Hyperfine. ARE 5.0 study course for PPD and PDD.
LET ME HELP YOU
PASS PPD & PDD
This course is half practice test, half Jenny’s Notes, half study guide. Think of it as ARE 5.0 homework. What could be more fun?!
This is NOT a replacement for your primary material. This IS a way to study more efficiently. To spend time every day focusing on concepts you will be tested on. You still have to do the hard work, this course makes sure you're working on the right things. Just download the free sample below. If you like that, this course will give you 64 more assignments just like it.
“Thank you so much for your study notes and everything. Two questions I answered correctly just because of the Week 1 assignments. They definitely helped me pass PPD, now I only have PDD left!”
– Nadine from Florida
What is this?
This is an ARE 5.0 study course for Project Planning & Design and Project Development & Documentation. It is meant to enhance your regularly-schedule studies by providing daily study assignments. The assignments will help you focus on key topics from the ARE 5.0 exams and efficiently read some of the most important primary study resources.
What do I get with my purchase?
- 63 study assignments with more than 200 questions, answers and exercises
- Suggested readings from 11 of the most commonly used PDD/PPD books, i.e. Architect's Studio Companion, Heating, Cooling & Lighting, etc.
- Curated links to free online resources, web pages, PDFs and YouTube videos
- Online comments and direct email access with the instructor
- Refer a friend discount
- $50 off the Residential Architecture with Revit course
- Over a dozen video answers now standard, plus another 19 just for the case study.
- ARE 5.0 Practice Case Study
What does it cost?
$65 for the entire course, including the practice case study. Not per month, just once!
This is priced for one person, not your whole office, please.
Can I see a sample of the assignments?
Visit the PPD-PDD Assignments Course homepage and view the curriculum. A few of the assignments are set as free previews.
What are the video answers?
These are short videos discussing selected assignments from this course. They will focus on questions that require equations, formulas, charts or other calculations. See this video with my explanation of how to find Fire Separation using the 2015 IBC or how to read a sun path chart or how to figure out which beam has the greatest moment or where to place a vapor barrier. Assignments below marked with a +V have video answers available now.
The case study comes with an additional 19 videos, one for each question (with the final one in the works)
“Your videos were what made the difference for me; clear, informative and to the point. SO although the dedication and tenacity to keep going is up to me, the ability to understand major ARE concepts efficiently and accurately was because of you. “
– Amanda from Minneapolis
What is the case study?
Download four sample ARE 5.0 case study problems to see for yourself. This is 20 questions requiring you to read and analyze plans, code, zoning and more. Available now!
What's in the course?
The course consists of 63 study assignments requiring you to research a topic and draw/write your answers. Each assignment focuses on a different topic and includes questions, answers and suggested resources (books and websites) to use to find the answer for yourself. Think of it as a way to focus your studies and make you think critically about specific subjects that will be on the exam.
Why are you making me do homework?
When talking to people about passing PDD and PPD, the number one question people ask me is where I found practice test questions. I used the Brightwood question bank, Black Spectacles and Designer Hacks, but the best questions were the personalized questions where I challenged myself to focus on the things I knew I did not know. There's a lack of affordable practice questions that focus on what's really on the exams and I don't know of any written by someone who has actually taken the tests for real. With this course I’m sharing my method for studying by writing down the kinds of questions I asked myself. You'll get 63 study assignments (with multiple questions each) written by someone who has been through the stress of the exam process and passed, and knows what you should focus on.
Does everyone love this so much?
No! 1.32 people out of 66 think it's only worth 1 star. Guess you can't please everyone.
Do you offer tutoring?
Yes, but I think of it more like coaching. I charge $100/hr*, no minimum number of sessions. We can Skype, Facetime or just talk. Visit my calendar to book a session and get the process started.
Things We Can Talk About:
- Test and study strategy
- How to handle question types
- ARE 5.0 Course PPD & PDD best practices
- How to stay confident
- Recommended resources
- Time management
- Your post-ARE career
- Some technical knowledge
Things We Can't Talk About:
- Actual questions you saw on your last exam
- Where the building goes next to the lake
“I just wanted to thank you for your absolutely amazing PPD-PDD course! I just passed PDD and your study course was absolutely invaluable. The topics on the course helped me get a much better idea of what to expect and helped bridge the gap from what I studied from the primary sources to how it would be applied on the tests better than any of the other practice questions or practice tests out there for ARE 5.0. Thanks so much for creating this!”
