AICP Exam Study Plan
AICP Exam Study Plan Creating A Study Plan: ▪ ▪
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Schedule your site and time as soon as possible Set goals- both for the skills/knowledge you would like to gain, as well as for how frequently you’d like to study o Use these goals to come up with an appropriate study plan Don’t depend on only attending a study group or weekend course- you’ll need to study on your own, in an organized manner, in addition to studying with a group or course o Contact your local chapter’s Professional Development Officer (PDO) for information on any local exam prep events Assess the areas you are weak in and spend the most time studying those.
Study Tips: ▪
▪ ▪
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
Be smart about reviewing: o Review each session in chunks throughout the course, instead of leaving all the studying until the end o As you prepare for the overall exam, summarize main ideas from each session o Identify areas where you may need to study further. Focus on these weak areas as well as areas with a higher weight (see About the AICP Exam handout) o Review materials several times Studies have shown that changing up your study environment helps you remember concepts better- try mixing up your study location Know your effective study style; use it o Skimming and taking notes can be just as effective for some as extensive reading o Flashcards- have a partner o Study very basic notes o Join a study group o Weekend courses o Read information out loud o Create acronyms and stories to connect important terms or lists Learn conceptual material first; learn factual material nearer to the test date Don’t memorize dates unless they have independent meaning Memorize a few basic numbers/conversions/formulae o Feet in mile; floor area ratio; square feet in acre; etc. Understand conflicts of interest Be able to explain what, when, where, why, who and what effect in short statements o Understand concepts and be prepared to apply them
Practice Exams: Pretend you are taking the test; work within the normally allotted time frame ▪ ▪
1
Practice exam questions will not be identical to those on the AICP exam Do not rely on practice exams to learn material. Practice tests should be used to help acclimate yourself to the mechanics of taking an exam, not as a lone study tool o Instead, use the practice exam to help gauge what areas and topics you still need to work on AICP EXAM PREP | EXAM OVERVIEW
AICP Exam Study Plan Question Characteristics: The exam may test your knowledge by asking about: ▪
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▪
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2
Facts o Example: “Which case first established the concept of public welfare?” o The only real way to prepare for factual questions is through study or experience Scenarios o Example: “Assume that you are the director of a local planning agency, and that you recognize the interdependency of the chief executive, the planning agency, operating departments and independent boards and commissions. In a hypothetical situation, a proposed expansion of a county airport and adjacent industrial areas is in opposition to the planning agency's proposal for a regional park location. The planning agency believes there are unique circumstances and sound reasons for preferring the regional park proposal along with future relocation of the airport to another site in the county. Which of the following strategies would likely place you, as the planning director, in the least effective coordinating role in resolving the conflict?” o Determine exactly what is being asked ▪ Identify topic, scope and your role ▪ Specific details- what facts are known/unknown? ▪ What is relevant- what is irrelevant to answer? ▪ Inference question- what can you assume? o Determine if the question has multiple parts o Decide if taking notes would be helpful ▪ Notes should be comprehensive and concise- testing center will provide scratch paper Calculations o Example: “What is the median of the numbers 12, 14, 16 and 18?” o You’ll need to know how to do standard planning calculations, such as ▪ Statistics: mean, median, mode ▪ Floor area ratios (FAR) ▪ Map scales to area, slope, acreage ▪ Parking and trip generation ▪ Location quotient (LQ) Figures and Graphical Interpretations o Example: “The two lines on the graph below best represent which of the following combinations of travel behavior in a metropolitan area of 2 million population?” o You’ll need to be able to read, interpret and answer questions about figures, tables and graphs o Almost every edition of Planning magazine has a “By the Numbers” section which includes figures, graphs and tables- get used to reviewing (and understanding) this section of Planning magazine
AICP EXAM PREP | EXAM OVERVIEW
AICP Exam Study Plan The Night Before: ▪ ▪
Get a good night’s sleep Know where the test center is o If possible, drive there in advance, at the same time of day as your scheduled exam, so you’ll know how long to allow for travel time.
The Day Of: ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
Don’t work the day of the exam Arrive early: 30 minutes in advance of the scheduled test time You must bring your testing slip and two forms of ID (make sure your name on your ID matches your name on the exam paperwork) You will not be permitted to bring anything into the exam, but will be provided with a locker and can raise your hand to take a break (although exam clock remains ticking) Dress comfortably (in layers in case you get cold/hot) Prepare a survival kit (but must be left in locker) o Water, snacks, Tylenol
During the Exam: ▪ ▪
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
3
A simple calculator and scratch paper will be provided to you A brief 15-minute tutorial occurs before the actual exam begins to get used to the computer and test program o Once you exit the tutorial, you can’t go back to it o This time is not counted against you Maintain your organized test-taking style Keep your rhythm and cadence; relax Remember that a pass is a pass- by one question or ten Your score is determined by the number of questions you answer correctly. Therefore, it is to your advantage to answer every question. There is no penalty for a wrong guess. You’ll be able to mark questions on the computer and come back to them later Always try to eliminate answers Pace yourself Trust your instincts
AICP EXAM PREP | EXAM OVERVIEW
▪
▪
Schedule your site and time as soon as possible Set goals- both for the skills/knowledge you would like to gain, as well as for how frequently you’d like to study o Use these goals to come up with an appropriate study plan Don’t depend on only attending a study group or weekend course- you’ll need to study on your own, in an organized manner, in addition to studying with a group or course o Contact your local chapter’s Professional Development Officer (PDO) for information on any local exam prep events Assess the areas you are weak in and spend the most time studying those.
