Regarding PPD and PDD?
I have passed the first four exams and have PPD and PDD left.
For those who have taken/passed these two divisions recently, which exam do you suggest I take first and how long should I plan to study?
And what was your absolute must have study resource for either of these exams?
For context, I have passed the first 4 exams solely using the Ballast book/exams/flashcards but feeling I need more resources for PPD and PDD
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Jenny,
In terms of which to take first, I would say it's whatever you feel the most comfortable with in terms of PPD being about the DD stage of a project and PDD being the CDs stage of a project. If you have more experience in one vs. the other, maybe take that first. This being said....
The resources you study for both tests, in my opinion, are one and the same. Many, many people on here have offered the advice to study for both of these exams together, and in fact schedule them with little time apart. Personally, I took these exams 10 days apart and took this study-together approach, and I strongly feel it paid off. I will tell you however that I went into these tests with 14 years under my belt, much of that being SOLID experience with preparing a CDs set and coordinating drawings.
My absolute must have resource for you is the Architect's Studio Companion. It provides an excellent overview of structural and MEP systems. Can't recommend it enough, and it's free online.
If you are not real familiar with building systems, and things like the intricacies of wall sections, section details, and such - check out Building Construction Illustrated. Also a good resource for this, and it's graphic which is even better.
Hope that helps.
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Hi Jenny, I just passed these exams in September and December of 2021. Just take them in that order (PPD then PDD). I used Fundamentals of Building Construction as my reference (I read the whole book) but David's references are valid too. There is A LOT of content to cover in these tests so I do recommend allowing 6-8 weeks of studying for each test. I used this method and passed both on the first try.
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