Passed AREs First Try! & CSE Second Try

Hi y'all! Now that I've officially passed the California Supplemental Exam and am all done test taking I wanted to offer my advice on passing the AREs (and CSE for my California folks) as quickly as possible. Please keep in mind that I dedicated a huge amount of time to studying and put my social time on the backburner for a good few months to make this happen. For those of you studying while taking care of kids, or traveling for work, or any number of other things, be patient and realistic about what you can achieve in a short amount of time.

ARE

Used only Amber Book & NCARB Practice Tests

Focused on truly understanding the material and the “why” behind everything, not just memorizing content

Studied all the main AB content first, then before each exam I studied the AB flashcards for that section and the NCARB Practice Test

Quizlet is an underrated tool! I wrote my own flashcards and used their “Learn” tool for quick study sessions throughout the day. I paid for Quizlet+ and found it well worth it.

Practicing your test-taking strategy is very important. This will vary from person to person but take your practice tests how you intend to take the real exam. (I took 1-2 breaks to go to the bathroom and for the longer tests ate a quick snack to keep energy up)

Take all the exams as close together as you can

My test dates (I went on vacation in March and May, otherwise I would not recommend a big break between them).

PcM: 2/10/25

PjM: 2/11/25

CE: 2/24/25

PA: 4/7/25

PPD: 5/27/25

PDD: 5/28/25

CSE

The only test that took me 2 attempts!

Do not take a big break between the ARE and CSE! I did and I regretted it.

I tried Amber Book and Black Spectacles, and I didn’t love either of them as much as I did AB for the AREs, but of the two I would recommend AB because it’s cheaper

Supplement AB by reading the actual reference material from the CSE Handbook

This test is only multiple choice and is most often about picking the best answer when there is more than one answer that is not explicitly wrong. Study the NCARB provided practice questions to learn their logic. You should understand why these are the correct answers like the back of your hand.

There is plenty of time to get through 130 questions in 3.5 hours, so practice moving slowly and methodically through the exam. If you have multiple questions that reference CEQA, for example, they may give hints within the questions that you can go back and reference.

You do have access to scratch paper, but there are no digital highlight and cross out tools like the ARE (which I used a lot). Instead, I used my scratch paper on every question to think through my options.

Break a leg everyone! You've got this!

Ralph Hale October 08, 2026 19:31

Kpeppas,

Congratulations!! We're so glad we could help you on your journey to licensure - go celebrate with all the people you ignored while you were studying!

Glad you found the CSE course helpful - the material isn't as fun as the ARE's either unfortunately. Did you use it after the flashcards and practice exam were added recently?

Cheers to your license!
Ralph, the Amber Book Team

pferrufi October 08, 2026 19:43

Congratulations kpeppas I am starting my journey and I just signed up for my Amber book membership ;)

pferrufi October 08, 2026 19:47

Kpeppas, How long did it take you to go over the amber book material before scheduling your first one? and I understand it will not be the same for everyone , is you could also share the approx hours per week you studied

Thank you

kpeppas October 08, 2026 19:56

Ralph Hale,

No I didn't use those new CSE tools! I used AB earlier this year before they were added. Glad to hear it is being continually improved.

kpeppas October 08, 2026 19:57

pferrufi,

I studied about 25 hours a week for 4 weeks before my first exam. As you mentioned, everyone is different so be patient as you find a rhythm for studying.

Passed AREs First Try! & CSE Second Try

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