PDD pass 5th attempt
I finally passed PDD yesterday after 5 attempts and I'm finally done with the ARE!
This is not really a post about what to study or what worked for me because I simply don't have a good answer for that, I went through every resource ever mentioned on this forum multiple times, took every practice test multiple times, and still failed multiple times.
I just want to share that I only passed PcM on the first try, Pjm took 2 attempts, PA took 2, PPD took 3, CE took 4, and PDD took 5. I sat down to take these exams 17 times throughout almost 5 years! I personally have not met anyone else who has had to re-take these as many times, everyone either breezes through them or is just devastated by one or two fails and quits.
Except for this forum, when I read of strangers having a hard time as well, I felt understood.
So, if anyone out there is having feelings of despair, I get it... it sucks, if it wasn't for the rolling clock extension we got for Covid I would have been very close to just giving up and thrown all the effort of 4+ years away.
KEEP GOING!!
You WILL get there and feel so liberated!
Now on to the CSE (ugh California), without that stupid rolling clock.
Good luck everyone!
-
Congratulations Mariana! Actually I know a lot of people like you (including myself). NCARB’s statistics also support my observation since average time to complete six exams takes almost 3 years according to their data. I know people who have taken each of the technical exams 5-6-7 times until they pass. But majority of them complete their exams, eventually. So thanks for sharing your experience to support others.
If you are someone who is reading these comments/posts and feeling desperate, please remember that these exams are very challenging for the majority of test takers. You are not alone to struggle. And also remember that, extreme cases don’t represent the average. Compare yourself to average, base your expectations on average to manage the emotions through out the journey. High expectations/ aggressive goals can make you get tired fast, quit and give up when they are not met. On the other hand, reasonable expectations bring consistency and success. Don’t forget that even the smartest, most talented people in the world would be nothing if they didn’t work hard and persevere. -
Hi Mariana,
I’m not sure if you can see my response, but thank you so much for sharing your experience with such honesty and openness. Personally, I often feel defeated every time I face failure. It’s not easy for anyone to openly share their setbacks. For me, failure tends to feel like a reflection of my identity. However, when I look back, I feel not trying harder after failure is even worse. It drags myself even further.
I wish I had explored more of the posts in PDD earlier, so I could have realized that extreme success stories aren’t the norm—and that it’s completely okay. Honestly, I feel like I’ve wasted a couple of years trapped in these feelings of defeat.
Anyway, thank you again for your sincerity. It means a lot.
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Comments
9 comments