Beliefs: Special Ed to Architect

PHOTO BY JARED SMITH

This is a guest blog post from a friend of mine, Michael Riscica, who also has a blog. We both attended NYIT at the same time, but didn’t really connect until several years later after we had both became licensed and started blogging. You can check out his website and other social media outlets below and in his profile by clicking his name at the closing. Take a read: 


After a long journey, last year I finally became a licensed architect. What I brought home the license not much changed in the moment, but I am now seeing, very clearly, my career moving towards being Young Entrepreneur Architect, a direction I never believed it would take.

Most of my life I struggled with believing in my own capabilities; personally, professionally and even sometimes physically. Luckily everything worked out beautifully but as Steve Jobs said: 

“...You can’t connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking backwards.”

Special Ed and going to college
As a child I hated school. College wasn't even an afterthought. It was a miserable experience for me every step of the way. Very quickly everyone learned I had zero patience for sitting in a classroom learning about stuff that happened 300 years ago without any pictures to prove it. I also struggled with reading and writing and spent my entire education in special education classes, until I graduated 12th grade. 

After graduation I had extremely low self-esteem further perpetuating the idea that college wasn't for me. My high school education focused more on preventing my dropout, rather than preparing me for college. I worked several mediocre jobs and on a whim decided to give community college a try. I enrolled in an architectural drafting program after I played around with AutoCAD one day and thought it was fun. 

My whole world changed once I started to draw. I very quickly learned I loved drafting with a pencil and a computer.  I learned that I had a great ability to think three dimensionally. I ran circles around everyone in my classes with my drawings and models, too bad I was studying “Drafting”, not “Architecture”. 

The school I went to made it very clear they weren’t in architecture school. They taught drafting, not design. Yet encouraged their students to continue their education at a real school of architecture. Could I even handle architecture school? After a few years of disbelief, I decided to give it a try and enrolled. 

Going to architecture school
New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) was my first choice, despite the expense and my lack of confidence. I ended up going to Boston Architectural College (The BAC) which allowed me to work full time and attend school at night. The BAC wasn’t as much of an investment. Despite this, I wasn't sure if I would ever graduate. I believed I lacked a lot of resources to complete architecture school, and had a very little academic track record. I wasn't completely sure what I was getting myself into. 

All of my beliefs changed the more architecture classes I took. I surprised myself when I realized how my passion and excitement for the topic just kept growing. I truly fell in love with architecture while living in Boston. It went from a college major or a day job, to a personal obsession that kept me from sleeping. 

After two years in Boston and learning what I was actually capable of, I finally decided I needed to get out of this 40 hour a week work/study situation that I despised and decided to apply to study full-time at NYIT as an architecture student.  

I finished my education at NYIT and cannot think of how my architectural education could have been any better. I traveled to Europe several times with the school, worked on many special projects, rode my bicycle across America and made some incredible relationships.

Becoming a licensed architect
I felt I had proven myself having completed my degree thinking it stopped there. Becoming a licensed architect wasn't even a thought. I didn't think I could pass all those exam and jump through all the hoops. In fact, at one point I took a two year break from the process and wasn't sure if I would ever finish it. I was going to just let my exams expire. 

In November 2013, I realized that not finishing what I started was the source of a lot of frustration and pain. At that point I actually wanted my architecture license and felt that after all the projects and crap I had gone through, I deserved it. Just the last three exams were holding me back from having it. 

I readjusted everything I ever believed about the Architecture Registration Exam (ARE) and actually rearranged my entire life around finishing them. During this time I also mentally shifted my beliefs from seeing myself as “a really talented Architectural Intern” to “being a licensed Architect”. 

I started to very aggressively attack my remaining three exams. I spent the entire year of 2013 studying and taking them.  I even failed the Building Systems exam during this time and had to wait six months to retake it, but I passed my last test in October and had my license in December 2013. 

The Profession
Ready to hear a juicy architect confession? I actually hated working in the cubicle architecture office world for most of my years as an Intern. Sure, I was a great draftsman and a great employee, but for a long time I had hard time showing up every day. 
I believed all the negative things people say about the profession. I believed the pay sucks. I believed the premise that you work for other people your entire life and if you’re lucky you’ll get into a good firm that may let you design something. 

My attitude changed when I “zoomed out” and started to understand how my contributions played out in the big picture. They changed more when I started seeing my projects get built and then they changed completely once I started taking on a lot more responsibility and having my own clients. 

I now believe architecture is a lifestyle and there’s a lot of responsibility with being an architect. It’s not just a job. I also now believe it only rewards those who hustle. I don’t know if I can change those beliefs, after what I've seen. 

Change your beliefs
People ask me all the time “When did you know you wanted to be an architect?” and I start with  “Uhhhh…” and start blabbing about community college, but the real answer is, “One day when I was 20 years old and sick of washing dishes at a stupid chain restaurant at 1:00 am.”

My story isn't unique
Shortly before I graduated architecture school, I realized one day that I was one of many who had a similar story. Several of the most talented architecture students in my program were also in special education programs and struggled significantly with their education prior to arriving at architecture school. Thankfully my education prior to architecture school had very little influence over the direction of my life. 

