architect54

This is a long winded view of just 5 or so questions on my exam, so keep that in mind.

I wrote something that I want to clarify and discuss, regarding the Programming, Planning and Practice (PPP) exam. In the last two posts I said:

“This exam has opinion. Whose, I’m not too sure.”

and

“If you really sit down with some history books to prep for this bad boy, you’d be angry when they ask certain questions. If you hold theory dear, like most architects, (even tho’ they know it’s nonsense words) you’d damn near get up and walk out during your exam. “Enough!””

Firstly, theory is not nonsense. Without it we would not progress. Sometimes it becomes convoluted and no longer applies to execution of common everyday architecture. The “theory” in the PPP exam seems to apply predominantly to form (historically and purposefully how form achieves a desired result aka function). Some would might say that’s not theory at all. It’s precedent and function. Let’s broadly call this theory for this discussion. Read on.

Generally a simple issue in real life planning is simplified, ironically, due to the complicated surrounding issues or specific required program element(s). (I think A Pattern Language proves this point.) As a result of my opinion, I felt that some of the simple questions on PPP gave inadequate background information to test knowledge. I could be wrong.

I’ll leave it to you to determine whether it is possible to become familiar with NCARB’s perspective, prior to taking the exam. At some point experience may help a little. What also might help are the references mentioned in the study guide. In all I had access to six books prior to the exam, namely A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction; Programming from Design: From Theory to Practice; Site Planning, 3rd Edition; Design with Climate; The Image of the City; and The New Urbanism. If you can digest these books and somehow come to a general consensus of perspective, you are a true academic. I just don’t think one can derive a single perspective applicable to every question from reading alone. Somehow experience and your test taking ability to make judgment calls comes into play.

Most questions on this exam are not life and safety issues. A few (maybe 5 or so) are opinionated, point of view questions that (I guess) are supposedly common sense. I just wanted to clarify what I meant.

I took Programming, Planning and Practice (PPP) last week Monday. Here are some of my personal exam experience and thoughts.

I finished both sections with 25 minutes to sit back and review. I changed three questions. One of those, I was confident I changed to a correct answer. I had not read the question correctly the first time. In the vignette, I found an error that would have caused me to fail. I needed those 25 minutes to review, both times.

I’ll talk about the last part first, the 1 hour site zoning vignette. The massing profile was complicated in one lot, but the essence of simplicity in the other lot. That really messed with my head. I kept looking in the program for something to adjust the profile of the other lot. I only hope I didn’t miss an instruction somewhere. I looked and looked. Otherwise everything was similar to the sample vignettes at NCARB.

During the vignette, I had “finished” with 25 minutes to spare and I caught a big error. For the massing profile, I had drawn the elevation, rather than the section (at the cut-line). I was horrified, but I had plenty of time to change.

A couple days after the exam, the whole thing somehow hit me about the vignette. I didn’t see much in the program to modify the other profile. There is something about these exams that work the subconcious recesses of your mind. (Even though the Construction Documents and Services exam seemed managable for me, I still have a significant level of doubt as to wether I passed. This really didn’t happen to me in college. I generally knew whether I had passed or failed upon leaving an exam.)

The multiple choice questions were, I’m almost certain, the trickiest questions on all seven exams. (Be cautious of my statement though, I’ve only taken two exams!) Some of the questions were so simple, when I reviewed them I COMPLETELY reinterpreted the questions. That was scary. When that happened, I got totally perplexed and reacted by skipping the question. That was freakish! So freakish, I didn’t review as many questions as I could have. Nothing is scarier than totally reinterpreting a question, so that the exact opposite answers seem correct. I thought it best to go with my initial reaction to the questions. I slowed down my review, so as not to encounter any more unsettling confusion. That was not a good idea, but I didn’t want to upset my mind before the exam was finished. I still had the vignette to complete.

Like I said before, “If you were born from the womb of NCARB…”

This exam has opinion. Whose, I’m not too sure. Even if my preparation had been better, I would not have anticipated the perspective posed by about five to ten questions. That is why I have changed my mind regarding over preparation. Maybe over preparation is not possible for this exam. History questions came up in regards to planning and form (radial, linear, etc.), so if you didn’t know all four answers you might not be 100% sure you chose the correct response. Sometimes you know the correct answer, but you don’t know the name in it’s country. Do you know the French name of Corbu’s “Tower in the Park”? You should.

But I’ve given up thinking about this exam. When I get the results, I’ll know. Vignette and all… Two exams down, five to go! [With no results yet, I pray it's not seven to go!!!!!]

During last Monday’s exam, I got to question 25 (of 85) and I thought to myself, “I am not the child of NCARB. Only one born from the womb of NCARB, and raised in the ways of the ARE could know for certain what choice to choose.” Maybe I’m exaggerating.

Another way to put it: The questions were really simple. The answers were not. Probably a good 10 questions were one short sentence, (seven or so words long). Then I’d get one or two word answers (four of ‘em). The best I could do is narrow down to two and I was uncertain of those!

I don’t come from a planning background, and that might help a little on this exam. Only a little. These questions are sort of out of the blue. Imagine driving into work and paying a toll across the bridge and the clerk asks you about the Ahwahnee principles. (I didn’t get that on my exam.) It’s like, “What?” Or better yet, you go into Starbucks or a local coffee shop and grab a coffee (or tea). The guy behind the counter, with whom you normally exchange a “Good Morning”, mentions he wants to know more about Greek planning. Unless you’re fascinated with Greek town planning, the first thing you’re thinking is, “Please leave me alone, I haven’t had my coffee yet.”

The questions on the exam are great for open discussion during a class. That means BEWARE!!! Those are the questions that seem to have no wrong answer. The ones where encouraging thought takes place. The thing is on the exam only one of the four choices is correct. 

I’ll write more about my exam experience in a later post. Honestly, I needed to prepare better for this exam. I do take back something I said in an earlier post. I said that over preparation is good for these exams. I’m not too sure about that. Programming Planning and Practice is what I consider a loose exam. If it were a person, (and you overprepared for it) you’d be tempted to slap her/him for their slackness. If you really sit down with some history books to prep for this bad boy, you’d be angry when they ask certain questions. If you hold theory dear, like most architects, (even tho’ they know it’s nonsense words) you’d damn near get up and walk out during your exam. “Enough!”

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