I realized I never made an official post dedicated to the Building Systems exam. Unfortunately, I have already forgotten much of what I probably would have posted. But here goes anyway:
I think I put in over 60 hours of studying.
I believe I gave myself 4 weekends to study for this one.
With this being my first multiple choice exam, I came up with a system for determining my study intensity, which I still employ currently. I take the NCARB sample multiple choice questions first. If I do poorly, I study a ton, if I do well, I study a little. By the end of the studying, I retake the quiz (because I am quite forgetful, it's almost like a new exam) to see how I score and if it is satisfactory (85%+) I cease studying.
For BS, my first crack at the NCARB MC was 69%, ergo serious studying was required. I ended up reading all of the Kaplan 2009 study guides, and I believe all or most of the Ballast study guide? I read through some code information, I think it pertained to the fire protection aspect of the exam.
I averaged 75% on the Kaplan Lesson Quizzes, got a 74% on the Kaplan Practice Exam, got a 63% on the Kaplan Sample Questions booklet and I'm not sure about the Ballast exams as I neglected to hang onto those notes.
When I was done studying, I retook the NCARB exam and scored an 80%. Not stellar, but good enough for me at the time.
I believe I did one practice vignette besides the NCARB one. I don't remember anything tricky about that vignette, I think it was pretty straight forward and I think I did it in like 15 minutes or something ridiculous like that.
Anyway, that's all I have in my notes, so hopefully that helps anyone who is studying!
(Oh and in case you stumbled onto this post before reading the others, I did in fact pass this exam on the first try.)
My advice with this one and with Structural Systems is to just relax and be confident.
Oh and if you encounter any ... objectionable questions on the exam, don't freak out. I remember feeling rather irate after the multiple choice because some of the questions seemed subjective and I know at least one had the answers in the incorrect units. Enjoy!
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
LEED GA Exam
So not to hype it up too much, but come Friday I will be parking myself in front of a computer in Towson, MD and will take the LEED GA exam. Am I nervous? A little, I guess. I've heard the test is pretty easy, but however a few of the test exam questions make me anxious.
Example question #1:
A reduction in overall water quality due to an increase in the concentration of chemical nutrients would be an example of which of the following?
a) Xeriscaping
b) Eutrophication
c) Denitrofication
d) Osmosis
e) Hypoalimentation
The correct answer is "b" which I picked solely because I had already reviewed Xeriscaping and Osmosis and Eutrophication just sounded right.
After looking up the terms: Denitrofication occurs in the ground (mostly) and "Hypoalimentation" means you are malnourished.
There are, on the other hand the easier questions like:
Example Question #2:
What are the benefits of better lighting control? (pick 2)
a) it reduces cooling loads
b) it creates energy savings
c) it improves green roofs
d) it helps operators use fewer cars
e) all of the above
This is clearly a&b. However questions like this are almost worse than the hard ones. Doubt creeps in and you start to think: "maybe lighting CAN improve your green roofs...think about it...the plants would grow better." Then before you know it, you're talking like your stoned-out hippie roommate from freshman year. The one with all the batik skirts who was melting crayons in the dead of the night to Dave Matthews for some bizarre art project. Oh wait. That was me. (For the record, Kelly Ford of Avalon, NJ, I'm sorry for being such a weirdo)
but I digress.
The third kind of question are the somewhat self-serving LEED process questions. Now, to be clear, I really do believe in the goals of the USGBC (for those non-archi-nerds out there that is the US Green Building Council). We should be striving for better more environmentally sound buildings, however questions like this:
Example question #3
Which of the following are true regarding costs? (choose 2)
a) Certification fees are waived for Platinum projects
b) Recertification fees are the same as initial certification fees for Existing Buildings
c) Certification fees changed in 2002 and again in 2005
d) Certification fees are based on project location
e) Certification fees for a LEED silver project differ from those of a LEED Gold Project
seem to be the kind of information one would have in a pamphlet or website information page, and not, say, on a licencing exam. About 10% of the practice questions seem to be about when USGBC gets paid for things, when you pay for the building certification, the review, the recertification, etc. It just reminds you that the USGBC despite it's somewhat federal-sounding name, is, afterall, a money making venture.