I share all these stories because when I changed my beliefs about what I could achieve, it unlocked so many other areas of my life. Every one of us is capable of achieving much more then we believe we ever could. 


By 
Michael Riscica
YoungArchitect.com 

The End to 2014

Time, though a human function of tracking, is one of the only factors in life that cannot be altered, reversed or predicted. Whether 1994, 2004 or 2014, we should all use our time wisely or at least be productive toward society for the most part. 

There will be big change with Registered Architect Blog. I will be transitioning to a new webspace with a new custom URL as well as a newly designed site. I will also be compiling my top photography into an online portfolio. In all this I will continue to help / mentor those taking architectural registration exams and bring more exam related help to the site. 

In it all I am and will be thankful and humble to be where I am. Every step forward is one putting me in forward progress. Thank you to all my supporters. 

Submission to NYCOBA for Recognition Award- "A Lesson Learned in Architecture"

I recently won an award for my efforts to promote and help young emerging professionals attain licensure. This submission was to the New York Coalition of Black Architects (NYCOBA) part of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA). I am honored to hear others speak highly of my works and give me recognition to which I am humbled. The following is the written submission I wrote which is an update to my first NCARB Architectural Registration Exam pointers found HERE.   

A Lesson Learned in Architecture (NCARB ARE)

Architecture is a dynamic creature that begs to be mastered but can never truly be achieved. Many lessons can be derived from a profession that deals with such a complex art.The Architectural Registration Exam (ARE) is a lesson ("a useful piece of practical wisdom acquired by experience or study") that lends itself to acquire practical wisdom from its laborious process. Having completed the ARE process, coupled with relevant experience, what follows is a reflection of what process I took in preparation for the exam. Hopefully, my accounts will be a helping hand and shed light on the path for current candidates seeking licensure.

Key Concentration-

There is more at play than just sitting at a desk and answering some questions. Yes, the exam is intimidating but only due to its unfamiliarity. The process that assisted me in accomplishing a successful result entailed three strategic factors: understanding your study style, momentum and consistent persistence. I believe that these factors should be approached in your own personal way and applied across the entire 7-exam process.

Making a Schedule-

This is a useful starting point that doesn't have to be detailed or lengthy.

Firstly: Briefly review ALL seven exam section guides provided by NCARB. This will get you thinking on each subject. The ordering in which you test is irrelevant initially. Think about your exam spacing and any life events that may be occurring. This may be family, work or school related which will affect your exam focus. Set aside these initial findings.

Secondly: Follow up with a more in-depth review of each section guide and the additional reference materials therein. Which topics are you familiar with? Which are new to you? Would you rather start with the unfamiliar topics and finish up with familiar ones or would you rather the opposite? When you have answered these questions, you are on your way to having a tentative schedule and exam order. Tentative, in that it is likely to change.

Study Style-

How well were you during high school and college taking exams? What factors were necessary for you to do well? Did you procrastinate? Organized sessions or sporadic? Did you read repeatedly, listen to audio books or make personal flash cards? These questions pose the relevant dialogue you should have with yourself. Understanding the manner in which you learn is key to "ingesting" the massive amount of information the ARE encompasses. I was able to read study guides & reference guides repeatedly while making my own notes. My most important note taking was during and following practice exams. You should be honest with yourself about topics or questions you don't grasp during the study process. Review them and note where you went wrong. Seek out additional materials if you still have trouble.

I did not "cram" for any of my exams and I do not recommend you do so either. "The quicker the information comes in, the quicker it goes out." Remember this exam is a learning tool; you will not retain much information if you just memorize. If your passion is architecture, knowing every word is unrealistic but understanding the topics and concepts will help you beyond your exams. This is uniquely important for the structures and building systems exams. Most would think there's no need to delve deep into these topics since I have engineers to handle this in real life. Yes and No. Architects need to be knowledgeable on many facets of buildings, design and construction; sort of a 'jack of all trades'. This Renaissance man mentality was very apparent during my study sessions. Understanding the principal concepts of basic structures and their loading is just as important as understanding heating, cooling and drainage.

Momentum-

A physics term which has two applicable meanings as related to the ARE:

One: A mass in motion. Consider yourself to be the mass and the completion of one exam as motion. In order to create motion, you have to start. It's understandable with exam topics, procedures, software, all of which is new, for this to be daunting. The famous phrase said it best "half the battle is showing up." Procrastination is not your friend. I found it necessary to bite the bullet and get started. If you are slipping during the process, make sure to reassess your schedule.

Two: The more the mass is in motion the harder it is to stop. Once you start, do not stop! I got into a groove of testing across the 2.5 years it took me to finish. Then the task doesn't seem as difficult but just a necessary middle man to an achievable goal. This was especially important for me having passed all seven exams straight through without stopping.

Consistent Persistence-

Though partly related to the aforementioned factor and somewhat expected, these are equally important aspects of completing your ARE. After setting a schedule and starting, you have to remain consistent with your study routine; a routine which will be dependent on each individual. I also felt it necessary to study every day in order to remain persistent. The material remained fresh in my mind and I built on top of that information in every subsequent study session. I did not take too much time off or it would have felt like I was starting all over.