Study Tips: ▪
▪ ▪
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
Be smart about reviewing: o Review each session in chunks throughout the course, instead of leaving all the studying until the end o As you prepare for the overall exam, summarize main ideas from each session o Identify areas where you may need to study further. Focus on these weak areas as well as areas with a higher weight (see About the AICP Exam handout) o Review materials several times Studies have shown that changing up your study environment helps you remember concepts better- try mixing up your study location Know your effective study style; use it o Skimming and taking notes can be just as effective for some as extensive reading o Flashcards- have a partner o Study very basic notes o Join a study group o Weekend courses o Read information out loud o Create acronyms and stories to connect important terms or lists Learn conceptual material first; learn factual material nearer to the test date Don’t memorize dates unless they have independent meaning Memorize a few basic numbers/conversions/formulae o Feet in mile; floor area ratio; square feet in acre; etc. Understand conflicts of interest Be able to explain what, when, where, why, who and what effect in short statements o Understand concepts and be prepared to apply them
Practice Exams: Pretend you are taking the test; work within the normally allotted time frame ▪ ▪
1
Practice exam questions will not be identical to those on the AICP exam Do not rely on practice exams to learn material. Practice tests should be used to help acclimate yourself to the mechanics of taking an exam, not as a lone study tool o Instead, use the practice exam to help gauge what areas and topics you still need to work on AICP EXAM PREP | EXAM OVERVIEW
AICP Exam Study Plan Question Characteristics: The exam may test your knowledge by asking about: ▪
▪
▪
▪
2
Facts o Example: “Which case first established the concept of public welfare?” o The only real way to prepare for factual questions is through study or experience Scenarios o Example: “Assume that you are the director of a local planning agency, and that you recognize the interdependency of the chief executive, the planning agency, operating departments and independent boards and commissions. In a hypothetical situation, a proposed expansion of a county airport and adjacent industrial areas is in opposition to the planning agency's proposal for a regional park location. The planning agency believes there are unique circumstances and sound reasons for preferring the regional park proposal along with future relocation of the airport to another site in the county. Which of the following strategies would likely place you, as the planning director, in the least effective coordinating role in resolving the conflict?” o Determine exactly what is being asked ▪ Identify topic, scope and your role ▪ Specific details- what facts are known/unknown? ▪ What is relevant- what is irrelevant to answer? ▪ Inference question- what can you assume? o Determine if the question has multiple parts o Decide if taking notes would be helpful ▪ Notes should be comprehensive and concise- testing center will provide scratch paper Calculations o Example: “What is the median of the numbers 12, 14, 16 and 18?” o You’ll need to know how to do standard planning calculations, such as ▪ Statistics: mean, median, mode ▪ Floor area ratios (FAR) ▪ Map scales to area, slope, acreage ▪ Parking and trip generation ▪ Location quotient (LQ) Figures and Graphical Interpretations o Example: “The two lines on the graph below best represent which of the following combinations of travel behavior in a metropolitan area of 2 million population?” o You’ll need to be able to read, interpret and answer questions about figures, tables and graphs o Almost every edition of Planning magazine has a “By the Numbers” section which includes figures, graphs and tables- get used to reviewing (and understanding) this section of Planning magazine
AICP EXAM PREP | EXAM OVERVIEW
AICP Exam Study Plan The Night Before: ▪ ▪
Get a good night’s sleep Know where the test center is o If possible, drive there in advance, at the same time of day as your scheduled exam, so you’ll know how long to allow for travel time.
The Day Of: ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
Don’t work the day of the exam Arrive early: 30 minutes in advance of the scheduled test time You must bring your testing slip and two forms of ID (make sure your name on your ID matches your name on the exam paperwork) You will not be permitted to bring anything into the exam, but will be provided with a locker and can raise your hand to take a break (although exam clock remains ticking) Dress comfortably (in layers in case you get cold/hot) Prepare a survival kit (but must be left in locker) o Water, snacks, Tylenol
During the Exam: ▪ ▪
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
3
A simple calculator and scratch paper will be provided to you A brief 15-minute tutorial occurs before the actual exam begins to get used to the computer and test program o Once you exit the tutorial, you can’t go back to it o This time is not counted against you Maintain your organized test-taking style Keep your rhythm and cadence; relax Remember that a pass is a pass- by one question or ten Your score is determined by the number of questions you answer correctly. Therefore, it is to your advantage to answer every question. There is no penalty for a wrong guess. You’ll be able to mark questions on the computer and come back to them later Always try to eliminate answers Pace yourself Trust your instincts
AICP EXAM PREP | EXAM OVERVIEW
