what I remember either. When I got home I started looking up items and I found very few coverages - the 2nd round was worse than the first.
Rest assure I won't be failing it again I will pass this next time
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Unfortunately, my score decreased from 500 to 439.I am discouraged by this outcome, especially since I invested significant effort in this second attempt. While my first attempt was more of a trial, I had hoped to see an improved score or at least get closer to passing this time. According to the report, I still need to review all the material to pass.For my final attempt before the one-year sit-out period, I am continuing to use Amber Book and have also added Hyperfine courses and other textbooks to my study plan. I have also been incorporating AI tools into my preparation.I expect these additional resources will help me pass on my next try.
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@LizethBarrera - hang in there you will get it - I would say read NCARB's objectives for it again. However, after speaking with quite a few people - if you haven't taken PPD or PDD they recommend moving on and studying for those 2 as there is so much overlap that PA will be more understandable from prepping for those -
I'm going to follow that advice and strategy since I have those 2 left as well and they are larger with much larger scope -
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What helped me pass PA.
- Black Spectacles + Practice Exams
- Amberbook Problems
- Ballast Book Problems
- NCARB Practice Exams
- 150+ Flashcards
- Youtube (BS mock exams, plus other concepts for PA)
- Hyperfine coursework
Avoid AI if you can, for one it is not necessary, and for two it can be inaccurate. Instead, take the NCARB test over and over until you can get into 80%+ with a full understanding of the concept for each question.
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Hi Lizeth,
That is a really unusual score change that is a red flag to me - unless you had problems with your exam or some other confounding situation, I never see a score change like that.
I'd like to figure out what happened there so that you're in the right place for your retake - email us your score reports (info@amberbook.com) and a bit of info about how your exams went otherwise (timing, etc) and how you've been studying and I or one of my colleagues will take a look.
Best,
Ralph, the Amber Book Team -
I'm so sorry to hear about your struggles with PA LizethBarrera90! It’s completely understandable to feel discouraged, but know that a lower score doesn’t mean you’re going backward. Every exam form is different, so it's not always comparing apples to apples. Sometimes you're given the perfect combination of questions that you can confidently answer, and other times you unfortunately get a difficult set of questions that feel foreign - of course, you could also get a combination of both. Remember that you don't need to score 100% - you just need to score between 65-71% in order to pass PA. The fact that you didn't study at all for your first attempt and still performed well shows that your knowledge, experience, and potential to pass the exam is there!
dejongesamuel touched on something I’d strongly reinforce, which is doing a high volume of practice questions across multiple sources and reviewing them deeply - not just getting to the right answer, but understanding why it’s right, why the others are wrong, and what concept is being tested. After each practice session, spend as much time reviewing as you did answering, and aim to get to a point where you’re consistently scoring higher with full confidence in your reasoning.
Overall, know that you’re not in a bad position at all. You’ve now seen the exam twice, which gives you a real advantage if you adjust your approach, and with more targeted practice and review, I'm confident that third time's a charm!
Don't hesitate to reach out to us at support@blackspectacles.com if you have any questions or looking for more resources! Wishing you the best of luck!
Kiara | Black Spectacles | Community
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Thank you all for the messages. I am a couple of weeks out from my retake, and I've been reading a lot of the recommended books, taking lots of practice tests.
PA is my first exam, maybe I should've picked something different to start with, not sure if I should go with PPD or PDD, as I heard those are the hardest tests, which makes me even more nervous, yikes!
With all of these studies, I am positive I will pass or at least improve my score. The only bad outcome if I don't pass is getting the one-year sit-out period for that exam.
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