About the Exam-

The exam itself is broken down into a multiple choice portion and a graphic vignette portion. Multiple choice is exactly what you'd expect; choosing the correct word answer(s) from four to six options, fill in the blank, true-false and graphic/picture selection. The biggest help for me during preparations was taking as many different practice exams as possible. I recommend you take a wide variety of exams from different testing material publishers. I'll warn you, I only took each practice exam twice at the most. Any more than that and you run the risk of memorizing the correct answer as opposed to learning why the correct answer is correct.

Unfortunately, the graphic portion utilizes a truly un-user friendly software. It is quirky and time consuming if you aren't accustom to it. There's only one solution to mastering this program and that's usage time. In the beginning I would start using the program at my midway study point. Towards the end of my testing I could wait until the latter since I was very proficient using it. Familiarity aids in time management which is a major learning curve to overcome. Generally, the vignettes are not difficult but put under a time constraint coupled with the software nuisances, they do become challenging. For multiple choice and vignettes, my review materials consisted of Kaplan & Ballast/PPI study guide systems, Norman Dorf's Solutions vignette guide, NCARB guides, select reference text and various free online study resources.

Don't let things get you down-

Failure is a principal we come to terms with at an early age. No one is perfect and we cannot let the possibility of failure deter you from accomplishing your goal. The ARE is no different. Prepare for the exam accordingly and give it your all. Be positive and confident. This was my testing ethic. After starting my exams I hit a stumbling block. My first exam came back as a FAIL. I was upset and distort. Reading the letter almost brought me to tears. Getting back on the horse per sae was not an easy task, but I did and passed all seven after that. I urge you to take advantage of the given score report as well as an evaluation of your feeling during the exam and try again. With the new 60 day wait period, don't be fooled into rushing into a second attempt. Make sure to prepare accordingly.

Get the Paperwork done-

Despite my heavy focus on studying and getting through the exams, I did not forget about the documentation process. I was sure to stay up to date on the completion of all NCARB and state license requirements. In a lot of states you are allowed to test concurrently with completion of the IDP. In my state, NY, this is so. These requirements can vary greatly, so be proactive. For example: I've seen NY require more than the NCARB minimum experience hours. NCARB sets the basis but your state is the final determining factor. I felt it was prudent to complete the backend items so my main focus was on the only outstanding requirement: the ARE. In a two (2) week span of time I was able to get my last exam pass, attain my license number from the state and receive my formal & official hard copy certificate, license and registration. Next to the day of my marriage and the birth of my two children, that was a glorious moment! The ARE is challenging but it is far from impossible. Stay positive from day one. Set up a plan and stick with it.

Bringing it all together-

Gaining momentum while being consistent and persistent is key but you also have to work within your limits understanding what works for you. Be cautious as to who you confide in about your journey through the ARE. There will always be that bitter person that complains about every aspect of the exam or makes excuses as to why you shouldn't start. Attempting to stay positive in your own path can be derailed with these "Debbie Downers." There's enough pressure with completing the exam itself. Strive toward completion and remember "That which is worth having isn't easily attained."

By 

Jared W. Smith, R.A.  
I am now on Facebook and Instagram. Please Like and Follow me! 

Submission to NCARB Blog - "Family Life while tackling the ARE"

Whether you’re called an architectural intern, architect in training, designer, or just intern, tackling the ARE requires sacrifice. Even more so when you have a family. Here are a few tips to help you master the ARE while still maintaining your sanity—and allowing time to enjoy the nuisances of marriage and parenthood.

Make It Count

NCARB's five-year Rolling Clock can approach very quickly. When you have a family, it may not be feasible to test every month or even two months. So make your study time count. Only schedule and attempt exams when you feel fully prepared. The new 60-day retake policy is far better than the previous six-month rule, but can still be detrimental to your plan if procrastination sets in. Set a schedule and try to stick to it. But don't kill yourself if you have to reschedule an exam.

Don't Let Work Get You Down

Generally speaking, architectural staff members work long hours, leaving little time for family before the nightly bedtime routines commence. Sometimes reviewing enough material to keep the topics and concepts fresh in your mind will suffice. Going long periods of time without studying can sometimes mean starting over. Remember, a little at a time can add up.

Be a Weekend Warrior

Weekends are usually spent out as a family, and you probably won’t get to sleep in. This means the weekends can end up being just as busy as the work week. Setting aside large blocks of time to study can be difficult. Similar to weekdays, dedicate an evening or morning to studying. A quiet hour or two can make a difference.

Embrace “Free Time”

Free time and children, young children especially, seem to be an oxymoron. When that precious time does pop up, use it wisely. Though you'd rather catch up on sleep, watch television, or take on a hobby, you’re better off reviewing study materials. Don't procrastinate or you will never get done! Remember, these scarifies won’t last forever—the length of time it takes you to complete the exams is ultimately up to you.

Discover Your Study Style

Generally, each person has a study style that works best for him or her. Think back to how you completed assignments and aced exams in college. Audiobooks are great for multitasking; listen to a few chapters while you drive to work. Flash cards are another great tool for parents on-the-go, especially if you take public transportation.

