# PPD Supplement Study Material

**URL:** <https://community.blackspectacles.com/t/ppd-supplement-study-material/7617>\
**Category:** Project Planning & Design\
**Created:** [December 8, 2025, 9:09pm UTC](https://community.blackspectacles.com/t/ppd-supplement-study-material/7617 "2025-12-08T21:09:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![lantenore](https://blackspectacles.com/uploads/images/13.png) [@lantenore](https://community.blackspectacles.com/u/lantenore)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2025, 9:09pm UTC](https://community.blackspectacles.com/t/ppd-supplement-study-material/7617/1 "2025-12-08T21:09:24Z")

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Hello,

Can you give a list of suggested additional and supplemental material to go along the PPD lessons?

I watched all the lesson, done the quizzes and complete a couple of prep tests but I found the info contained within insufficient to get a decent score (60% and above). I completed all the previous 4 sections (PA,PM PJ and CE) and found the material exhaustive - I did some in depth study on my own on certain topic but overall right out the “lesson” I was solid.

With PPD I feel I am still on shaky grounds - I am not sure why -Wondering if I am missing something ?

I appreciate all the help -

Lorenzo

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**Author:** ![kiaragalicinao](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/community.blackspectacles.com/kiaragalicinao/32/1607_2.png) [@kiaragalicinao](https://community.blackspectacles.com/u/kiaragalicinao)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2025, 8:51pm UTC](https://community.blackspectacles.com/t/ppd-supplement-study-material/7617/2 "2025-12-10T20:51:40Z")

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Hey @lantenore! Thanks for reaching out. Our **[flashcards](https://www.blackspectacles.com/study-materials/flashcards)** are another great way to reinforce what you have studied through the videos, quizzes, and practice exams.

The **[ARE 5.0 Guidelines](https://www.ncarb.org/sites/default/files/ARE-5-Guidelines.pdf)** lists a ton of recommended resources (starting on page 112) for each division. Take note of the references that are _primary_ versus _supplemental_, as that would give you a good idea of how much it might be covered on the ARE.

I will say - you don’t need to worry about becoming an expert on every single topic that you encounter when studying. That is a common misconception of the ARE (that I definitely had) and could spiral into long-winded studying and an inefficient use of time. You also don’t need to read each NCARB-recommended books cover to cover. Our team takes the guesswork out of what you need to study from these resources and pairs them down to the key concepts needed to pass the ARE. In other words, you have everything you need to pass the ARE with your Black Spectacles subscription!

If you are looking to dive deeper in difficult ARE topics, I’d highly recommend that you check out **[Real-World Practice](https://www.blackspectacles.com/study-materials/real-world-practice)** - our newest study material we just launched this week!

Hope this helps. Good luck on your upcoming exam!

Kiara Galicinao, AIA, NCARB  
Product Coordinator  
**[Black Spectacles](https://www.blackspectacles.com/en-us/)**

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**Author:** ![lantenore](https://blackspectacles.com/uploads/images/13.png) [@lantenore](https://community.blackspectacles.com/u/lantenore)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2025, 9:56pm UTC](https://community.blackspectacles.com/t/ppd-supplement-study-material/7617/3 "2025-12-10T21:56:54Z")

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Hi Kiara,

Thank you for answering my post so soon!

Understood - I will definitely look into more primary material only to get better prepared

Thanks again