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Steve Johnson
Member
| تاريخ الالتحاق: | السبت يونيو 16th, 2007 |
| الموقع: | North Carolina USA |
| عدد المواضيع: | 516 |
| Exams Taken: | PD, GS, LF, ME, BD/MM, CD, SP, BP, BT | | Exams Passed: | PD, GS, LF, ME, BD/MM, CD, SP, BP, BT | | Describes Me: | I am uh r k tek |
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كتب: السبت يناير 5th, 2008 09:19 pm |
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I took the exam on 12/20. I held off writting my review of the exam becasue, to be honest, it was easy, and I didn't want to jinks myslef.
I studied HARD... and probably too much (but given I passed, that doesn't matter now). I had 15 math questions. 5 of them I didn't use the calculator on because I was able to reason my way through them (eliminate the obvious wrong ans. and use common sence to get the rest). 5 more came out of the reference material and were plug-and-chug. The remaining 5 required me to use memorized equations, 3 of those 5 required me to guess because the answers I got were not in the list of options. There were lots of questions on selecting structural systems and even more on shear and moment concept diagrams/concepts - all simple. 5 non-math questions were repeated 3-4 times each on the exam in different forms, all related to soils. I finished with lots of time to review my questions and guess at those 3 math questions.
I went into the exam unsure of my math but confident in my concepts. I studied for about 6 weeks, reading a chapter of Kaplan one night, taking the quiz the next, and resting one night before moving to the next chapter. When I got through all of that I took Marc's on-line course to help fill in some of the blanks that Kaplan left in my brain and helped sort through the math. After Marc's class I studied Archiflash for 2 nights and then spent 4 intense days taking mock exams from Kaplan, Balast, NCARB, and reviewed my notes/questions from Marc's class. Just before the exam I reviewed my Studio Companion from college and studied the Manual of Steel Construction. Through the entire study process I keep CRAZY notes on equations and created a very good review sheet that was invaluable to me. I basically organzied it similar to the Dorf Chart that I used in BP. More on all of those mediums later.
My only regret, I wasted too much time getting bogged down in the complicated math in Kaplan. Although I am glad I learned it, the math in Kaplan was WAY more than anything I saw on the exam.
My study mediums:
1) Kaplan. I used this becase this is what my employer bought for me. It was great for the concepts, but too heavy on the math. I read a chapter, took the quiz. Reviewed the quiz. At the end, I took the exam in the back. I never got more than 40 or 50% of the questions right on the quizes or the final exam. However, I learned a TON from my incorrect answers. I did not have enough time before my exam to retake the quizes/exam to see if I had improved my score.
2) On a whim I took Marc's class. I was reluctant because I really didn't think it would help much, but after talking to Marc on the phone I realized he would help, and he did. The on-line study course was good becasue he simplified everything. In the end, I am not sure I can point to a specific question on the exam and say "I learned that from Marc" but he helped me organize my knowledge, gain confidence, and ultimatley pass this thing. My only negative critique of Marc's class is that I never got answers to some of my questions via email, but in the end, I didn't need the answers... his class and my other studies helped me figure them out for myself and that is the best part.
For the record, I recommend Marc's class to anyone that is struggelling to learn this stuff.
3) Archiflash. I bought these more out of curiousity than anything else. I am glad I did. Well worth the $. The math questions are hard, but for the most part they are well explained on the cards. They were very valuable because as I went throught them I pulled out the questions that I got wrong. Each night I would reveiw the "wrong" stack until I had them all right. Unlike Marc's class, I CAN point to questions on the exam and say "I know that because I studied it in Archiflash."
4) I was able to collect mock exams from NCARB and Ballast from some collegues. Additionally I took the exam in my Kaplan book and also did some study questions that Marc provided. Again, I didn't do well on these exams but learned a LOT from my wrong answers. Like the Archiflash, I can point to questions on the exam and say I leanred that in the mock exams.
5) I pulled out my 1993 copy of Studio Companion the night before the test and read the chapters on Foundation Systems, Structural Systems, and Soils. This was a GOD send. The first question on the exam was almost word-for-word out of the book.
6) The manual of steel construction was also very helpfull. I was able to study the charts and read in the book how to understand the charts (Marc was also very helpfull with this). This book also helped me understand welding symbols and revew moment, pin, and fixed steel connections. There were several questions on the exam that came right out of this book. Get it, read it, keep it.
