Failed for the millionth time.
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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!
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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).
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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
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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.
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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
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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!
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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.
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Dakotajones I love this approach, simplifying the project delivery methods and use key words. May I send you an email? I would like to give it a shot, create keywords and share them with you on my understanding on project delivery methods to see if i am understanding it. Huge light bulb! lol
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@guzmanelsa33,
In addition to what @Dakotajones said:There's a distinction and confusion between "Multiple Bid Packages" and "Multiple Prime Contracts".
"Multiple Bid Packages" is a fast-track or phased-procurement technique that allows portions of the Work to be priced, procured, or constructed before the entire design is complete; therefore, practically, it can be applied to "any" Project Delivery Method. Although Multiple Bid Packages do not themselves determine who holds the resulting contracts, under a single-prime GC or CMc structure, these packages commonly result in Trade Contracts, Vendor Agreements, or Purchase Orders held by the GC/CMc.
"Multiple Prime Contracts" means that the Owner holds separate direct contracts with multiple "Prime" contractors. These contractors are often coordinated with the assistance of a separately retained CMa, although a CMa is not inherently required. An Owner or Developer highly experienced in construction management, with capable in-house staff, might choose a multiple-prime contractual arrangement without separately retaining a CMa. However, the mere fact that the Contract Documents permit the Owner to award other contracts or perform work with the Owner’s own forces does not automatically make the project a CMa or multiple-prime delivery arrangement.
If the question narrates that...
- ...the owner favors "Multiple Bid Packages", remember that it's inconsistent with the traditionally sequential D-B-B.
- ...the Owner requires "Expedited schedule/Fast-Track" or has "time constraints", and favors "Multiple Bid Packages", you should think of D-N-B (D-A-B), D-B, b-D-B, CMa, or CMc/CMaR, evaluating who holds the construction contracts and who assumes cost and performance risk.
- ...the Owner favors "Multiple Prime Contracts", you should think of CMa depending on the expected CM roles and responsibilities. The AIA Family Series for CMa is:
- AIA A132: Owner - Contractor Agreement (CMa Edition)
- AIA A232: General Conditions of the Contract for Construction
- AIA B132: Owner - Architect Agreement
- AIA C132: Owner - CMa Agreement
That being said, remember that Multiple Prime Contracts are not exclusively possible only when a CMa exists. They are a contractual arrangement that can exist elsewhere, although the coordinated AIA document family is specifically designed for this arrangement.
- ...the CM is expected to perform the construction and assume constructor responsibilities; rule out CMa, and think of CMc/CMaR (AIA A133 w/GMP or AIA A134 wo/GMP + A201 General Conditions of the Contract).
- ...multiple prime contracts are involved; remember that the coordinated AIA CMa family generally contemplates one date and one Certificate of Substantial Completion for the Project, or for a designated portion of the Project. An individual A132 agreement may nevertheless establish a date by which that particular contractor’s Work must be substantially complete. If one contractor finishes earlier, the CMa and Architect may inspect that contractor’s Work and prepare a list of incomplete or deficient items, but that earlier completion does not ordinarily result in a separate Certificate of Substantial Completion solely for that contractor.
- ...the Owner requires least/most involvement in the process, a practical 1(least)–5(most) scale would be:
- Design-Build: 1 - Lowest
- Design-Bid-Build: 3 - Moderate
- Design-Negotiate-Build: 4 - Moderate-High
- CMc/CMaR: 4 - Moderate-High
- CMa: 5 - High
- IPD: 5 - High
Note: This is a practical exam-study scale, not a formal AIA or NCARB classification; actual owner involvement depends on the project structure, contract terms, and the Owner’s capabilities.
- ...a Contractor is pre-selected, or the Owner has a preferred Contractor, and the Architect's advice is asked about the delivery method; remember the distinction between the D-N-B/D-A-B and CMc while evaluating the other given parameters in the question. The important distinction is:
- D-N-B resembles CMc operationally during preconstruction, because the contractor participates before design completion.
- It does not necessarily become CMc contractually. The contractor may not have a distinct preconstruction-services agreement, CM fee structure, open-book Cost of the Work arrangement, or the broader duties assigned to a CMc under A133/A134.
- Multiple bid packages are therefore compatible with D-N-B, but they are not mandatory or defining.
For contractual relationships of the Delivery Methods, I may strongly advise checking the AIA Contracts webpage below:
https://help.aiacontracts.com/hc/en-us/articles/1500009275822-Contract-Relationship-Diagrams -
I read all your study materials... but the one thing i did not see, was the actual contracts. a large majority of the pro practice exams are tricky because a lot of answers, SOUND good. and if you are not sure, they might very well sound like a viable answer. the thing that will make or break your uncertainty is familiarize yourself with the contract verbiage. not mike hannahan or michael ermann or hyperfine or black spectacles explanation, READ THE ACTUAL CONTRACTS. NCARB take their answers directly from the contracts, verbatim, so if ever you are torn btwn 2 answers, the right one comes directly from the contract language. This shifted my understanding of pro practice. If you're listening to anyone going over the contracts, you had better have a copy or pdf in front of you to follow along and mark up.
NCARB provides pdf's of the contracts: https://my.ncarb.org/apps/exams/aia-contract-documents
What i did, i talked to admin at my job to get sample copies of some of the more obscure contracts ncarb doesnt provide.