Attend Life Events

Everyone has important family events like birthdays, weddings, or graduations. Take the time to go, be present, and enjoy these events. Life's irreplaceable events cannot be relived. After the confetti has settled, the cake has been cut, and the last congratulation has been given, make sure to get back on your study schedule. Just don't let these celebrations turn into procrastination.

Think Positively

It may sound obvious, but this needs to be repeated often. Thinking negatively can impact everything from study habits to your performance on test day. Prepare accordingly and stay optimistic.

In the end, family is irreplaceable. The moments shared among those close to you are indescribable. Navigating the path to licensure requires sacrifice. Perseverance, persistence, and patience are just some of the qualities you’ll need to embrace. Nothing is impossible as long as you try.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Originally from the Bronx, Jared W. Smith, AIA, LEED AP, is a licensed architect in New York. He currently works as a Project Architect at Stantec Architecture in Manhattan, NY. He juggles his professional life with his wife Yahaira and two children, Noah (2) and Penelope (1).

Originally posted on the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards' Blog here: http://blog.ncarb.org/2014/October/ARE-Family.aspx

See more on the Architectural Registration Exam here: http://registeredarchitect.blogspot.ca/p/architec.html

Why you should prepare like the "6 month rule" is still in effect

Other than the new ARE 5.0 which is set to come out in 2016, the next biggest news in the licensing world is the retake policy change. Having gone though the seven exam process and failing my first exam, it is mentally & physically exhausting to have to retake. Let's be honest- it sucks the momentum out and drops you in a hole of depression. The ambiguity of NCARB's score reports may not help clarifying your errors either. Let's look at this new rule briefly and my opinion as to why your preparation shouldn't change just because the rule has. 

NCARB is implementing a 60 day (2 months) retake policy as oppose to the current "6 month rule." Take a look at their reasoning here: The NCARB Blog. The full news release can be found here: Revised Retake Policy. This new policy will be implemented on October 1, 2014 and is said to be proactive towards those waiting out an existing failure. What does this mean to interns and A.I.T.s? The short answer: it allows a failed exam portion to be retaken sooner. In theory shortening the time necessary to pass all exams if you do fail one of more. Or does it? 

Thinking more objectively on this change, those of us that have experienced the 6 month waiting period are probably elated and relieved. Conversely the thought pattern and study habits of those that will benefit from this change should not feel as though the exam has gotten any easier. The same if not more focus and dedication is required. Don't let the lessened retake policy allow you to be complacent while studying. "If I fail, it's only 2 months and I can retake it." Don't be this person. Once the exam material is out of your mind, it can take some extra effort to gain momentum again. 

Let's look at an example: Bob & Jane are starting their ARE 4.0 exams. Bob is under the 6 month rule. Jane is under the new 2 month (60 days) rule.

Bob decides to space his exams 2 months each and 3 months for Structures. He studies hard and thoroughly but still happens to fail one exam and has to retake it. His total ARE exam time equals (2 months X 6 exams) + (3 months X 1 exam) + 6 month retake period = 21 months or 1 year 9 months. 

Jane decides to space exams 6 weeks (1.5 months) apart, even the Structures exam. She has a more relaxed approach. Studying when she can and cramming in the last two weeks for each section. She ends up failing Structures twice and 3 other exams one time a piece. Her total ARE exam time equals (1.5 months X 7 exams) + (5 exams X 2 month retake period) = 20.5 months or 1 year 8.5 months. 

Looking at this example, these two have similar time frames but different approaches. Additionally, no time was added to Jane's example for procrastination or lose of momentum with multiple failures.  

Bottom line: The retake policy should be an afterthought not an initial one. Study hard, be thorough & confident. Go in & give it your all.  

By 
Jared W. Smith, R.A. 

The ARE 5.0: What you need to know.

OK- the cat is out of the bag. ARE 5.0 is approaching. NCARB is claiming this will adhere more closely to the commonly defined activities of an architect. This will not be a few bandaid fixes. The whole exam system will be completely revamped similar to the 3.1 to 4.0 transition. Here is a rundown of the basics according to NCARB: 

Time frame- 5.0 will launch in fall/winter of 2016. This gives plenty of time for those seeking to finish their exams under 4.0. They will continue delivering the current version until June of 2018. That's 3.5 years! The average time is 2 years to complete the AREs. This is more than enough for those of you just starting out or already in the middle of them. 

Content- 5.0 will have six sections as compared to the seven sections in 4.0. As mentioned above these are an attempt at aligning more closely with how architecture is in reality. The sections are: Practice Management, Project Management, Programming & Analysis, Project Planning & Design, Project Development & Documentation and Construction & Evaluation. These names will become synonymous with the AREs as we get closer to the 5.0 release.

Graphics and software- the graphic vignettes and software will be overhauled. Yes this means that horribly inaccurate prehistoric software will be no more. Hopefully they have a more user friendly version which won't hinder candidates purely due to program peculiarities. I am looking forward to how the user interface will be. 

