Coming up (Mid-March Edition)...

Hi (anyone still reading my week-long neglected blog?)!!

Despite a heavy workload this week, I have a lot coming up:

• Space Planning Exercise: How I Did!
• Day-of Drafting Supplies: My Picks
• Ten Ways to Relieve Test Anxiety
• ADA Washroom Exercise: How I Did!
• Two Hours of Organizing Well-Spent
• Moved my Simulation Day: Why I Did It
• Simulation Test Day: How it Went

After that, I will have a slurry of "Sim-Day Results" posts.

i.e. Sim-Day Results: Space Planning

These posts will serve as just one more go-round to document how I did on my 10-hour practice day. I will be exercising the techniques I've shared over the past month. They will not have as many "Tips" (still some!). I'm rather hoping these will be the repetition, review, and exposure I need as the test day nears. And for my fellow test-takers, I hope my mistakes and triumphs inspire you. 

I'm not doing a countdown as I find it gives me anxiety.. I mean, I wouldn't say this is the equivalent of a wedding day countdown.. Hehe. 

Happy practicing,

Carolyn

Steve & Maya, Confidence-Boosters

Wisdom from those who didn't always get it right the first time... 

... but found courage. 

... and recognized the bigger picture. 

... and put it all out there for the sake of themselves and others. 

This one is funny if you insert "these three things: an eraser, lost hope, and failing one's practicum."

Stay ever-motivated, believe in yourself, and practice often, 

Carolyn

A little re-cap (from memory)...

I'm springing a little pop-quiz on myself tonight. 

If you'd like to do this, read through my blog posts to date, let it all gel overnight and tomorrow. Tomorrow night, number a paper (or Word Document) from 1-10. Then write down the (10) tips from my posts that will help you (from memory!!). OR better yet, re-cap from your own test prep!

Directions:

List 10 tips, strategies, and facts that you've identified and retained over the past month. 

1. Lighting: Calculate wattage allowed before going all symbol-crazy on your plan (watts per SF X total SF) and keep track of watts as you add fixtures. 
2. Egress: To determine the travel distance to each stair, remember to add your farthest path traveled within the existing suite to to the common path of travel to each stair. 
3. ADA Restroom: 36H rim std lav, 34H rim ada lav, 15H t.o. seat std toilet, 17H t.o. seat ada toilet, 24H to rim std urinal, 17H to rim ada urinal, 34H t.o. grab bar, 40H to b.o. mirror, 40-44H to operating parts of wall-mounted accessories. Oh, and 30X48 access in front of sink/urinal. 
4. Systems Integration: Pay attention to ceiling height changes with regards to ductwork!
5. Millwork: draw blocking in the wall and OVER-label everything!
6. Egress: use the "grid-block" space planning method to divide your floor into designated spaces (find SF of a grid block and divide each required SF to determine roughly how many grid-blocks). 
7. Life Safety: 1-hour rated walls belong suite-suite, suite-public corridor/lobby, and assembly-suite corridor, should have acoustical properties, and extend to the underside of the deck. 
8. Lighting: Assign DLV (dimmer low voltage) to low-wattage fixtures when laying out switching plan. 
9. Life Safety: You need a Fire Extinguisher both in the shared lobby/corridor AND in the tenant space (usually they'll have a space with enough SF requiring TWO and they should be located no more than 75' from the further occupant. 
10. Space Planning: Pay attention to plumbing trenches, don't forget to locate required electrical outlets/data as required, and highlight the program as you go!

There are more, but these are my faves!

Happy re-capping! 

Carolyn

How Each Section of the NCIDQ Practicum is Weighed

Another reference post (This handy table is from the NCIDQ website). This breakdown of how the sections are weighed is very helpful. During last year's test, I failed Lighting (due to time), Life Safety (lack of sound practice/understanding of the material), and Millwork (ran out of time/practice).

The grade(s) [0, 1, 2, 4, or 5] you receive per exercise as noted in this post are multiplied by the % weight of the section. Your overall score of PASS or FAIL is then determined. 

Part A
Space Planning	23% of total exam score
Lighting	11% of total exam score

Part B
Egress	18% of total exam score
Life Safety	18% of total exam score
Restroom	9% of total exam score

Part C
Systems Integration	12% of total exam score
Millwork	9% of total exam score

Good luck!
Carolyn

ADA Restroom Mounting Heights

Here's how I'm filling in my fixture schedule to meet all required ADA-compliant (and standard!) heights (sorry so teeny!):

These may vary, but I've found the above to be consistent and correct! For instance, mounting height to top of grab bars is 33"-36"; I'm choosing 34". The maximum height to the operable parts of wall-mounted fixtures such as soap dispensers, paper towel holders, hand dryers, feminine product dispensers, toilet seat cover holders, and trash receptacles is 44". I'm recommending 40" across the board. 

Keep it Simple,
Carolyn

Millwork Exercise: How I Did!

PASS!

MILLWORK EXERCISE

(1) Hour is Recommended for this Portion

I used my entire hour for this exercise and was feeling great until I realized I only had 14 minutes to create my section. Eeep! I did pretty well despite. Before taking this, I reviewed last year's practice test and pooled some problems I remembered from my actual test day so I was more careful and knowledgeable going in.

The Right Stuff:

• Divided the counter as shown (standard and ADA), dimensioned the depth on the plan, provided adequate knee-space per the program for each user.
• Met all ADA codes for clearance below the worksurface, proper height, met 44" maximum reach height for wall-mounted receptacles and shelves.
• Met all program requirements for the components and sizes. 
• Drew Elevation marker in plan.
• Drew Section marker in elevation.
• Correctly dimensioned/labeled the standard height counter and the ADA height.

