Passed PPD and officially completed all 6 ARE exams!
Since PPD was my final exam, I wanted to share what helped me get through it, especially because I passed on my third attempt.
Compared to the other exams, PPD felt like it required knowledge across a wide range of topics without going too deeply into any one area.
Study Resources
• Amber Book – Great visual explanations that made complex concepts easier to understand and remember.
• Elif Bayram's ARE Questions – One of the most valuable resources I used. The detailed explanations for both correct and incorrect answers helped me truly understand the material rather than memorize it. She also adds the chapter of the book to read in more detail.
• Ballast Practice Exams – I found the question style to be very similar to the actual exam.
• Black Spectacles practice exams and quizzes
• NCARB practice exams and quizzes
My Study Method
After watching the Amber Book videos, I created my own digital notes in a Google Doc organized into three files:
- Systems
- Construction
- Site & Code
For several months, I kept these notes open in an Internet Explorer window together with digital reference books and other study materials. This allowed me to quickly cross-reference concepts and verify information while completing practice exams and quizzes.
As I reviewed practice questions, I took screenshots of questions and their explanations. Over time, I built a large collection of questions with detailed answer breakdowns. About a week before the exam, I rapidly reviewed all of these screenshots. Revisiting hundreds of questions and explanations helped reinforce the material and keep everything fresh in my memory.
My Biggest Takeaway About PPD
Having taken the exam three times, I was surprised by how different each version felt.
The two exams I failed contained many long, complex questions that required significant reading and interpretation. The exam I passed felt very different. Most of the questions were shorter, more direct, and easier to understand.
I failed PPD twice with scores around 525, so I rescheduled immediately because I knew I was very close. If you don't pass on your first attempt, don't get discouraged. A different version of the exam can feel completely different, and being close means you're probably much closer than you think.
Good luck to everyone still working through the AREs!
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Congratulations irmakturanli!!! All of us here at Black Spectacles are so proud of you!!! You've been through your fair share of obstacles and were able to overcome them with hard work and dedication. Best of luck on your next chapter as a licensed architect!
Kiara | Black Spectacles | Community
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Congratulations!! We're so happy for you - now go celebrate with all the friends and family you've been ignoring!!
So glad we could help you understand and remember some of the more complex topics on the exams - and well done not letting a not-quite-passing score interrupt your momentum!!
Cheers!!
Ralph, the Amber Book Team -
Congrats!!!! Thank you for the tips, at this point I do not know what to do anymore, I've failed PPD a few times (very frustrating), this is my last test... I just took my test this past Sept 25th and I felt great, I understood every section, everything, even during the test I thought I did great, but I guess I didn't since I failed I got 517, I studied a lot, I used Black Spectacles, Amber book, Elif ARE questions, Young Architect, in BS I was getting high scores, I also took the NCARB practrice test and I did great, Elif questions I did good too, I also studied all the book.... so at this point I do know now what to do! I want to take the test again in 2 months, but I do know where to start. I think I'm going to try Ballast. Any other tips you can share as a good source to study?
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Hi SDHL333,
I know it doesn't feel like it right now, but know that what you were doing all but worked - how you felt during the test was accurate. A 517 is two, maybe three questions from passing for PPD. I would be curious to know what your scaled scores from your prior attempts were to see if you've been close consistently, or have improved a good bit in your recent attempts.
The ARE is quite unlike any exam most people have taken at the point in their lives they take the ARE, and I speak to people all the time who haven't assessed where they're at relative to where they need to be correctly - folks feel terrible and pass, feel confident and don't, feel like they failed miserably and were one or two questions away, etc.
Here's why: 50% of all divisions taken score within 4 questions of the cut score question (25% pass 1-4, 6% exactly pass, 19% don't pass by 1-4 questions. Since you're within that 50% band, it's like needing to revise and resubmit a permit set, not start your building's drawings all over again.
If you're in that band, most of your study for your retake should be review of your notes and the things you already know broadly - the biggest mistake I see people make in preparing for retakes is overstudying the topics you remember not knowing, and not spending enough time reinforcing the things you knew at the time you first tested - our minds are leaky buckets, and it takes a little effort just to keep the bucket filled!
The ARE is written by the average architect to test for minimum competence to meet the standard of care to practice independently in the US early in your career. It's a national test on national models - but the practice of architecture is always local and contextual. The dissonance trips some people up.
I've got a fairly long email I send to people who are close to passing - even if they've been close multiple times it has several tips and tricks to get a few more questions right - or at least a few less questions wrong. Email us at architects@amberbook.com and I'll send it to you.
Best,
Ralph, the Amber Book Team -
SDHL333 I'm so sorry to hear about your struggles with PPD! I definitely understand how frustrated you must be feeling, as I also had my own challenges with PPD when I took the ARE. With a scaled score of 517, you were just a few questions away from passing - so keep your head up, you will get there soon!
If you haven't already done so, I'd love to help you get connected with one of our licensed architect consultants for a one-on-one meeting to go over your NCARB Score Report, chat about study strategies and test-taking tips, and develop a game plan for your retake. Please reach out to me at kiaragalicinao@blackspectacles.com and I can help you get the process started.
We are all rooting for you! You've got this!
Kiara | Black Spectacles | Community
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