HELP! Thinking about quitting the ARE
Hello beautiful community,
I am a foreign architect , I study and got my masters in Madrid , but i have been living and working in Denver for the past 3 years as an architectural designer. I am licenced in whole Europe, like 30 countries, but i am not recognized as licenced in the US, even though i work and i perform as a PA here....
I studied over 3 months and took my first exam for PA last December and half way of the exam i knew i failed it ... really difficult for me to answer anything when i could not understand correctly the questions, the word game and the different use of negatives and phrasal verbs threw me off and there is no a way for me to take this exams in Spanish so there is that.
I am currently considering , even though i spent already over $1300 in NCARB, ( opening my profile , convalidating my masters, and scheduling my exam ...) to just quit this whole processed. I feel very discriminated for being foreign since English is main problem on passing these exams. Also, my current firm does not support at all this process in any way so this is a huge financial burden on my self. Talking to other foreign architects in my team that are in the same situation looks like they had to take every exam 3 times failing until being able to pass it because of the language...
Any recommendations on what to do from other foreign architects in this process? Any feed back is appreciate it. Thanks!
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I hope NCARB answers this for you. I am American and struggled with the wording on these tests. Understanding what exactly they are asking is harder than any material covered on any exam. Many of my colleagues feel the same way as well, and we are all native English speakers. So I can't imagine trying to take these tests as a foreign architect. NCARB should have a path to licensure for foreign architects that doesn't include these exams.
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Join Bootcamp, you'll be practicing and practicing questions until they become much easier to handle.
I had the same problem and Michael Riscica's Bootcamp has been the solution. Not only you get to go over a tonnnnn of questions, but you discuss them with other people and learn from them how to interpret what they're asking. -
I appreciate your recommendation but i do not have the money for a bootcamp which is highly expensive, it does not seem fair to me that i need to throw money and money to pass these exams instead of being able to learn from the material, since the material is not clear or concrete at all. I wish NCARB would provide better material to study and test people base on knowledge.
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I can definitely sympathize with your experience with the ARE. There are a lot of convoluted questions on this exam that require 'time' and thought' and there just simply isn't enough 'TIME' in my opinion. So maybe the boot camp program is the way? But it sure is pricy and my firm is like yours- they dont pay for employee licencing and could care less about that. Im half way through the tests and am having a he'll of a time passing PA. I've taken it now 5 times and the last 2 times I took it I walked out of the testing center thinking I passed only to wake up to the opposite. It's insane! I think if I got 15 out of 95 wrong I failed but who the heck knows (unless I'm willing to waste 300$ to find out) what a racket! So enough of my venting, but I simply understand your frustration and would like to encourage you to perhaps take a few months break from the exam (like me) and come back to it after all there's really no rush- you have 5 years right ? lol
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Wow! The exams are challenging, must be especially challenging in a second language. Hang in there! I did my internship in Barcelona, so I feel for you. I have never been fluent in a second langue, so its hard for me to say, but I can only imagine it will get easier as you study and test. I would recommend many practice exams as well. Also sounds like you are an architect not a foreign architect/architectural designer even though you can't stamp in that particular state/ country?
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Margarita,
To many of us native English speakers, the ARE exams also feel as if they are written in a foreign language. I recently passed my last exam but it took 2.5 years and included 3 failed exams. I transitioned from ARE 4.0 to 5.0 but continued to find the 4.0 exam guides very useful. I mapped out the differences between 4.0 and 5.0 using the NCARB transition calculator and used the corresponding exam guides. They are free!
For example,
ARE 5.0 Practice Management = ARE 4.0 Construction Documents & Services + ARE 4.0 Programming, Practice, & Practice
Here is the 4.0 to 5.0 transition calculator: https://arecalc.ncarb.org/
Here are the links to the 4.0 exam guides:
PROGRAMMING, PLANNING & PRACTICE
https://www.ncarb.org/sites/default/files/PPP_Exam_Guide.pdf
SITE PLANNING & DESIGN
https://www.ncarb.org/sites/default/files/SPD_Exam_Guide.pdf
BUILDING DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION SYSTEMS
https://www.ncarb.org/sites/default/files/BDCS_Exam_Guide.pdf
SCHEMATIC DESIGN
https://www.ncarb.org/sites/default/files/SD_Exam_Guide.pdf
STRUCTURAL SYSTEMS
https://www.ncarb.org/sites/default/files/SS_Exam_Guide.pdf
BUILDING SYSTEMS
https://www.ncarb.org/sites/default/files/BS_Exam_Guide.pdf
CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS & SERVICES
https://www.ncarb.org/sites/default/files/CDS_Exam_Guide.pdf
Hopefully NCARB keeps the 4.0 guides up forever.
Good Luck!
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It is very frustrated cause it should not be expensive, the material for studying for each exam should be more clear that is all... at end it looks like it is more about how much money you can put in to instead of making sure you have the right knowledge... it does not make much sense. Thanks for the help, i will give it another try but if it does not work out i am not going to just waste my money, i have the knowledge what is what matters the most I am already licence in over 30 countries in Europe... LOL
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Hi Margarita,
It shouldn't be expensive, but you have been blessed to have an education that would have been much more expensive if you studied in the USA. (I'm not from here either so I'm not as bitter as many of our colleagues might be to this fact). I know a lot of the materials are expensive, but it is a learned process. Much of what is tested on is not actually taught in the universities, here, or in Europe, so in some ways, you should look at this as another degree. Or, in many ways, a Professional degree. I would rather a doctor who went through his boards to operate on me, or I would rather a lawyer who went through his bar exams to defend me. I believe the public would rather an architect who went through this rigor to put a very heavy roof over their head. I do believe these exams are far harder than they should be, and I can only imagine how much harder it is for people coming with English as a second language, but I have seen MANY ESL people pass, so it's not impossible.
