Some brief experiences from taking the first-level constructor exam, shared for those who might follow

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This is my first attempt at the First-Class Constructor exam this year, and I passed all four subjects (scoring well over the passing score by ten to twenty points each), without enrolling in any training courses. I’d like to share a few basic tips for preparing for this exam that may be useful for those who will take it in the future: 1. Buy official exam books published by Jian Gong She; these books come with detailed explanatory courses as well, which is really great! When there are parts of a book that are difficult to understand, listening to the teacher’s explanations can help deepen comprehension. This is especially true for subjects like economics and law; it’s useful to listen to detailed lecture courses and read the books one or two times. After reading the books, it’s important to complete all the past exam questions and practice tests included with the textbooks. With this approach, success will be almost guaranteed. If you have already done similar preparatory exercises before, it will be even easier ； 2. In project management, the key is to distinguish and classify various types of measures (organizational, economic, contractual, technical, managerial). It’s also necessary to study the relevant textbooks once or twice, which generally isn’t a problem. Additionally, one needs to have a thorough understanding of tools such as Gantt charts and double-code network diagrams, as well as be able to calculate using them; this is important not only in project management but also in practical applications ； 3. The most difficult part is the practical course; you must strive to pass it in one attempt, or else wait until the following year to take it again. If you spend time studying it in the first year only to fail, it not only affects your preparation for other subjects but also doesn’t help much if you try to take the exam again the following year (in my opinion). There are too many topics covered, and the details are extremely intricate. Moreover, there’s always at least one question that falls outside the syllabus each year, and it’s hard to know exactly which part is outside the syllabus. If that extra question happens to be related to your field of study, then passing it can be very encouraging; but if it’s not related to your field, it can be quite demotivating. Several people I know have tried to pass this practical course for several years without success, simply because they didn’t put in enough effort to study it properly. So, either pass this course in one attempt or delay it, focus on passing other subjects first, and then dedicate yourself fully to preparing for this practical course. For this course, it’s sufficient to read the textbook once or twice, then work through real exam questions and practice tests, and check the answers afterward ； 4. Regarding studying the textbook, it should be read at least twice: the first time for a general overview without focusing on key or difficult points; the second time to identify those points that one considers important or difficult, and then to study them carefully in detail by referring to what the instructor explains. After that, when doing practice problems, it’s useful to review the answers as well. This way, there should be no major issues ； 5. I used all my free time to read books and attend detailed lecture courses. It took me exactly 106 days to pass these four subjects, from purchasing the new 2020 edition of the textbooks to taking the exams. I was determined to pass them; I focused entirely on this goal outside of working hours, with the same determination as when preparing for the college entrance exam. I wanted to pass them in one go, otherwise I would have to go through the same struggle again next year... 6. It’s sufficient to just attend the detailed lecture courses. Many of those complicated training courses end up wasting your time, as you won’t be able to read books or do anything else while listening to them. Moreover, they can create a sense of dependence in you, making you think that since you’ve paid for the training, you don’t need to put in any effort – which is definitely not a good thing! 7. There are many blue book-style resources available online, which are comprehensive summary materials that can be used as references to help in understanding the entire textbook thoroughly! 8. To conclude, time can be made available by cutting back on leisure and entertainment time; with a proper schedule, 100 days is more than enough for exams, aside from eating, sleeping, and working!