PAQE study plan

Map the full building-systems scope of Domains 4 and 5 into a one-page outline covering structure, MEP, and envelope, and rate your confidence per subtopic

Explain how structural bay sizing, span, and floor-to-floor height constrain planning and massing, using three worked numeric examples

Compare structural systems (steel frame, cast-in-place concrete, mass timber, load-bearing masonry) on span, depth, cost, and coordination impact for a mid-rise office

Trace how envelope assembly choices (curtain wall, punched windows, rainscreen, precast) interact with mechanical loads and condensation control

List the environmental control systems (VAV, fan coil, radiant, displacement, VRF) and the ceiling and shaft space each demands

Calculate zone-level space requirements for mechanical rooms, electrical closets, and vertical shafts as a percentage of gross floor area, and test against two building types

Describe the sequence of structural and MEP coordination during design development and identify the three most common clash sources

Explain envelope thermal performance concepts (U-value, thermal bridging, dew point, vapor retarder placement) and apply them to a cold and a hot-humid climate

Compare natural ventilation, mixed-mode, and full mechanical strategies for energy, occupant comfort, and code implications

Interpret how fire-rated shaft, stair pressurization, and smoke control requirements shape core layout

Classify occupancies and construct the allowable height and area calculation for a mixed-occupancy building, including separation and sprinkler trade-offs

Diagram egress paths for three building types, verifying travel distance, common path, dead-end corridor, and exit width requirements

Apply accessibility requirements to a restroom, a stair, and a sloped site entry, listing the governing clearances

Explain how massing decisions (floor plate depth, core position, setbacks) affect daylight, egress, and code compliance

Compare planning options for daylighting, views, and solar control on an east-west oriented site

Write a programming brief that converts a client's functional needs into net and gross area targets with adjacency and efficiency ratios

Perform a site analysis covering solar path, prevailing wind, topography, drainage, noise, and access, and translate each finding into a design response

Compare zoning envelope calculations (setbacks, FAR, height limit, lot coverage) across two hypothetical parcels

Explain how pre-design research on codes, utilities, and geotechnical conditions reduces later design risk

Distinguish programming methods (questionnaires, interviews, observation, benchmarking) and state when each is appropriate

Explain how specifications are organized under MasterFormat and how drawing and specification responsibilities divide

Describe the three-part SectionFormat structure and write a sample specification section for one assembly

Compare material and assembly selection criteria including durability, embodied carbon, fire performance, and maintenance

Distinguish delivery methods (design-bid-build, CM at risk, design-build, IPD) by risk allocation, schedule, and cost certainty

Sequence construction documents from schematic design through construction administration, naming the key deliverable at each phase

Outline the architect's responsibilities during bidding, submittal review, RFI response, and punch list, and identify the limits of authority in each

Explain standard AIA-style owner-architect and owner-contractor agreement structures and how compensation methods differ

Apply professional ethics principles to three conflict scenarios: undisclosed conflict of interest, contractor pressure on a submittal, and unsafe design pressure

Describe the architect's standard of care and how negligence differs from warranty or guarantee language

Identify business management essentials including fee structures, staffing multipliers, and profitability tracking

Re-solve five missed-question scenarios from earlier weeks without notes and record the reasoning path

Integrate programming, site, massing, and code decisions into one coherent design narrative for a single project

Practice rapid code lookups for egress, occupancy, and accessible route questions under time pressure

Identify personal weak subtopics across the four lighter domains and rank them by likely exam weight

Explain how early decisions in these domains cascade into systems and envelope consequences

Take two full-length timed practice exams and log every error by domain and error type

Re-teach the five highest-frequency error patterns using source material and write corrected explanations

Review all previously produced deliverables and consolidate them into a single reference index

Build a final-week memory sheet of code thresholds, system rules of thumb, and contract roles

Set a test-day plan covering timing strategy, question triage, and flagging approach