PA and CE Retake, Find gaps in preparation
I recently passed PCM and PJM, but unfortunately failed PA and CE. My scaled scores were 502 on PA and 503 on CE, so I was very close to passing both.
What’s frustrating is that I felt pretty confident during my preparation and while taking the exams. I’ve been using Amber Book as my primary study resource and consistently passed the NCARB practice exams before testing, so I was surprised by the results.
At this point, I’m trying to identify where the gaps in my preparation might be. Has anyone had a similar experience—doing well on practice exams but falling short on the actual ARE? If so, what helped you bridge the gap?
I’d appreciate any advice on study strategies, supplemental resources, or ways to better prepare for PA and CE specifically and prep for PPD and PDD.
Thanks in advance for any guidance!
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The primary resources in the NCARB Handbook's Reference Matrix are the strongest materials that will assist you in preparing for your retakes. Site Planning and Design/Problem Seeking for PA and A201/G-series/AHPP for CE.
PPD/PDD are different because of the breadth of subject matter on both exams, however PA/CE materials will be relevant (PA for PPD, CE for PDD) as those four exams cover the lifespan of the project from its pre-production through its construction.
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Hi Urvi,
Send your score reports over and I'll take a look - architects@amberbook.com.
You're close, so most of your review should be just that - review. Most of the people I speak with who are close but have multiple retakes spend most of their time preparing for a retake studying the specific topics they remember from their exam. The way you get to a passing score is to first maintain where you're at, and make some improvements on top of it. It takes more effort than most people account for just to maintain the score you got!
Best,
Ralph, the Amber Book Team
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