Passed PDD - How I did it
Five tests down, recently passed PDD last week. Passed CE and PPD earlier this year, and gearing up to retake PA for the fourth time. My suggestions thus far: you have to really know the content. For example, you have to know the components of a mechanical system (evaporator, condenser, expansion tank, etc). You need to know how drawing sets are organized and labeled. You need to know who is doing what on a project and their responsibilities. Know thermal control layers and how to calculate their resistance and conductance (U- & R-Values).
I used Amberbook and their the 40 minutes of Competence. I highly recommend studying for all six exams at once and taking them within a few days of each other.
Building Construction Illustrated and Building Codes Illustrated by Francis Ching have been excellent resources.
YouTube has been an invaluable resource as well.
I recommend practicing taking the exam in real time as many times are you can. This enables you to practice how to control your emotions and anxiety throughout the exam, and as well as pace yourself. Remember to take deep breaths during the exam to center yourself and keep you focused.
It's a tough exam but as my wise peer, who is now an RA, once said "they are not impossible". Glad I passed and now have one left to go.
Good luck everyone!
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How long did you study for it? I studied off and on for 6 months on PPD but failed with a 480-score report. Really only did good in Codes & Regulations. Everything other section was mid or low 50s. I am having a tough time with structural questions and a bit of MEP. The other systems I think I will get down, it's not hard to remember or understand sprinklers, smoke detectors, acoustics, thermal etc. But I find it hard to retain MEP/structural. I read the ASC sections, read FEMA, went through AmberBook/Black Spectacles videos and now going through Hyperfine assignments. Did you read a ton of MEEB? I cannot for the life of me seem to retain any information I have read from that book. How did you study for PPD? Any suggestions will help.
Also, CONGRATULATIONS!!!
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Rashidahgs,
Congratulations!!! Shoot us an email if you'd like any tips for PA - as your peer has noted, they're not impossible - but there are some tips and tricks that can help around the edges. We're so glad we could help you along your journey to licensure.
Best,
Ralph, the Amber Book Team -
Rashidahgs Congrats on getting five exams down and being so close to the finish line! You've made it this far and are going to achieve your end goal very soon!
Kaylahwesley17 It sounds like you’ve already put a lot of work into PPD and identified the areas that need more attention. For structures and MEP, if reading MEEB isn’t sticking, I wouldn’t force yourself to keep reading it cover to cover. Try shifting toward practice questions and diagrams, then use your other resources to fill in specific knowledge gaps as they come up. For MEP especially, focus on understanding how each system works, its major components, and how design decisions affect the building rather than trying to memorize everything.
For structures, working through problems repeatedly can help reinforce the concepts and make it easier to recognize what a question is actually asking. And as Rashidahgs mentioned, practicing under exam conditions is valuable too; you’re building content knowledge, pacing, and confidence at the same time.
You’re both making great progress. Good luck on PA and the PPD retake!
Kiara | Black Spectacles | Community
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Congrats Rashidahgs!! five down is huge. Really like your point about timed practice exams. Knowing the material and being able to work through it under pressure are both part of it. Good luck on PA, hopefully the last one falls into place soon!
Hey Kayla,
Practice exams also worked best for me. i’d do a small set, go through the explanations. Can start with NCARB’s free practice exam. Anything i kept missing went into a seperate section in my notebook so i could come back to it during the week.
For MEP, i’d start with Ching’s Building Construction Illustrated chapter 11. The diagrams make it easier to follow, then you can use MEEB for the topics you need more help with. For structures, chapters 4–6 cover floor, wall and roof systems. Since you already have Architect’s Studio Companion, use that alongside Ching to compare spans, load paths and why you’d pick one system over another.
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