When I decided which test I was going to take first it was all about one thing: which one would be most practical and important for my working practice in architecture? I’ll probably say this a million times, but for me these tests are all about becoming a great architect. I have no interest in just passing the tests with the least possible effort, only to become a so-so architect. After all, why put in all this work, only to achieve minimal results?
So, when I did my personal evaluation of my immediate interests and needs, this is the test schedule I came up with:
- Programming and Analysis (PA)
- Project Planning and Design (PPD)
- Project Development and Documentation (PDD)
- Construction and Evaluation (CE)
- Project Management (PjM)
- Practice Management (PcM)
Notice how I am front loading what many test takers have called the hardest three exams. I did this for two reasons. First, I wanted to consume the most practical knowledge as soon as possible. Second, I figured why be scared of an exam division and push it to the back? Why not get it out of the way and make the second half of my studying a breeze in comparison. I knew this would greatly improve my chances of completing my exams faster, and with less stress and more joy.
“How Long Should I Study for Each Exam?”
Taking and passing each exam division in one year is not only possible, but with these Study Guides it will be easy!
There is a lot of information overlap between exam divisions, so in a perfect world, you will follow the exam sequence I outlined above, either by completing the exams 1-6 in that order, or you could do 4-6 and then 1-3. It’s not required, but it’ll make things a little easier on you.
If you are using my Study Guides if you study for 2-3 hours per day, you can plan to study for:
Programming and Analysis (PA): 1.5 months
Project Planning and Design (PDD): 2 months
Project Development and Documentation (PDD): 2 months
Construction and Evaluation(CE): 1 month
Project Management (PjM): 1 month
Practice Management (PcM): 1 month
If you notice, this plan will actually have you completing all six divisions within 9 months. This plan gives you 3 extra months to allow for breaks between exams, or to take a little longer to study.
Recommended Study Method
If you are interested in drinking the Kool-aid and giving the ARE Study Guide series a try, that’ll be pretty much the only resource you will need to prepare for the exams. I say pretty much, because depending on the exam I may recommend reviewing some other resources to help you sharpen your sword, such as the ADA Standards for Accessible Design. I haven’t finished producing all of the study guides yet, but my hope will be to only recommend one or two additional resources per exam (which will hopefully be available free, or at a low-cost).
To help the information stick, a great study strategy is to review the information you just read within 24 hours of reading it. A good way to do this is to review your highlighted notes before you go to bed.
When you study, make sure you are reading at a pace that you are actually processing the information you read.
Where Can I Find the Study Guides?
You can find all of the study guides on this website, click here to be directed.
Where Can I Find the Podcast?
The Podcast is available on all of the major podcast platforms including Spotify and Apple Podcasts. You can also listen to it directly on the website on this page.