Strategies for passing ARE exams on the first try
Passing ARE exams on the first try, like everything else, needs not only hard work, but also great strategy.
- Find out how much you already know and what you should study
You goal is NOT to read all the study materials. Your goal is to pass the exam. Flip through the study materials. If you already know the information, skip these parts.
Complete the NCARB sample questions for the ARE exam you are preparing for NOW without ANY studying. See what percentage you get right. If you get 68% right, you should be able to pass the real exam without any studying. If you get 50% right, then you just need 18% more to pass.
This “truth-finding” exam or exercise will also help you to find out what your weakness areas are, and what to focus on.
Look at the same questions again at the end of your exam prep and check the differences.
Note: We suggest you study the sample questions in the official NCARB Study Guide first, and then other study materials, and then come back to NCARB sample questions again several days before the real ARE exam.
- Cherish and effectively use your limited time and effort
Let me paraphrase a story.
One time someone had a chance to talk with Napoleon. He said:
“You are such a great leader and have won so many battles, that you can use one of your soldiers to defeat ten enemy soldiers.”
Napoleon responded:
“That may be true, but I always try to create opportunities where ten of my soldiers fight one enemy soldier. That is why I have won so many battles.”
Whether this story is true is irrelevant. The important thing that you need to know is how to concentrate your limited time and effort to achieve your goal. Do NOT spread yourself too thin. This is a principle many great leaders know and use and is why great leaders can use ordinary people to achieve extraordinary goals.
Time and effort are the most valuable asset of a candidate. How to cherish and effectively use your limited time and effort is the key to passing any exam.
If you study very hard and read many books, you are probably wasting your time. You are much better off picking one or two good books, covering the major framework of your exams, and then doing two sets of mock exams to find your weaknesses. You WILL pass if you follow this advice. You may still have minor weakness, but you will have covered your major bases…
Gang Chen, Author, Architect, LEED AP BD+C (GreenExamEducation.com)
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Gang,
to your point - I took 2 months between exams and focused all my studying on that upcoming exam.
I think that was a useful method to passing all of my exams the first time. Focused studying, in depth learning and repetition
rather then filling my head with everything possible under the sun.
Mark, Archizam
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The ARE exams test a candidate’s competency to provide professional services protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the public. Do NOT waste time on aesthetic or other design elements not required by the program.
Gang Chen, Author, Architect, LEED AP BD+C (GreenExamEducation.com)
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Gang,
Great advice. I just finished all exams with no fails - 2 in 2019, then I squeezed 4 tests into the last 9 weeks - and came here to post something similar.
Background: 10yrs experience in an E/a firm; I'm one of two arch staff and mostly do assessments, studies and support for engineering jobs.
My strategy was:
1. Familiarize myself with the content of all AREs.
2. Familiarize myself with the content of each specific test.
3. Take said practice test in the Study Guide. Understand what I got right, to makes sure I understood the concepts, and make a list of what I got wrong, and the associates references for those questions.
4. Make a list of my weaknesses for that exam based on the study guide.
5. Review the reference matrix and decide which references had the most content covering my weakness.
6. Make 2 weeks schedule to study. List out each content area (e.g. Contract doc: focus on General Conditions, or Risk Management for projects, etc). Bookmark content areas in my resources and start reading and taking minimal notes.
7. Three days out, make a prioritized list of the things that seemed important to know and hit those hard.
I took the tests in this order (passed Const Docs in 4.0 but let slip in 5yr clock): PcM, PPD, PA, PDD, CE, PjM.
I ended up purchasing the following reference materials:
- AHPP (Read the majority of it; I actually use this a lot at work anyway and think it is a good investment)
-Graphic Standards
-Site Planning and Design Handbook (moderately helpful, skimmed it)
-Problem Seeking (not sure if this really helped with any of the exams, but I like the book, reminds me of studio, lol)
-Building Construction Illustrated (I reference this more than graphic standards)
I already had old MEEB and old Fundamentals of Building Construction from school, and spent a lot of time bogged down in MEEB, which didn't feel that helpful.
I didn't pay for any third party study programs or groups or practice tests like black spectacles, but I DID talk to other architects about building envelope details, coordinating with disciplines, hypothetical owner/contractor scenarios, etc. I also perused this board to get a sense of the odd ball things that other people thought of, and there are some good case study questions and answers here.
Rather than trying to memorize every single detail or formula, understand the WHY and the INTENT of the content areas.
Katie
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Katie,
Congratulations! Thanks for sharing!
Gang Chen, Author, Architect, LEED AP BD+C (GreenExamEducation.com)
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