PcM Exam Failed.. What Next?
I took the PcM exam on June 22. I'm pretty postive I did not pass. I've been using ARE brightwood and Amber Book to study. I pass the Amber Book practice exam and I passed the Ncarb practice exam for PcM. When I took the exam the testing information did not reflect what I have been studying the pass month. Can anyone point me in the direction I need to go to succeed in passing please. It was super discouraging to study hard and understand the content, then walk out of testing knowing you didn't pass.
I planned on transitioning to take project management but if anyone can give me some advice on next steps that would be great! Thanks
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@Killebrew25,
I took PcM in May 2026 and, unfortunately, failed as well. However, I haven't noticed anything in the exam that is beyond the context we have been advised to read in the reference books, i.e., the AHPP, the Law for Architects, etc. Without revealing any actual exam content, as that's against the Candidate Agreement, can you elaborate on the issue of the variations that you have noticed or that you think were out of context? I suspect you might be referring to those "unscored" items on the exam. -
My study material has been Amber Book and ARE 5.0 Brightwood study guide. I have the AHPP student addition. I have not looked at the Law for Architects. I've tried to spend the funds I have allotted to study material wisely. It's hard to answer your question because of the Candidate Agreement, and I don't want to disclose the test information. It could potentially be that I may not have been exposed to enough material. I feel that Amber Book is Pretty good and their practice exam was close to the Ncarb practice exam (which i passed both) which is why I felt confident. I may have to research more study material/options
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Killebrew25,
I've been studying for the ARE for a couple of months now. I literally purchased all the books that are referenced in the ARE 5.0 Guideline. Haven't purchaded AmberBook, BlackSpectacles, or Hyperfine subscription, which are totally too expensive. Besides, I have read a couple of notes from their content, watched a couple of YouTube videos from them, caught a bunch of errors myself, and informed them all, but couldn't get even a response from either of 'em. I have worked on my own till I got the PcM and the PjM, failed on both, and whilst looking for supportive content, I came across Erik Walker's WTARE and ARE+ contents. I have purchased both, and his content has totally blown my mind. I've sent a couple of emails asking for a couple of pieces of information regarding the answers given in the practice exams, and he replied with a ton of information within a couple of hours. For a couple of months now, I've been taking 1-on-1 coaching sessions with Erik, and our latest session with him was yesterday, as I'll be retaking the PjM this Saturday, and that session has created a huge "AHA!" for me, and I felt like Edison finding the light bulb. Provided you need it, I strongly suggest coaching with him. You can find him on Facebook and LinkedIn, and at 3rik.Walker@gmail.com.
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Killebrew25,
PcM is a more difficult exam to start with if you're going to take the ARE one division at a time - the business management/HR/Finance topics it covers are relatively few, but they're also topics few people early in their career have much experience with, and are rarely taught well in school.What's your scaled score? If you haven't actually seen your score, you don't really know yet - I see lots of people who thought they weren't going to pass and did, and a good number who thought they were going to but didn't - but were close. Half of all divisions tested score within 4 questions either side of the cut score. If your scaled score is at or over 495, then you're in that range, and most of your study should be spent maintaining where you are. Next question is what do your sectional scores look like? You don't have to pass each section to pass the exam as a whole, you just have to get enough questions in total correct. I look at sectional scores to look for weaknesses to address or to ignore, depending on the pattern and their significance, and for strengths to double down on.
If you'd like to move on to PjM in the meantime, that would be fine - it's much more approachable for most people getting started with the ARE because the contracts, project delivery methods, etc topics it is focused on are generally more familiar (or quicker to learn than the math on PcM) at the point in your career most people take the ARE.
Best,
Ralph, the Amber Book Team
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