As for resources, I've heard Pluralsight is fairly priced, check it out. They also have a week for free, so you can browse the content and not commit. I've also googled for many of the books and found pdf's free online. But of course some you have to buy. Also look at selling them in the end. Designer Hacks also have free 25 test questions for all the divisions.
Good Luck!
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The language thing aside (which i agree is terribly unfair), it doesn’t have to be that expensive. The tests themselves and NCARB are what they are. But the test materials don’t have to be. Many of these books and resources are available online in PDF form for free if you search hard enough. Many are also in the reference section of public libraries. Non reference ones are available for Check out in larger cities. College Libraries at architecture schools have more obscure stuff. . I ordered used copies, older versions, or e-reader versions online when i found them for affordable prices (like $15) then resold them when finished.
You don’t have to subscribe to these crazy expensive quiz companies like amber or black spectacles or online boot camps. I did pluralsight one month at a time when needed which was much more affordable.
You DO NOT have to spend your life savings to be successful on these tests. Read the first sources listed in the handbook and take old fashioned notes. Make your own note cards. Study in the library where the books sit free on dusty shelves. Dig online for versions. Watch you tube videos about electricity and moment frames.
I did spend the money to buy the ballast practice exam book. I think it and the practice problems (which i didn’t buy) are worth the money
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Hi Margarita,
I am also an architect from Spain and understand fully your frustration. I am starting to prepare for the ARE, luckily my company will reimburse all the official costs and helps with the education, try asking at your company, specially if they are the ones pushing you to be licensed, otherwise, being licensed is always optional, not compulsory. In my case, my company strongly requires it, so they understood they have to help pay for it.
Unrelated, I have questions for you about the EESA process and this forum does not allow to send direct messages...
Como hiciste la notarized copy de tus documentos? Pensaba que valia con el SET (Suplemento Europeo al Titulo) y cuando he ido a notarizarlo me han dicho que no pueden hacerlo... creo que el proceso es mas complicado de lo que yo pensaba y no se ni como empezar. Que documentos enviaste y que necesito hacer?
Te agradeceria muchisimo tu respuesta, y perdona la falta de tildes!
Thanks!
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Hi Margarita
I am a father of 3 teenage kids & have been taking exam since ARE 3.0.
I passed some & rolling clock ended, gave up with fear, hopelessness overwhelmed me, re-opened the book of ARE4.0 & passed some & ARE 5.0 appeared & have to retake all but CE because I did not know there is ARE 5.0 community & other on-line help.
Dear Margarita
If you have another dream & way to live financially with your lovely family, no need to take this exam to be a registered architect. However, if you have to have this license, Here is what I share based on my experience.
When my rolling clock of ARE 3.0 stopped, I could not bear the fear to retake all again, so I ran away for a year.
But the hopelessness & sense of uselessness are much harder to bear than the fear so one day I reopen the book of structural & at least read whenever I have free time such as waiting my son in the after school activity for 2 hrs or early in the morning at Starbucks for 1 hrs, etc. for about 6 months. One day my wife encourage to take a exam with no pressure & expectation. Surprisingly, I passed & passed another 3 more.
I will try to finish this year all other exam of ARE 5.0
Here is my record of failure with fear and hopelessness and purpose.
So My suggestion if you have to get the license with us.
Take about 6 months just reading & digesting with no pressure whenever you have free time or so.
Pick either PcM+PjM path or PA+PPD+PDD and CE as a last piece. Each paths are together & overlapping intensely.
For PcM+PjM, see link below.
https://are5community.ncarb.org/hc/en-us/community/posts/360020464653
For PA+PPD+PDD, read through slowly Ballst Book 4.0 for 6 months or so until you finish to read once or twice.
When you have confidence for this book, schedule exam month after month & get some help from various sources not that expensive such as PPI learning hub (month to month or 6months with some discount) or designer hack ($39 per subject).
Whichever path you choose, good luck & most of all be happy !!!
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Margarita,
I hate to be negative but I will be realistic. NCARB will not do anything to help you. NCARB doesn't even help people who are fluent in english.
The goal of NCARB is to prevent as many people as possible from becoming licensed while maintaining the image that they are there to help people become licensed. It's totally disingenuous, absolute garbage.
In America, architecture is controlled by old, white men. NCARB is no different - see the NCARB board members here: https://www.ncarb.org/about/board-directors. In America, architecture is a patriarchal vocation and the people in charge have no interest in change.
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Hey ARE5 Community,
I'm struggling for the 3rd time on one (and first) exam division which is the Programming & Analysis.
The questions bank seems to be repeatable many times however I can't know the right answer till today. when I prepare for the test, I feel myself in an excellent candidate but I failed. Tried Black Spectacles & PPI to pass memberships then I end up spending my money.
I'm not a native English speaker, I'm Egyptian and I came to the USA in 2013, working as a designer for more than 4 years. I need help please, THE EXAM IS SO HARD HARD.
WE NEED AN ACTION FROM NCARB <<<I NEED A LISTENER FROM NCARB TEAM>>>. they're killing me with their endless bureaucracy and saying "sorry about that".Sorry about my bad expression.
Thank you in advance all. -
Hi,
Im sorry you are going through this but it is what it is. I am in the same situation, we will have to spend way more money and dedicate way more time than anyone because English in not are native language. you have to play with their rules. Sign up for the ARE bootcamp Michael Risica is the best it changed everything for me. I still have not being able to pass an exam either this is my second year at it ... but i wont give up!
Good luck!
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