– Harsha from Washington DC
“I Passed PPD and am oh so grateful and couldn’t have done it without all of your brilliant material. Your study questions provided me a format and mantra for studying. I am so appreciative of how deep your questions are- the layered quality of your questions allowed me to truly dig in to a concept. Thank you!!!”
– Veree from Santa Fe
WEEKLY TOPICS
Week 1: Available Now*
- Structures: Bending Moments – (5 Questions) +V
- Code & Construction: Fire Separation – (4) +V
- ADA: Door Clearances – (5)
- Construction: R-Values/U-Factors – (5)
- Mechanical: Refrigeration Cycle – (4)
- Construction: Roof Flashing – (2)
- Sustainability: Double Skin Facade – (3)
Week 3: Available Now*
- Structures: More on Beams and Bending (5) +V
- Code: Corridors, dead ends and clearances (6)
- Acoustics: A = SAC x S formula (4) +V
- Construction: Moment Frame Detail (4)
- Sustainability: Sun Position (4)
- Mechanical: All-Water System w. Fan Coil Units (6)
- Plumbing: General Plumbing Waste Diagram (5)
Week 5: Available Now*
- Mechanical: Chilled Beam System (7)
- Electrical: Zonal Cavity (3) +V
- Lighting: Color Temps (4)
- Construction: Construction/Control/Expansion Joints Part 1 (6)
- Structural: Bolt Failure and Shear (6) +V
- Code: Building Area & Sprinkler Increase (4)
- Plumbing: Building Sewer (5) +V
Week 7: Available Now*
- Structures: Retaining Walls (8) +V
- Acoustics: Reverberation (6)
- Construction: Wall Detail and Vapor Barriers (4) +V
- Environment: Stormwater Management (3)
- Structures: Lateral Damage Part 2 (5)
- Code: Atriums (6)
- Code & Regulations: Code vs Zoning (4)
Week 9: Available Now*
- Construction: Concrete Damage (3)
- Construction: Window Detail (3)
- Electrical: Wiring & Distribution (6)
- Structures: Wind Load and Cost (6)
- Construction Docs: Finding Info/Errors on Plans (9)
- Construction: Window Shading, U-Factor vs SHGC (6)
- Electrical: Service Size and Wiring
Week 2: Available Now*
- Code: Stair Requirements (6)
- Construction: Fire Detector Types (5)
- Structures: Lateral Support Systems (6)
- Construction: 2-Way Slabs (7)
- ADA: Ramp Requirements (6)
- Mechanical: Single Duct VAV Systems (6)
- Electrical: Transformers (4)
Week 4: Available Now*
- Construction: Curtain Wall Mullions (4)
- Code: Fire Protection (3 x4)
- Cost Comparison: Excavation Example (1 x2) +V
- Construction: STC/Fire Wall Types (4)
- Structures: Span Comparisons (2)
- Construction: Elevator Comparisons (1)
- Electrical: Power Factor Formula (2) +V
Week 6: Available Now*
- Mechanical: K-Factors (6) +V
- Electrical: Metering Locations (4)
- Construction: Construction/Control/Expansion Joints Part 2 (8)
- Structures: Columns (4)
- Structures: Identifying Damage (5)
- Code: Mezzanines (4)
- Construction: Specifications (1)
Week 8: Available Now*
- Environment: Climate and Form (3)
- Environment: Sun and Water (3) +V
- Construction: wood Shear Connection (4)
- Construction: Plenum Depth (7) +V
- Construction: Precast Curtain Wall Detail (6)
- Acoustics: Open Plan Office (4)
- Code & Regulations: Doors and Exit Access (7)
Week 10: Available Now*
These are the Week 2 study assignments from the PA course, provided here as well.
- Zoning – FAR and Setbacks (10)
- IBC – Use and Occupancy (9)
- IBC – Building Area (10)
- IBC – Construction Types and Wall Ratings (5)
- IBC – Accessible Units (7)
- ADA Accessible Routes (7)
- ADA – General Application & Parking (7)
Video Answers Currently Available:
- 1 – Moment Formulas
- 2 – Fire Separation and Wall Assemblies
- 15 – Beam Bending
- 17 – Acoustic Formula NRC and SAC
- 24 – Excavation Cost Estimate/Comparison
- 28 – Electrical Formula
- 30 – Zonal Cavity Method
- 33 – Bolts, Shear and Stress Failures
- 35 – Plumbing Invert Distance & Slope Calc
- 36 – Converting K-Factors and R-Values
- 43 – Soil Pressure on Retaining Walls
- 45 – Wall Detail and Vapor Barrier
- 51 – Reading a Sun Chart
- 53 – Plenum Depth w. Structure, Mech and Elec
- Additional 19 videos just for the case study questions
“Just letting you know that I really like your assignments. I like that they are general and specific, and that they come with resources to answer the questions. It's a very intuitive way to study.”
