Ok…I recently used practice forms for ppd and pdd. I felt codes related questions are not my strengths. Do we need memorize those fire rating hours between different occupancies?
For the case studies, some questions that confused me for its tested area…what should I look for the information in materials? Sometime I think they tested me for this criteria but it turned out to other criteria…so what should I think correctly align with the tester’ intentions?
Third, old questions…what is the grade we look for to confidently pass the real exam…over 65 or more? If the first attempt is below 65, when I retake the exam how to evaluate the results to tell if I am ready for the real exam?
Welcome to the Black Spectacles Community @philo_let! We’re glad that you are here and happy that you’ve been utilizing the PPD and PDD practice exams.
You are definitely not alone in feeling unsure of code-related questions - they are definitely some of the trickiest ones. Don’t worry about memorizing code regulations (or any ARE content for that matter), as the exam won’t simply test your memorization skills. Focus on understanding general concepts, terminology, and how to apply them to project scenarios. You’ll likely be provided with relevant code sections (especially in the case studies) so you won’t need to have the information memorized. For IBC, it’s helpful to know what each chapter covers and where you might find key tables - this will help you quickly and efficiently navigate the code sections under the tight ARE time constraints. For PPD and PDD, Chapter 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, and 10 are great ones to become familiar with.
Can you clarify what you mean by “tested area” on case studies? Are you asking for tips on how to navigate the references in order to answer the questions? Let me know, and I’m happy to provide you with some!
Lastly, NCARB has established passing cut scores for the ARE, which range between 58-71% of scored items depending on the division. When taking practice exams, try not to get too caught up in the overall score - I encourage you to focus on trends of how you’re scoring in each section/objective, which will help guide your studying in which areas you should follow up on or put more focus on. Also, reading through all answer explanations (correct and incorrect) will help you thoroughly understand the questions and content beyond the face value of the result.
Hope this helps!
Kiara Galicinao, AIA, NCARB
Product Coordinator
Black Spectacles
Hi Kiara,
Thank you so much for the reply. For case studies, I sometime look at the question and think what I should look at to find the solution. Sometimes, the “signal” of the question seems not clear to me. When I look at the explanation, I just wonder how I should know from reading the question itself the direction and materials that I should look at to lock the correct answer.
Laura Z.
Great question, Laura! @philo_let Here are some tips that I suggest for approaching case studies:
- First, take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the scenario and references provided; thoroughly read the scenario and quickly peruse the reference files. This should be quick, while also providing you with the context you need to get your bearings (i.e. you should be aware of the project type presented and which code sections you’re provided with, but you don’t need to read the full code sections).
- Use the whiteboard to jot down any notes of key information or unique aspects that stand out to you, and reference this throughout.
- After getting your bearings, dive right into the questions. Use the highlighter tool to identify key phrases and the strikethrough tool to eliminate irrelevant information (as well as incorrect answer choices).
- Focus only on information provided in the question itself. Don’t add any outside assumptions or opinions; remember that all you need to answer the question is provided to you.
- Because you’ll be generally familiar with the scenario and references, you should be able to quickly identify where to start your search, given the key phrases in the question.
- Use the 'find’ tool to strategically search for key words in the references - focus on unique words that will return targeted results.
- There may be questions that don’t actually require you to use the references; in these cases, go right ahead and answer it without spending too much time. If you have time at the end, then you can double-check your answers with the references.
The best way to become comfortable with case studies is to practice. Utilize the practice exams and test these strategies out yourself, while developing your own tips and tricks along the way! The more you do, the better you’ll get at tackling these for the real thing.
In a couple of weeks, we will be releasing a new study tool called Real-World Practice, which will be a great way to practice tackling those case studies without using the full exam simulation.
Hope this helps!
Kiara Galicinao, AIA, NCARB
Product Coordinator
Black Spectacles
Hi Kiara,
Truly appreciated. Have a great holiday.
Best,
Laura
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