Join The ARE Boot Camp if you fail an ARE exam 2x or more. 

Finally, I completed my long ARE journey. Last week, I passed PA, my last ARE exam & received the confirmation from NCARB the next day.  A week later, I receive a letter from California Architects Board to notify me that I am eligible to take the CSE exam. 

During this long stressful & frustrating journey, I learn:
- Do NOT give up! You WILL get there, ONLY IF you KEEP GOING.

- Everyone has a story to share, setbacks & challenges to overcome. 

- Have a study buddy to support each other and hold each other accountable to stay on course with your study plan. It’s important to study with someone with the same urgency & exam focus. 

- Learn better ways to study, commit to daily morning study with a buddy, take care of my mind (meditation) & body (eating healthy & exercise) & get the essential 7-8 hours of sleep. 

I want to thank these wonderful people who have really helped me to pass the ARE exams:

- Michael Risica & the ARE Boot Camp, where I am grateful for all the supports from the ARE Boot Camp Alumni. I learn so much from all their meetups and they are very generous & supportive with each other. 

- Elif  Bayram & her ARE Questions are excellent ARE Study materials. Her detailed explanation & point you to the resources to know & understand the concepts.

- Amber Video & Michael Ermann’s 40 min. Of Competence

The ARE exams have consumed my life for the past 22 years. Here is my story to share on WHY you should NOT give up. Stay focus & your time will come:

I have started ARE 3.0 with 9 exams & before my son (21-year-old) was born. When I worked overseas for 10 years, I flew back every other year to take 1-3 exams at a time. Unfortunately, my rolling clock did expire before I could pass my last 2 exams. I was devastated & frustrated. I was moping around for weeks & decided to pick myself up to retake all the ARE exams. When I moved back to the SF Bay Area, I joined the AIA local Chapter ARE Pact study group & then private tutor, but I couldn’t pass the technical exams. Then I was working overseas again & found the ARE Boot Camp. Although I didn’t pass the last 3 technical exams right away, I was attending & hosting meetups, and learn to study these 3 monster exams. During the past 2.5 years in the ARE Boot Camp, I was layoff & changed jobs, my son was in ER, stayed in the hospital for 10 days & we couldn’t fly back to the west coast for over a month, and my mother-in-law passed away (days before 1 of my exam, which I failed) last year. 

Last week, I have joined the CSE Boot Camp right after passing my last ARE. My final advice: find a study buddy or boot camp & study together, and be kind to yourself on this long stressful journey.