Cost- it appears NCARB has not released the cost just yet. If I were to guess, I'd say it will cost more that the current $210. So expect it. 

There you have it! Check out the NCARB website for more information on the 5.0. Here are a few links to important info on 5.0: 

FAQs

Test Specs

Credit Model

Transition Plan

Timeline 

The Divisions

News brief 

By 

Jared W. Smith, R.A. 

DISCLAIMER: 
This website/blog is not affiliated with NCARB and is not endorsed or sanctioned by NCARB. Here is a reminder from NCARB given to those using websites to prepare for the ARE.

Confidentiality Agreement pertaining to taking exams:

"I understand that the content of this examination is confidential. I agree that I will not divulge any questions on this examination to any individual or entity. I understand that the unauthorized possession, reproduction, or disclosure of any examination materials, including the nature or content of examination questions, before during or after the examination is in violation of law. A violation of this type can result in a civil liability and/or disciplinary action by my Board of Architecture."

Road Trip to Architect, USA

The road to becoming an architect seems the longest at the beginning.  No matter which map you use starting the journey to becoming an architect can be an interesting… hectic… smooth… bumpyride.  I took the scenic route to architecture.  After always having the desire to design I focused on architecture and interiors.  Throughout my graduate studies I became increasingly interested in the social aspects of design, which drove my decision to enter the AmeriCorps program after graduation.  Unsure of how I wanted to start IDP, and unaware of all the details I enrolled and was able to log some hours until I met the limit of hours possible without working under a registered architect.  My AmeriCorps position was with the Habitat for Humanity affiliate in Charlotte, NC.  I spent 2 years working in construction and in community development.  Both task were aspects of architecture, yet not completelyrecognized as IDP hour “worthy”.  Although I loved it, with only about 900 hours of appropriate IDP hours in 2 years, I decided to enter into the traditional process and become an intern.  I am currently working in a small firm under a registered architect so that I can complete my training hours.  After a few months of working, I enrolled in an ARE study class led by the local AIA chapter, which has been helpful to reduce my fear of testing.

As I continue to study on my own I made a plan and timeline for how I want to complete the process.  In talking to colleagues about it, I’ve found that no one has done it the same way, so using a collection of methods to formulate my own gives me solace that I have the freedom to make my own way.  It also gives me nightmares that my way not be the best.  Although I have not taken any test yet, there are a few things that are making my journey less painful and pushing me to work through the studying and working phase that I am in.

The first one is encouragement.  Every time I open my ARE review manual I am reminded how hard my life is.  While I love to learn, the mere fact of studying for numerous exams for the next 2 years, or more, or maybe less, causes occasional restless nights. Noticing the distant I have yet to travel, I feel as if myM.Arch was a small stepping-stone in the grand scheme of this journey.  Although valuable, the real work begins now.  

Secondly, accountability is very important.  As an “emerging professional in the architecture industry”, staying liable for my process is arguably the hardest part.  The flexibility or the rolling clock and the freedom of testing times could be a procrastinator’s demise!  Find a friend to constantly or occasional ask you about your progress, so that you hold responsibility for staying on task.

 Justify the process, why it is in place and why you believe in completing it.  As my third tip, I think it is important to know why all this is even necessary, and going further to define what it means to you.  Often I walk into large building and think about all the design decisions that have gone into creating the space.  From the huge things down to the smallest details, architects must be well versed in communicating the intent on many levels.  While I know passing the ARE’s and completing IDP does not make you a great architect, the completion of the process gives you the opportunity to practiceindependently and be respected.  

Forth, which maybe should be first, is being aware of the possibilities and rules.  There are various ways to get IDP hours, outside of working in a traditional setting.  Always be up to date on what NCARB issuggesting.  Also be aware of the process in the state accreditation board as well, which varies state to state.  The IDP process is intricate.   NCARB has a growing number of resources that are available for interns on the road to licensure.  Take the time to follow all that is available so that you are able to use the information and make your journey less frustrating.

Lastly, remember… You are not alone!  It is always nice to know you are enduring the process amongst many. Someone else in this world is up at 1am reading about construction documents and looking at building sections as well.  Though you may be far apart and probably strangers, it gives me some comfort knowing that there were those before me who have passed; those with me who are pressing toward the official “Architect” title, and those behind me whom I will one day be an example for.  Press On!  

By 

Michele Crawford

An Essay of my Architectural Journey

Thinking about my journey through architecture, it has been filled with many bumps along the way. I remember after graduation, wondering if this was the right path for me, with the rolling clock in play, job market crash and heavy debt trailing.

It took me nearly three years after graduating with my Bachelors of Architecture to essentially step back into the lifestyle that I always knew I belonged. The biggest struggle that seems to fall into many people’s mind is “is it worth it? All this struggling, all the hard work, can I do something else with my life?”

Three years after contemplating these thoughts, I have completed more than half my ARE’s. I’ve learned that this isn’t a journey any person can tackle alone. Whether it’s the encouragement of those around you who say how proud they are, or peers who are as determined as you to see you and themselves succeed, it takes a lot of love and determination to press on.