Anyway, we'll see how it goes.
oh, and the correct answers the third one are a & c
Example question #1:
A reduction in overall water quality due to an increase in the concentration of chemical nutrients would be an example of which of the following?
a) Xeriscaping
b) Eutrophication
c) Denitrofication
d) Osmosis
e) Hypoalimentation
The correct answer is "b" which I picked solely because I had already reviewed Xeriscaping and Osmosis and Eutrophication just sounded right.
After looking up the terms: Denitrofication occurs in the ground (mostly) and "Hypoalimentation" means you are malnourished.
There are, on the other hand the easier questions like:
Example Question #2:
What are the benefits of better lighting control? (pick 2)
a) it reduces cooling loads
b) it creates energy savings
c) it improves green roofs
d) it helps operators use fewer cars
e) all of the above
This is clearly a&b. However questions like this are almost worse than the hard ones. Doubt creeps in and you start to think: "maybe lighting CAN improve your green roofs...think about it...the plants would grow better." Then before you know it, you're talking like your stoned-out hippie roommate from freshman year. The one with all the batik skirts who was melting crayons in the dead of the night to Dave Matthews for some bizarre art project. Oh wait. That was me. (For the record, Kelly Ford of Avalon, NJ, I'm sorry for being such a weirdo)
but I digress.
The third kind of question are the somewhat self-serving LEED process questions. Now, to be clear, I really do believe in the goals of the USGBC (for those non-archi-nerds out there that is the US Green Building Council). We should be striving for better more environmentally sound buildings, however questions like this:
Example question #3
Which of the following are true regarding costs? (choose 2)
a) Certification fees are waived for Platinum projects
b) Recertification fees are the same as initial certification fees for Existing Buildings
c) Certification fees changed in 2002 and again in 2005
d) Certification fees are based on project location
e) Certification fees for a LEED silver project differ from those of a LEED Gold Project
seem to be the kind of information one would have in a pamphlet or website information page, and not, say, on a licencing exam. About 10% of the practice questions seem to be about when USGBC gets paid for things, when you pay for the building certification, the review, the recertification, etc. It just reminds you that the USGBC despite it's somewhat federal-sounding name, is, afterall, a money making venture.
Anyway, we'll see how it goes.
oh, and the correct answers the third one are a & c
Friday, February 17, 2012
ARE: Construction Documents & Services
This was the 4th ARE I took, about 3 weeks ago. I received the results today and hoooooorah I passed! As promised, here's my idea for studying:
I read through the Kaplan 2009 study guide and the Ballast study guide (I forget which edition). I did decently well on the quizzes (83% average), but pretty poorly on the practice exams (71% average).
As usual, use the NCARB practice vignette software. I found the circle sketch tool to be a bit graphically misleading, so I ended up using the rectangle tool instead. I believe I did 2 practice vignettes other than the NCARB one.
I did not study nearly as much for this one as for Building Systems and Structural Systems. However, the majority of my work experience pertains to this exam.
Next is Site Planning & Design. Getting closer!
I read through the Kaplan 2009 study guide and the Ballast study guide (I forget which edition). I did decently well on the quizzes (83% average), but pretty poorly on the practice exams (71% average).
As usual, use the NCARB practice vignette software. I found the circle sketch tool to be a bit graphically misleading, so I ended up using the rectangle tool instead. I believe I did 2 practice vignettes other than the NCARB one.
I did not study nearly as much for this one as for Building Systems and Structural Systems. However, the majority of my work experience pertains to this exam.
Next is Site Planning & Design. Getting closer!
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Home is where the art is
This is an offshoot from our typical topics, but I figured it was time for a little shameless self-promotion.
Retly Corm signed herself up with the 2012 Sketchbook Challenge (Sponsored by the Art House Co-op, in New York)
See the link for excerpts from the sketchbook themed "Travel with Me"
Arts-n-Farts
Retly Corm signed herself up with the 2012 Sketchbook Challenge (Sponsored by the Art House Co-op, in New York)
See the link for excerpts from the sketchbook themed "Travel with Me"
Arts-n-Farts
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