ARCON PPCE study plan

Map the professional-practice and ethics domain into a one-page outline covering standard-of-care duties, conflict-of-interest rules, and the architect's obligations to client, public, and profession

Draft a decision framework for ethical dilemmas (disclose, decline, document, escalate) and apply it to three hypothetical scenarios involving gifts, undisclosed referral fees, and unsafe design pressure

Summarize the design and planning domain's core sequence from site analysis through schematic design, comparing three project types (residential, commercial, institutional) for programmatic and circulation differences

Build a personal glossary of 30 professional-practice and planning terms in English, each with a one-sentence definition

Complete 40 practice questions across domains 1 and 2 and log every miss with the underlying rule or principle

Identify the code and contract references you still need to obtain and note where each applies

Organize building technology into a systems matrix: substructure, superstructure, envelope, interior finishes, and the performance requirements of each

Trace the construction sequence of a mid-rise concrete frame and a low-rise steel frame from excavation to envelope close-in, noting inspection hold points

Compile a materials comparison sheet covering concrete, masonry, steel, timber, glass, and cladding, with key properties, typical uses, and failure modes

Practice writing specification sections: draft a short performance specification and a short prescriptive specification for the same component and compare the risk allocation of each

Explain how specification divisions, product data, and submittals connect to construction quality control

Complete 40 practice questions across domains 3 and 6 and record every miss with the relevant system or material property

Diagram load paths for gravity and lateral loads in three structural systems (moment frame, braced frame, shear wall) and annotate how each resists wind and seismic demand

Solve and hand-check basic beam, column, and footing sizing problems using simple span and tributary area methods

Map the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing disciplines: for each, list the primary systems, space requirements, and coordination conflicts that arise in design

Calculate a simple HVAC load estimate and a lighting power density figure, then explain how each result feeds design decisions

Identify the fire-protection and life-safety interfaces between structural and MEP systems, including shaft, riser, and penetration coordination

Complete 40 practice questions across domains 4 and 5 and rework every missed calculation from first principles

Outline the contract administration cycle from award through final payment, listing the architect's action, the required documentation, and the time limit at each step

Draft a one-page comparison of common project delivery methods (design-bid-build, design-build, construction management) focused on risk, schedule, and the architect's role

Summarize the statutory framework: zoning and land-use controls, building code adoption and permit process, occupancy and egress requirements, and accessibility obligations

Build a permit and inspection checklist for a typical commercial project and annotate which items require architect certification

Practice responding to a change-order and a delay-claim scenario, documenting the contractual basis and the recommended action for each

Complete 40 practice questions across domains 7 and 8 and log misses by contractual clause or code provision

Revisit the ethics framework and apply it to five new scenarios involving contractor pressure, unauthorized practice by unlicensed staff, and environmental trade-offs in design

Explain the sustainability domain's core concepts: passive design strategies, energy modeling basics, water and waste reduction, and material lifecycle considerations

Compare three green certification approaches and state what each actually measures and where it falls short

Integrate sustainability into a design decision: take one earlier schematic and revise it with passive strategies, quantifying the expected effect on energy and comfort

Complete 30 practice questions across domains 1 and 9 and rework any ethics scenario answered incorrectly

Produce a complete schematic design package for a small project: site analysis, program, concept diagrams, plans, sections, and elevations, all self-consistent

Apply building technology decisions to that package: specify the structural system, envelope assembly, and key materials, and justify each choice

Check the package against planning criteria including circulation, egress, accessibility, daylighting, and service access

Identify and correct at least five coordination conflicts between the architectural, structural, and MEP drawings in the package

Complete 40 practice questions across domains 2 and 3 and log every miss tied to a design or detailing principle

Assemble a full specification outline for the week-6 project covering all major divisions, and write three complete sections in correct format

Draft the project's contract administration plan: submittal register, meeting and reporting schedule, inspection log, and payment certification procedure

Run a code compliance review of the week-6 package: occupancy classification, egress widths and travel distances, fire ratings, and accessibility clearances

Prepare a permit submission checklist with every required drawing and document accounted for

Complete 50 practice questions across domains 6, 7, and 8, and rework every miss until you can state the governing rule from memory

Take two full-length timed mock exams under exam conditions and score them by domain

Analyze the score reports to rank your five weakest domains and write a targeted remediation list for each

Rework every missed question from both mocks until you can explain the correct answer and why each distractor fails

Recite from memory the key facts, formulas, and code thresholds you have flagged as high-risk across all nine domains

Finalize a one-page exam-day strategy covering time allocation per question, question triage, and handling of unfamiliar content