Study Tips from WSJ
Hey everyone,
I wanted to pass along a recent article from the Wall Street Journal on Study Tips. (Subscription may be required.)
Before You Study, Ask for Help
The article is primarily geared to studying in the education/school environment and not specifically for licensure/certification, but a lot of the recommendations apply to studying for the ARE also.
The article lists five ways to hone your study skills:
- Find out what the test will cover and the kinds of questions it will include.
This can be done in the ARE 5.0 Handbook!
- Start at least a few days before the test to plan how and when you will study.
For the ARE, I would assume studying starts more than a few days before, but the planning on how and when you will study is really important. I can't stress enough the need to make a testing plan.
- Identify helpful resources such as practice tests or instructors’ office hours to assist with material you don’t understand.
Use this community and others in your office or AIA chapters for help on material you are having trouble with or for locating study resources. And don't forget about the ARE 5.0 References section at the end of the ARE 5.0 Handbook.
- Practice recalling facts and concepts by quizzing yourself.
For the ARE, focus on understanding concepts not recalling facts because of the higher cognitive levels being assessed, but self-quizzing is a great measure of how well you know material.
- Limit study sessions to 45 minutes to increase your concentration and focus.
Maybe the marathon study sessions are not the best model for you personally.
Any general study tips from others?
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"Limit study sessions to 45 minutes..."
I've read some post of individuals studying for hours and hours at a time -- I'm not sure that's the best either -- but if it works, cool.
I'm working on the PPD / PDD exams right now, but on the first four exams I set aside about 4 weeks for each test, and probably studied 1 to 1.5 hours per day -- weekends maybe 2 hours per day.
Erica (six for six exams) mentioned limiting AHPP reading to 30 pages per day max -- which I'd agree with as well -- most people are just not going to retain much beyond a 30 page AHPP session. Daydreams of unicorns and NCARB-approved scuba gear set in...
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"Before You Study, Ask for Help"
Also... I've read posts from several candidates posting about failing an exam. Often these individuals are posting on the forum for the very first time. It's often obvious that some of these folks have jumped into the exams without really even reading the basics like the ARE 5.0 Handbook, the practice exams, the matrix study materials, this forum, etc.
Take advantage of the advice of those that have gone before you!
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Another important strategy is to review the material in a timely manner. Some people say that the best time to review material is between 30 minutes and 16 hours (the 3016 rule) after you read it for the first time. So, if you review the material right after you read it for the first time, the review may not be helpful.
I have personally found this method extremely beneficial. The best way for me to memorize study materials is to review what I learn during the day again in the evening. This, of course, happens to fall within the timing range mentioned above.
Gang Chen, Author, Architect, LEED AP BD+C (GreenExamEducation.com)
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