There are several factors that continue to resonate in my mind from the day I decided I was ready to test until every exam I apply for.

First, these exams are incredibly difficult and expensive, it seems to be the biggest fear factor in everyone considering to apply. Just remember, nobody is ever 100% ready, there WILL be questions that you could not even guess the answer to.  Be confident in yourself, use the forums, read the guidebooks, ask questions. These are your best tools to prepare yourself.

Second, what order do I take the tests in? Well, that depends, you have to get a basic idea of what each section contains and gauge for yourself what you feel comfortable taking. For me, I chose one I thought would be simple to get a hang of the exam format.

Third, what if I fail? What if the failures don’t meet the rolling clock deadline? Simple answer that I’ve received, most people fail. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off.  This goes back to “what order do I test in?” I decided to start off easy, with Site Planning and Design, and continued with what I thought had significant overlap. I also chose to test what I considered most difficult, saving what I was comfortable with toward the end to justify the 6 month wait between retesting periods.

Finally, School meant nothing. That’s right, I could have bought the books and studied for this test and felt as prepared or unprepared as I do now. School teaches us how to be designers, to be creative. These tests in my opinion test you on how to test. Sure there is some basic knowledge and experienced based questions, but I find most people struggle on the way these darn tests are worded. NCARB tends to screw with you. Many people have had complaints about their procedures, the difficulties in speaking to a live person about what they screwed up on and what other way they’ve chosen to screw us interns over with. I have my personal gripes with NCARB, constantly changing their rules and costing thousands of dollars throughout this internship experience in one form or another.  As many people have said, their testing standards today do not gauge a persons’ ability to successfully practice architecture, and yet, they are the national standard for what we are to prepare for. I believe many things I have learned in preparation for the exams are invaluable to life as an architect. However, their merit for the exam can be laughable.

In the end, I cannot tell you how you should study, or even if it is a path you would want to partake. This decision is yours. I chose to take an exam once per month which many would advise against, however, I have been able to study at a pace of 30 hours per week. I felt the information was fresh in my mind each time I stepped into the exam room. With SPD, CDs, PPP and Structures out of the way, I see the light at the end of my tunnel. These exams aren’t the most difficult thing you will encounter in your future practice of architecture, they are a hurdle that inducts us into a society. For me, after walking away from this profession, I discovered that it was what I want in life, a discovery that reinvigorated my desire to complete the ARE. All I can really say to you is: "Good Luck on your journey. Keep fighting."

Signed
Ron Kunateerachadalai

My ARE Experience

When I think back in my experience with the AREs I remember my first conversation after graduation with my mentor. He was concerned about the 5 year rolling clock and I remember telling him that it wouldn't be a problem. I was certain that I would be done taking exams long before the end of 5 years. Unfortunately, here I am 5 years later, still studying.

Although I haven’t finished testing there a few things that I've learned from my own experience as well as from stories from others. First, time moves a lot faster than you’d think. I start studying, then a new project or deadline comes up and I always put studying on hold. Before I know it 6 months have passed by. I think most of us are naturally procrastinators so life events make it easy to put studying on hold and without the deadlines that school and work usually impose on us, there's nothing to keep us on a set path. To avoid this many people suggest scheduling the exams before starting to study for the first exam and immediately after each one. Since it has become so expensive to reschedule each exam this will usually prevent discouragement from a failed exam or “taking a victory break" from continuing for too long.

Speaking of failing exams this is one of the main reasons why I've hesitated to test. I don’t like to loose and each time I fail an exam it hits me in two places. It feels like a shot to my self-esteem as well as my wallet.  Fortunately others, some who are licensed architects, have shared with me the number of times they've failed. It helps to know that failing one exam (or two or seven) once, twice, or even ten times doesn't matter! Captain Kirk took the Kobayashi Maru 10 times and no one cared. He got a starship. I’m learning that the only thing that matters is getting the license. Knowing that no firm or client will ever ask about my failed exams takes some of the pressure off.  In my experience most architects don't feel like the ARE's are a proper measure of your ability to be an architect anyway.

Personally I feel like the ARE exam is a crock and NCARB isn’t much better either. The whole thing is another way for someone to make more money off of us interns. Don't get me wrong, the information I've learned from studying has been invaluable. My firm has been supportive enough to take on jobs related to my topics of study so I can get more experience or apply what I’ve learned. The exam itself just feels irrelevant and nonsensical. I don’t know who writes it or where the questions come from but I often hear people saying that they thought the questions were way left field. I too have walked out of exams feeling like the information I studied was not reflected in the questions, or like I had to guess on far too many questions, but still passed. I’ve even been told not to try to make sense of it or think about how things would work in the real world. As I plan to practice in the real world, I wonder how designing for the imaginary world of NCARB will help me. But, since there’s currently no other way to test our qualifications, we have no choice. That being said the best resources that I’ve found for test preparation are the areforum.com and more recently arecoach.com, which is a little less overwhelming than ARE Forum. Some people recommend specific ARE prep courses, but reading the recommendations on the forums and going with the general consensus has helped me to know what’s worth the investment.