Oops, missed these:

• Did not dimension mobile peds (one test-taker was marked down for this, another was not) in plan.
• I drew a dashed rectangle indicating clear space for accessible pull-up but I drew it too large at 42x48 instead of 30x48. Even though I know this, I shouldn't have made it bigger than the minimum.
• I did not place a "2" and a "3" in my elevation & section titles (below the plans). Um, how easy is that!?
• I didn't include the wall and blocking within the wall in my *hurried* section.
• I didn't include the depths of the shelves and the counter in my *hurried* section.

This is a shot of my "practice sketch"

{ TIPS }

• I took some time to draw a "perfect" section and I've been studying it. I did it carefully and thoroughly and it didn't take much time. I'm sure if I did it again and again, the practice would make me speedier. I plan to draw this a few more times until I'm fast.
• Think like a contractor - what information would you need to build this? right down to the blocking in the wall. When we hang heavy pictures, mount a toilet tissue holder, or install brackets for shelves, we make sure to hit a stud rather than half-inch GWB.
• Give way more information than you think is necessary. Chances are its still not enough!
• I know it's not required, but poche-ing and hatching my section really helped me to show the different materials and "cut line". It also looks like a true section that way! 

Yours in detail,

Carolyn

Life Safety: How I Did!

A few weeks back, I published this helpful post with tips and symbols found in the Life Safety plan. I took this portion of the practice test a week ago and felt stronger than I had last year. I did not pass this portion the first time I took the test.

For this practice test section, my result is FAIL. Boo-hoo. I was a wee hard on myself, but how will I improve otherwise?!

As mentioned in this post, several of the things I missed are in the Codes provided. I've - admittedly a nerd - hash-tagged "RTD" (Read The Directions) beside points I lost for not referencing the Code Section provided. While I know most of these by heart/practice, it's tough to recall everything when you're stressed and timed on test day. TIP: Practice learning ahead of time here: NCIDQ Codes. 

Door / Frame / Hardware Schedule

• My door heights are incorrect at 6'-8" (which is acceptable for residential, but not commercial spaces); minimum is 7'-0". Section 4.5.1 of Codes provided. #RTD
• I used the wrong notation for wood doors: HWD (Hollow Wood Door); SCW (Solid Core Wood) is correct. I'm not sure if they'd mark this down, but I will use SCW in the future.
• I specified a set of double doors which have glass in them, but did not write "SCW/GLZ" or "SCW w/ glazing" under "Material".
• Door types are all acceptable.
• I wrote (1) hour rating rather than 20-minute rating for fire/heat-rated doors. Section 2.4 of Codes provided. #RTD
• All frame materials are acceptable.
• I assigned a "Lever Passage Set" to the double doors to the Conference Room. It should be "Lever Passage Set, (1) Dummy Set with Flush Bolts".
• I assigned "Lever Passage Set, (1) Dummy Set with Flush Bolts" to the single doors of the Training Room. Not sure why because they need only (1) set per door (???). "Lever Passage Set with Closer" is acceptable. 

Partition Schedule

• All of my partition ratings are correctly marked (1) hour rated and non-rated. 
• Partition height: P3 is noted at 4" above finished ceiling; it should be "to finished ceiling"; P4, a (1) hour rated partition between the training room and the corridor should be "to deck" rather than "4" above finished ceiling.  
• P1 should be acoustical as it is a rated corridor wall. 

Life Safety Equipment

• I placed most* AV Fire Alarms and Wall-mounted Emergency Lights.
• I placed most* smoke detectors properly.
• *I missed (1) smoke detector, (1) AV alarm, and (1) emergency light in one wing of the lobby. There was a portion of the corridor where the AV/Lights were not visible, therefore I should have provided more.
• I only placed AV alarms and smoke detectors in the Restrooms; Emergency lights should also be shown. #RTD (sort of, this was not clear as one could argue by this direction that Restrooms also require Exit signs based on the direction, but they are not, apparently?)
• I missed a Fire Extinguisher in the Elevator Lobby. #RTD

{ TIPS }

• Rated partitions extend to the deck. 
• Partitions between tenants should be rated, extend to the deck, and have acoustical properties. Unless the program notes additional acoustical separation, it is not required.
• (1) Fire Extinguisher should be in the common lobby, in addition to the amount required in the suite. 
• All door heights 7'-0".
• SCW = solid core wood door
• HMD = hollow metal [alum.] door
• MTL or HMF = alum. frame (Use these throughout unless directed otherwise)
• Follow directions for locking / hardware requirements. This is a tough part for me because it could be a few, but there is usually one that is best.
• Make sure your AV alarm has the strobe light (triangle) pointed OUT into the room.
• Make sure your Exit Signs have directional arrows where direction of exit is not obvious (aka, not placed right over the door).
• Make sure your Exit Signs are shaded properly to depict the illuminated side. 

That's all for now... As this is a tough one for me (I don't do it all the time... or ever), I'm focusing on it until I get it right. Andrew told me how he and all of his prep school AP Physics (said to be the hardest of all AP exams) classmates got 5's by doing as many practice problems as it took to get them all right. I was blown away. 

He asked me, "Carolyn, do you know the difference between amateurs and professionals?"

Me: "No.. what is it?"

Andrew: "Amateurs practice till they get it right. Professionals practice till they can't get it wrong."

Live Safely,

Carolyn