Failed for the millionth time.
-
I am sorry that you have failed the exam, but you seem to be almost there! I was on the same boat. I have the read the A201 and B101 before, but I did not realise how much important information I missed until I listen to the hours long youtube videos of Michael Hanahan explaining each section in great detail. The name of the channel is "The Futur of Design"
Most of the exam seem to be not based on memorising those two documents, but actually understand their logic. Listening to Michael reading them and explaing them in detail helped me pass the PcM and PjM.
I hope you found this helpful. Goodluck on retaking it!
-
You seem to be overburdened with multiple sources. I recommend the AHPP in depth, and the AIA has very useful videos on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjEJ6rHriSU
Black spectacles is my only paid subscription and books (makes you move with your own pace).
-
I'm so sorry to hear about your struggles with PcM guzmanelsa33! The great news is that you were very close to passing with a 504, but I know that is also frustrating because you missed by just a few questions. I agree with Shadymoawad in that you shouldn't overwhelm yourself with too many resources - rather, build upon what you have and use those resources strategically. For your next round of studying, I'd recommend focusing on how the concepts apply in real-world scenarios rather than trying to memorize details. As you study, review why each answer is correct and why the other choices are incorrect—that pattern recognition can make a big difference on exam day. You've already built a strong foundation, so hopefully a more targeted review will get you over the finish line next time. If you haven't already met with one of our licensed architect consultants to review your score report, please send me an email at kiaragalicinao@blackspectacles.com so I can help you get that meeting set up!
Best of luck! You've got this!
Kiara | Black Spectacles | Community
-
The contract lectures by Hanahan are something like 20 hours of content. I was listening to about 3 hours per day in the 2 weeks leading up to my PCM and PJM exams. The trick is to read and highlight the contracts first. Then while you're listening to him as background noise at work or whatever, you'll recognize the familiar concepts.
-
guzmanelsa33 Thank you for reaching out! I just replied to your email with further instructions to get set up for the ARE Consultation. We are looking forward to speaking with you soon!
Kiara | Black Spectacles | Community
-
For hyperfine (which you have) have you completed the first 18 PcM/PjM assignments? Completing the reading and listening for each assignment while I completed each assignment really helped me focus my studies. In particular, assignments 11, 12, 13, and 14 focus on delivery of services which represent your weakest area. Special attention to those could get you over the hump! Each assignment is labeled with the NCARB category it falls under which can really help focus your studies. All assignments from week 2 could help your 2 weakest areas. Good luck!
-
I can definitely relate; I’m struggling with PCM too. I actually just failed my third attempt last week. I'm dyslexic, and I swear our profession's obsession with acronyms is the only thing keeping me from absolutely dunking on this exam. 😅
That said, I think you should be encouraged. Based on the score report you shared, you were really close, only needing 7 more correct answers to pass. Since you missed 11 Practice-Wide Delivery of Services questions, you could really improve by focusing on just that.
One resource that's helped me is Quizlet. You can search through other people's flashcard sets, and they're usually broken down into very specific topics. I'm almost certain you'll find sets dedicated to Practice-Wide Delivery of Services that can help reinforce those concepts.
One thing that's been helping me is looking for the keywords in the questions. For example:
- If you see Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP), think about Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR).
- If the project is especially complex, has an accelerated schedule, or the owner lacks construction experience, a construction manager is often the best choice.
- If the priority is a straightforward, lower-cost procurement process with well-defined documents, Design-Bid-Build is often the answer.
The more practice questions you do, the more you'll start recognizing these patterns.
You've (we've) got this. Good luck on your next attempt; I hope we're both celebrating a passing score soon.
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Comments
12 comments