7) After all of that I had 2 pages of equations and flow charts that I created that helped me understand the relationship of all the equations. Believe it or not, everything is related. The exam had a tremendous amount of reference material on it, I used very little of it. They gave us lots of equations, I used none of them. They gave us moment and shear diagrams, I used them extenssively. They gave us Sx charts and I used those extenssively.
Onto LF
steve
اخر تعديل في الاربعا يناير 9th, 2008 05:54 am بواسطة Steve Johnson
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5280 architect
Member
| تاريخ الالتحاق: | الجمعة سيبتمبر 28th, 2007 |
| الموقع: | Denver |
| عدد المواضيع: | 106 |
| Exams Taken: | PD, GS, LF, ME, BD/MM, CD, SP, BP, BT | | Exams Passed: | PD, GS, LF, ME, BD/MM, CD, SP, BP, BT | | Describes Me: | |
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كتب: الاحد يناير 6th, 2008 10:37 pm |
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Congrats!
What online class by Marc are you referring?
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Steve Johnson
Member
| تاريخ الالتحاق: | السبت يونيو 16th, 2007 |
| الموقع: | North Carolina USA |
| عدد المواضيع: | 516 |
| Exams Taken: | PD, GS, LF, ME, BD/MM, CD, SP, BP, BT | | Exams Passed: | PD, GS, LF, ME, BD/MM, CD, SP, BP, BT | | Describes Me: | I am uh r k tek |
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كتب: الاحد يناير 6th, 2008 10:53 pm |
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5280 architect wrote: Congrats!
What online class by Marc are you referring?
Prep A.R.E. by Marc Mitalski http://www.prepa-r-e.com/index.htm
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beforethem
Member
| تاريخ الالتحاق: | الاثنين يناير 8th, 2007 |
| الموقع: | |
| عدد المواضيع: | 126 |
| Exams Taken: | PD, GS, LF, CD, SP, BP, BT | | Exams Passed: | PD, LF, CD, BP, BT | | Describes Me: | |
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كتب: الاربعا يناير 9th, 2008 04:43 pm |
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Thanks for this review- it is very helpful! I just took the Thaddeaus class and your review of the exam seems to reflect everything he was saying. Further confirmation on what to study and where to put energies is really helpful.
Thanks, and congrats!
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rudy2
Member
| تاريخ الالتحاق: | الاربعا يناير 9th, 2008 |
| الموقع: | Aspen, Colorado USA |
| عدد المواضيع: | 239 |
| Exams Taken: | PD, GS, LF, ME, BD/MM, CD, SP, BP, BT | | Exams Passed: | PD, GS, LF, ME, BD/MM, CD, SP, BP, BT | | Describes Me: | I'm FINISHED! |
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كتب: الاثنين مايو/أيار 12th, 2008 08:37 pm |
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Is it possible for multiple people to share the online course?
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shudongs
Member
| تاريخ الالتحاق: | الاربعا يونيو 13th, 2007 |
| الموقع: | |
| عدد المواضيع: | 460 |
| Exams Taken: | | | Exams Passed: | | | Describes Me: | Have taken and passed CDS, PPP, SPD, SD; awaiting results ... |
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كتب: الثلاثا نوفمبر 4th, 2008 10:14 pm |
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beforethem wrote: Thanks for this review- it is very helpful! I just took the Thaddeaus class and your review of the exam seems to reflect everything he was saying. Further confirmation on what to study and where to put energies is really helpful.
Thanks, and congrats!
I was searching for the Mitalski notes, is it available on the FTP or somewhere else, or do we have to attend the seminar to get it? Thanks
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tops
Member
| تاريخ الالتحاق: | الخميس مارس 6th, 2008 |
| الموقع: | Chicago, Illinois USA |
| عدد المواضيع: | 69 |
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كتب: الثلاثا نوفمبر 4th, 2008 10:25 pm |
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shudongs wrote: beforethem wrote: Thanks for this review- it is very helpful! I just took the Thaddeaus class and your review of the exam seems to reflect everything he was saying. Further confirmation on what to study and where to put energies is really helpful.
Thanks, and congrats!
I was searching for the Mitalski notes, is it available on the FTP or somewhere else, or do we have to attend the seminar to get it? Thanks
Shudong, the Marc Mitalski's notes is not available at the FTP site. You can only get them if you enroll at his live or on-line class.
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الوقت الحالي هو 09:16 pm | |
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