As for methods for studying I’ve tried organizing study groups for AIA committees, promising to study with friends who were also taking the ARE’s or with family members who were studying for other things, but I found that I talk too much and I’m better off studying alone. I’ve asked my mentor for help but ended up wasting time arguing that the questions & vignettes aren’t designed to make sense. I’ve even enlisted friends and family as accountability partners, but having my coworkers outside of architecture threatening to cut me off or not tell me about meetings and family constantly threatening to confiscate my gadgets gets old very quickly.

Currently my process involves not telling anyone when I’ve scheduled exams, not studying in front of my mentor and either waiting until everyone has left the office or escaping my home to a nearby Starbucks to study. I try to put in at least 2 hours on week days and 4 on weekends not including time on the train reviewing flash cards I make for myself in an app called StudyDroid (although I invested in like a thousand index cards, I found that I tend to leave them at home in efforts to make my purse lighter. I never go anywhere without my cell phone though!).

In the end everyone has their own system. For studying, my system is one that doesn’t involve anyone other than the anonymous, nonjudgmental people on the exam forums. For exams some prefer water, and energy bars during exam breaks while I prefer coffee and cookie stuffed chocolate bars. I’m learning that what’s important is creating a routine that works for you, sticking to it, and just getting the thing done.

Signed 

Georgiana Haynes

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Architecture (Part 2)

Construction Documents and Services seemed like the best option for my second exam because my particular work experience gave me a strong advantage with the exam content. Most of the exams cover very practical content and work experience is the ARE candidate’s best friend.

Inversely, studying for the AREs involves learning about the practice of architecture that directly informs work experience. After reading through the B101 or the A201 one night, I’d find myself dipping into that information the next day at the office. Studying for the exams was making me a better, more informed architectural professional, and putting the study material to practical use during the working day reinforced the information I studied at night.

It sounds ridiculous and absurdly geeky, I know, but studying for the CD&S exam was a turning point for me, the point at which I rededicated myself and knew I was fully committed to my architectural career. As I absorbed more about the functioning and principles of architectural practice I grew significantly as a professional and found a great deal of satisfaction in making connections and understanding the logic behind certain practices. Best of all, extrapolating from that logic to situations I encountered at work, I was able to function a lot more independently and with a lot more confidence.

My respect for the intensity and extremely broad knowledge base of the profession was also renewed as I studied for this exam. The expansive exam material highlights the complexity of the architect’s responsibilities, with duties that span several professions: we must, at different stages of the project (and sometime simultaneously), think as designer, engineer, builder, educator, lawyer, accountant, mediator, negotiator, bureaucrat, agent and businessperson. This is in addition to the duty to act as a cultural steward, a medium for bringing coherence to the built environment that was so strongly emphasized in architecture school.

The studying process for CD&S was intense – I read the PPI (Ballast) review manual, but I also relied heavily on primary sources of information, reading the main AIA contracts (A101, A201, B101, etc.) several times as well as relevant chapters of the Architect’s Handbook of Professional Practice. The AHPP is pretty dry reading, but a wealth of information, both for working practice but also specifically for ARE preparation. I’ve had several questions on my various exams so far that have come directly from AHPP articles.

I took about two months to study for this exam. Again, probably overkill, but my general philosophy is that it’s infinitely preferable to be over-prepared for any situation than to be caught off guard.

Of course, as they say, the best laid plans of mice and men and such: on exam day the multiple choice section was very tough and included a lot of questions on topics I hadn’t studied, hadn’t even known I ought to study, as well as several questions which seemed to be subjective.

This type of upset question appears on each and every ARE exam with multiple choice sections. The key is to become good at reasoning through the problem by deduction. The correct answer will be derived from some combination of principles with which you are probably familiar. This synthesis and application of multiple precepts is a totally separate skill set from memorization or even familiarity with architectural knowledge, but it can be learned and mastered with practice.

When I walked out of the CD&S, I was sincerely worried that I had failed the exam. I prepared myself for disappointment, and waited anxiously for two months to get my results (again, pre-blackout). When the Pass letter finally arrived, I was thrilled and relieved beyond belief and, if I’m being honest, there might have been some dancing around the house and celebratory whooping involved as well.

Programming, Planning and Practice and Site Planning and Design were the next two tests on the agenda, and I took them in rapid succession. Both of these exams I took after the blackout and received my pass letters (or emails, more accurately) within one week. Again, although I read the PPI review manual and some Kaplan material, I also relied heavily on primary sources like the AHPP, Edward Allen’s Fundamentals of Building Construction and Frank Ching’s Building Construction Illustrated.

I am now simultaneously studying for my fifth (Structural Systems) and sixth (Building Design & Construction Systems), which I plan to take in tandem in about a month. As the weather starts to turn nice, it will be increasingly difficult to sit inside and study on the weekends, but my goal is to finish the last three exams before the summer solstice, and that requires focus.

Abstemious focus pays off, however. In a few months I will be licensed, and I do think that is a significant achievement.  The process is not just about obtaining a license and the title of Architect. It is a valuable learning process as well (the last thing I ever thought I would say about a standardized test!). Studying has significantly enhanced my architectural knowledge and thus my architectural ambitions.

