PPD Test Nerves and Proven Study Materials
Over the past few months I have been prepping for the PPD and PDD exams. I have PPD coming up this week, and really feeling the nerves kick in (these are the last two exams on my list & BOY do I want them behind me). I've been using Amber Book, the Ballast Practice exams & book, and the Architect Exam Prep materials + like a billion YouTube videos. I've gone through the full Amber course, and got a 78% on the PPD practice exam, and I got an 80% on the NCARB exam. I just took the bonus quiz on Amber Book and got a 56% UGH!!
I've taken PPD before and failed miserably (this was two years ago). Which is probably not helping my test anxiety. I guess, just looking for some insight - with those scores would you consider yourself "ready" for this exam? Do you have any last minute insight in materials to brush up on the days leading up to the exam?
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With those mock exam results, you should feel good about your grasp of the material. Trust your instincts, there's no point where you reach a point of knowing everything, but understanding most of it is critical to getting through the real test. Review your notes, review the areas or subject matters that tripped you up on the mock exams, and see why they were an issue, or how to better understand/prepare for them.
PPD/PDD are the biggest of the exams, and being exposed to as much material relevant to them as possible will benefit you in being prepared for them. Even if it's last minute, quick searches or readings through books or online resources to improve a bit is better than standing pat. Good luck!
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Congrats, you are almost at the finish line. I know the "am i ready feeling". From my experience, comparing practice test scores relative to passing the actual exam and feeling "ready" was impossible and overwhelming.
It sounds like you put in the work. Trust that and try to become as clear-headed as possible and decompress from all the studying. Just let it cook a bit. I found that cramming didn't help much, so days leading up to the exam I would gloss over AB flashcards, AB panic notes, and hand notes, - mostly focusing on broad topics with reduced amounts of reading. To me, PDD and PPD are designed to overwhelm, so big picture topic identification and mental clarity was most important. Also, don't give up on yourself during the test no matter what.
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I too have PPD in 2 weeks. I do feel nerves, of course, but honestly if things don't go my way, I use it as a study platform for PDD. There is a large overlap between the two. If I fail, I still take 3 weeks to study for PDD, and then PPD again when it comes available. Just remind yourself that what you are doing is a step forward in the right direction.
If I do pass PPD, I plan to take PDD as quickly as I can to keep momentum going.
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