Failed PA Today – Advice on My Remaining 3 Exams?
Hi everyone,
Unfortunately, I failed PA today. I studied extensively and felt fairly confident throughout the first portion of the exam. I actually thought I was on track to pass, but mental fatigue caught up with me, particularly during the case studies after my break.
I found the case studies significantly more difficult than the multiple-choice questions. Constantly going back and forth between the scenarios and reference documents became mentally exhausting, and I felt like I completely lost my focus toward the end. I honestly think mental endurance, rather than just a lack of knowledge, contributed to my failure.
I have three exams remaining: PA, PPD, and PDD, and haven’t started studying for PPD/PDD yet.
Would you recommend focusing on retaking PA in 60 days while the material is fresh, or transitioning into PPD/PDD and taking advantage of the content overlap to attempt all three before year-end?
I’d also appreciate any advice on improving mental endurance, especially for the longer case studies.
Determined to keep pushing forward, just trying to figure out the smartest approach. Thanks everyone!
Welcome to the Black Spectacles Community @ajcastiglione! We are happy to have you here, though very sorry to hear about your PA exam. I can understand how frustrated you are feeling especially after feeling confident and studying thoroughly.
I had a similar experience with PPD, and it really helped for me to switch gears to PDD during my 60-day waiting period so that I could get a “fresh” start and avoid burnout on material I had already studied. Since I already had the base knowledge of PPD, I was just building upon that knowledge with PDD studies for about a month. I was able to pass PDD on the first try, spend the next month refreshing my knowledge on PPD, then pass my retake at the 60 day mark! Having studied for and taken both divisions at that point really helped me to understand the PPD content more holistically. This approach worked for me, but every person is different, so continuing your studies on PA for the next 60 days could also be a good strategy if you prefer that route.
The case studies are definitely a challenging part of the exam, as there are so many pieces to manage when answering the related questions. If you haven’t already checked out Real-World Practice, I highly recommend you do so! It’s a great way to get practice with case studies while juggling the scenarios, references, and tricky ARE-type questions.
Lastly, I’d love to help you get scheduled for a one-time complimentary one-on-one consultation with a licensed architect to go over your score report, discuss study strategies and test-taking tips, and develop a game plan for your PA retake. I see that you’ve reported your exam result on your dashboard, so you should be receiving an email inviting you to complete a Pre-Consultation Survey. Once you complete that, you’ll receive another email with scheduling links to our consultants’ calendars. Once you select a time slot, you’re all set! Feel free to reach out to me kiaragalicinao@blackspectacles.com if you encounter any issues during this process.
Keep your head up! You will overcome this obstacle and will soon be on your way to becoming a licensed architect!
Best,
Kiara Galicinao, AIA, NCARB
Product Coordinator
Black Spectacles
Thank you for your reply! I haven’t decided which direction to take just yet. I actually haven’t received my PA score report, but once I do, I’d definitely be interested in scheduling an appointment with an architect to help determine my next steps.
I’ll also check out the Real World Practice. That was one of the resources I didn’t get to before my exam, which may help explain why I struggled with the case studies.
Thanks again for your guidance!
No problem! We are happy to help with any support you may need to overcome this obstacle. You’ve got this!
Kiara