Architecture, of course, is a discipline that can never truly be mastered: it demands constant education and continuous growth on the part of its practitioners. The license is a career milestone, but it certainly does not signal the end of an architectural education. The life-long learning characteristic of an architectural career is something I look forward to, with the conviction that the more knowledgeable I become, the more I will have to offer the discipline of architecture and the culture of the built environment.

Signed 
Rae Solomon 

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Architecture (Part 1)

My Architects Registration Exam odyssey started about a year ago, in March, 2013. I started taking the exams because, after three and a half years of grad school, and several years of working experience, I was tired of not being able to call myself an architect. I knew enough about the series of seven exams to expect them to be tough but achievable if I invested time and energy into studying and preparation. What completely surprised me was how the process of studying and sitting for the AREs (as of this writing, I am studying for my fifth exam) renewed my passion and enthusiasm for the practice of architecture at a time when they most needed burnishing.

A lot of young architects I know have had a love/hate relationship with the profession, and I cannot excuse myself from that group. This is especially the case for many of us who graduated during the height (or should I say depth?) of the recession and may have experienced some frustration finding work that is stable and engaging in an environment that allows us to grow into our full potential as architects.

When job after job turns out to be just a gig; positions billed as Architectural Internships (with all the IDP-worthy experience implied by those words) turn out to be little more than internships (as in that thing you did one summer during college that involved making a lot of coffee and getting really nimble with Excel); when you find yourself having to apologize at an interview for requiring payment in exchange for your labor, you’d be a chump not to start seriously, bitterly questioning your career choices.

A couple years out of grad school I felt about ready to break up with architecture, but I couldn’t just walk away without feeling like something would be out of equilibrium. A little voice in my head told me not to quit without completing what I had started so many years ago. I had set out to become an architect, invested so many years towards that goal, and, being incapable of leaving a task partially completed, I needed to obtain my license, to become an architect in order to gain clarity on my situation.

There was no pressure from the outside to start taking my exams. My office at the time did not make a point of systematically encouraging its young employees to get licensed (although they certainly didn’t discourage it either and in fact allowed me time off to take the exams – for which I am very grateful). There was just that little voice commanding “Complete! Finish what was started!”

So, I dug in and sorted through the small print detailing the process of applying for initial licensure, the first step towards being cleared to sit for the exams. This was perhaps the most daunting part of the process: the slick design of NCARB’s website breaks down and the user interface loses its coherence in the section laying out the complicated state by state requirements and processes for registering to sit for the exams. After untangling the myriad rules and requirements, I sent my application to the state department of professions and occupations, parted with a significant amount of money, and waited for testing permission to be granted.

In the meantime, I reviewed the material, starting out with NCARB’s ARE exam guides, taking the practice multiple choice questions at the end of the guide to see how comfortable I was with the material covered by each test. By the time my permission to test letter arrived in the mail, I was ready to schedule the first exam.

We’ve all heard the stories about the monstrously horrid NCARB proprietary graphic vignette CAD software. On the advice of a coworker who had just gotten his license, I chose to start with the Schematic Design exam (SD), both for an easy first pass, and in order to get very comfortable working with that proprietary CAD software at the outset of the exam process.

The SD exam consists of two graphic vignettes with no multiple choice questions. You don’t study for this exam so much as practice for it: practice wrestling the software into submission, practice finding solutions to the layout problems, practice focusing exclusively on fulfilling the program requirements and ignoring all aesthetic and good space planning considerations (a peculiar skill necessary for almost all ARE vignettes).

Since it was my first exam and I was nervous, I practiced for about a month and a half, doing the NCARB practice exam and all of the forum alternates dozens of times until I could complete them all in less than half the allotted time. This was complete overkill. Several exams wiser, I now realize I could have passed this exam with no more than a week of practice. Maybe two, if they were busy weeks. However, the extreme over-preparation allowed me to walk into and out of my first exam with a feeling of glowing confidence that could only be undermined by the nagging anxiety that attends nearly two months waiting for exam results (this was pre-blackout, kids).

Immediately after that first exam I ate a good meal. Six hours of testing with no fuel left me feeling weak and light-headed. This seemingly irrelevant detail actually relates to my best and most practical advice to every ARE candidate: bring a sandwich and a bottle of water to the exam and eat during the mandatory 15 minute break between exam sections. You’ll probably have to eat in the hallway because the testing centers generally don’t allow food in the waiting area, and you’ll probably feel pretty silly pacing the corridors sandwich in tow. But alas, the brain runs on glucose and you don’t want your supply of this vital energy running low when you need it most. I made the mistake of waiting until after the exam to re-fuel, and I paid for it with discomfort and less than optimal performance during the last hour and a half of the Building Layout vignette.

Once my blood sugar was back up to normal however, I felt elated and an overwhelming eagerness to tackle the next exam. The whole process suddenly felt a lot more manageable now that I was familiar with it. With patience and persistence I would eventually defeat the ARE Cyclops. By the time I got that first Pass letter, which, while not a surprise was still a relief, I was already deep into studying for my second exam: CD&S.

Signed 
Rae Solomon