Also, i made hours....days long playlists on youtube, but this is by far THE best channel for pro practice: https://www.youtube.com/@TheArchitectSarah
She has verbal flash cards and 90% of the pro practice exams is just learning and knowing the vocabulary. Direct, indirect, net, gross, all these words can make your brain spin and go cross-eyed for days, but one day.... one day, after enough repetition, one day it's going to stick. She has great videos on the key equations, KPI and language that will get you through. I supplemented my study with countless hours of youtube, when i wake up, before bed, commuting, washing dishes, in the shower, cleaning, cooking, before/after work. No tv, binge content. Hearing the same content from multiple sources helps it to stick. there is a reason we cant remember equations from college but remember theme songs and movies from elementary school. and dont just listen, take your own notes, learn the table of contents and how to search, navigate, and find content.
AHPP is golden. the diagrams really help with insurance, the business, finances, roles, project delivery and responsibilities. dont try to learn it all in one night, read 7-10 pages a day, dont go over, but never miss a day.
You really have to learn and get a grasp of project delivery methods. design-bid-build is the baseline for most the ARE, but sub for literally any other delivery method and it becomes a completely different question. AHPP has great diagrams to learn the difference.
Quizlet! start flash cards and practice exams 3 weeks before and spend the rest of the time studying your results.
I made a habit of rewriting the 7 kpi and 10 major equations on a notebook or post-it every day. definitions and calculations, until it stuck. you need to know the equations back and forth because one question will give you everything, but ask you to figure out the billable rate, next question asks for net multiplier, next asks for profits, so you really need to know how to solve it inside out.
Every other day, take a break from pro practice and study some technical subjects. if you have years of work experience you may coast, but dont be surprised if you see a structures, hvac, foundations or site drainage question or 2 pop up on the exam. if you dont know it, dont even waste your time, guess and move on.
Last and most helpful thing for me, I conditioned myself from work to study to sit for 2-4 hours. I never took breaks, on any exams. second, i did my case studies first, then did the multiple choice. this is crucial because every exam had at least one case study that included the key contracts, so the rest of the exam is now an open book exam. the goal is not to memorize the contracts, thats impossible, you just have to familiarize yourself enough to navigate search words and find the answers quickly.
I know this is frustrating but you are RIIIIIIIIIIIGHT there, based on your score. one or two of these tweaks will get you over the edge. there are a lot of good helpful post on this forum that can help you.
Good luck, you got this!
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a couple other things:
AHPP, specifically, REALLY dive into chapters 9 and 10. their diagrams are so good. the key to understanding the different project delivery methods is understanding when on is beneficial or a burden to employ. which is the best for cost, time, specialty, quality or risk?
The Hannahan lecture are over 20+ hours. focus on content around the B101, A101, A201, C401. there are more obscure contracts, but they may provide them in case studies. I never came across or looked at an IPD contract until a case study and it is structured totally different from the rest. if you learn the basics, liability, insurance, basic vs add'l vs supplemental services, cause for termination, payment, what happens in delays, who's responsible for what, they all are really one big contract, written from 3 different perspectives.
Understand "contract documents" and "the work"
Another great youtube channel nobody talks about, AIA has a yt channel dedicated to CONTRACT DOCUMENTS! I lived on this channel for weeks : https://www.youtube.com/@AIAContractDocuments
this is another great youtube channel going over more aia contracts and has a great series on the code of ethics: https://www.youtube.com/@FlowArchitectureAcademy-ps6rl
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And another thing!.... lol
Start with AHPP, but look at actual financial statements, balance sheets, profit loss statements, monthly, quarterly, annual reports. familiarize yourself with these and the math that goes into them, otherwise you'll get blindsided by them if you're seeing it for the first time on exam day. find as many examples online as you can.
Really sit down, focus and take notes on your own exam experiences. write a list of all the "wtf/wth" moments you can remember from those tests and seek out those answers. your previous attempts were just more practice exams, don't lose the lessons and learning opportunities in them.
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guzmanelsa33,
I may add a note regarding the Financial part:
Check out AHPP - Chapter 10 - p622 and onwards. Review its notes about the Net Service Revenue. There's a nuance between the Net Operating Revenue and the Net Service Revenue. Check to see how the Project Labor Budget is calculated. This subject is one of the overlaps between the PcM and PjM.
You've got this! Best of luck...
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A 504 with an 83% on Practice Methodologies means you know how to study. Practice-Wide Delivery of Services at 26% is where to put your next month: that score means you haven't seen enough of the patterns yet, not that you're missing the material. LeventK's breakdown above on Multiple Bid Packages versus Multiple Prime Contracts is a good example of exactly that kind of distinction tripping people up.
For Finances, Risk, and Development of Practice at 52%, the contracts carry most of the weight. Everyone saves them for last (I did too), but they're the throughline for nearly every risk question on the exam. Read B101 and A201 asking who's holding the risk in each clause, not what the clause says.
What changed things for me going into my last division: I stopped treating my score report like a grade and started treating it like a map. I ran mine through AREna AI, which turned the percentages into a study plan weighted toward my two weakest categories instead of the flat 40-hour re-read I was tempted to do. Saved a lot of wasted time.
A 504 is close. Put the next round of hours into those two categories and you're there.
Maria
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