The Architecture Registration Exam (ARE) is split into six divisions, each with their own exam. To meet the requirements for architecture licensure in any US Jurisdiction, you must pass all six exams. I recommend you subscribe to an ARE study course, specifically Amber Book, to learn the content (see my blog), and I recommend you study for all the exams at once (see my other blog). Let’s get started.
Tip 1: Register for an Exam NOW
The hardest part about studying for the ARE is to find the motivation to start studying. At school, your professor told you the date of an exam, and you mentally prepared yourself to study towards that date. But, with these AREs, the ball is in your court. You can schedule the exams whenever you want, and you can take as long as you want to study. But what happens is that you “never find time to study” because life is hard (and it is), and you never end up scheduling an exam because you do not have to. If you set a date, you will find the time to study. In fact, Amber Book makes you register for an exam appointment within ninety days for you to access the course. Right before I started studying, I registered for the Practice Management division exam three and a half months out, which I found out was plenty of time.
Tip 2: Stay Silent
This is a tip from Amber Book that I adhered to: stay quiet about studying for the AREs. You do not need to add unnecessary stress to yourself when others ask if you have passed your exams or not. I told no one at work. I told none of my family, not even my architect dad. I told none of my architecture friends. The only people I mentioned to that I was studying for the AREs were my four roommates, who are Physical Therapy Doctorate students, but I did not even tell them my exam days. Of course, when you study with a group of people, then keep quiet as a collective. Then, once you have passed your last exam, the stress is off, and you can celebrate.
Tip 3: Absorb the Content
There is no magic sauce. There is no shortcut. There is no cheat code to taking the AREs. You simply need to study all the content. Yes, there are test tips and tricks to the AREs, but you need to study all the material thoroughly and understand all the concepts. So, how do you study? There is this idea that people are a “type” of learner, such as a visual learner, audio learner, or a kinesthetic (learn by doing) learner. The truth is, though, that we are all a combination of these types of learning, and we absorb content best on what makes sense for a particular subject. For example, for a geography class, the best way to learn is through maps. For an English class, the best way to learn is through reading and writing. For math, it would be doing the math problems. For the AREs, there are variations of how the questions will be presented: case studies, diagrams, sections, plans, maps, etc. I learn and retain information super well from videos, and most people tend to as well, because videos combine both audio and visual learning, which is what Amber Book uses to convey its content.
Tip 4: Recall the Content
Absorbing the content is only half the equation. What is even more important is learning how to retrieve the content (i.e., practice problems, practice tests, flashcards, etc.). Amber Book is set up in question-answer format, so when I was on the train to work every day, I would do a quick review of the material I studied the day before by looking back at the questions and actively recalling the information. Amber Book and NCARB each have their own practice exams for each ARE division, so taking them is an absolute must for helping you to prepare for the exams.
Tip 5: Study Consistently
How often should you study? Consistency is especially important, especially for the AREs. It is extremely easy to take a lull and fall off a cliff. Be accountable of yourself and get in at least five minutes of studying each day if that is all you have. On my late work nights, I would watch a couple videos in bed before going to sleep, just to keep the momentum going. On the weekends, you can do your three-to-four-hour study blocks to catch up on content.
Tip 6: Study Just Enough
The exams are pass-fail. If you pass, you pass, regardless of how well you scored. I am not sure how NCARB calculates the cutoff score, but they have listed somewhere the approximate passing score range for each exam: https://www.ncarb.org/blog/what-score-do-you-need-to-pass-the-are#:~:text=You%20need%20to%20answer%20between,on%20these%20divisions%20to%20pass. My point is study just enough to pass, which may be 65%. There is an endless sea of content you can master, but you should focus on the content that will cover the most questions on the exam, which is what Amber Book already does for you. Again, USE AMBER BOOK!!!
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