– Leah from Boston
“YOU WERE A BIG PART OF ME GETTING OVER THE MASSIVE HUMP THAT IS PPD. I APPRECIATE THE NO BS APPROACH TO THE STUDY GUIDE. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!”
– Pavan from Atlanta
“Ben thank you so much for putting together such a great set of documents for study materials. This was my 2nd time taking this exam and truly I believe you were the missing puzzle piece to my studies. Thank you so much! “
– Javier from New Jersey
Having Issues?
* Available now means the weekly lesson is available for IMMEDIATE download. You do not have to wait. If you ordered the course and are having trouble accessing the lessons, try the following:
- Check your spam folder for emails from Gumroad
- Log in to the Gumroad website and click on Library at the top
- Under your account name at the top right see if there is an option for “Switch to Buying” If there is, click it. This means you are logged in as a seller.
- Send me an email: ben@hyperfinearchitecture.com
If you are having trouble ordering the course try the following:
- Do NOT use the AutoFill feature, even if the information is correct.
- If using PayPal make sure you use your same PayPal email address for the Gumroad site
Send me an email: ben@hyperfinearchitecture.com
OTHER RESOURCES
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- All Hyperfine courses and recommended ARE 5.0 practice tests
- Free ARE 5.0 study materials
“PASSED PDD. THANKS FOR YOUR GREAT COURSE – IT'S WELL DEVELOPED AND WAS MUCH MORE FUN THAN BALLAST.”
– Matthew from New York
* don't use autofill
What is this course NOT?
This is NOT strictly a practice test and the point of this course is not to get a high score on the questions. It is also NOT a replacement for your primary study material. I have additional guides available to help you schedule your study sessions and weed through the many online resources available to find the best ones.
What if I have questions during the course?
Send me an email! The assignments are great, but the best part of this course is that you are not doing it on your own! Enroll today to get started and ask me any ARE 5.0 PPD or PDD questions you have in relation to the course content and how to apply it to your own study schedule!
Have another question? Send me a message!
No contact form needed. We're pretty informal around here. Send me an email.
More love
“I just wanted to write and say how helpful Hyperfine was in preparing me for PDD! In the last two weeks before my exam I was looking for practice questions yours were perfect. In fact they were the only ones I did! I took the exam once before and failed because I only studied Ballast. Many of the topics I knew I had to learn about but couldn't figure out what to read showed up in your practice questions with all the accompanying chapters and pages to read. Thank you for assembling all this information. It made for a perfect last two week review and filled in the knowledge gaps from my reading. I'm now done with PDD and ARE and I attribute much of my success to the practice problems from your website.”
– Allison from Chicago
Thank you, thank you, thank you for making such accurate and enjoyable study materials! They are exceptional (I’ll take your drawings and jokes over the black spectacles guy any day!) I just passed PPD and it was my last exam. Your assignments and videos gave me a lot of confidence.
– Jane* from Missouri
* fake name, real testimonial
Wanted to let you know that I passed PDD yesterday. Your material was critical to getting me over the last hump for this exam. Your approach is very beneficial particular to this exam.
– Robert from Mississippi
I PASSED PDD on Friday! And now done with the ARE!! It feels so good. Your assignments and tutoring helped a lot!!
– Audrey from Colorado
Thank you for supplying this great tool! This along with Michael's Boot camp I passed PPD on December 22 and PDD on December 31st! Which makes me finally done! You have a great product and I wanted to say Thank You!! it helped tremendously
– Chrisshell from Oklahoma
Just passed PDD and I had more than a few questions requiring me to know exactly where to put the vapor barrier. In all sorts of climates and building wall types…I felt super prepared for those.
– Chandra from California
About the Instructor
Ben Norkin
I'm a practicing Maryland and Washington DC licensed architect and visiting lecturer at a local college. I always stress to my students that I am just like they are…just a few years into the future. I did well on the ARE 5.0 Course PPD and PDD because I can study efficiently. I'm trying to help you do the same! Read more about why I started Hyperfine here.