Gotta love the MEEB

A friend emailed me this link... if you've ever had to wade through the MEEB book (its pretty much a requirement for most architecture students), then this is too funny.

-to the non-architects... I apologize if you can't see the hilarity!

Tuned Mass Damper

If you are like me, then you probably don't work with tuned mass dampers on a regular basis. In fact, my only experience would be in structures classes and when I was studying for the ARE. So, its really cool to see a tuned mass damper, not just in a building, but actually working during an earthquake. The Taipei 101 is currently the world's second tallest building and because it is located only 600 feet from a fault line, it required a ginormous tuned mass damper. During the Sichuan Earthquake, this four story 730 ton ball kept the building from tipping over. Not bad for something that spends most of its time as a tourist destination.
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Via Gizmodo
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ARE - Materials and Methods

I've suddenly realized that I never finished writing up my experiences from the ARE... How can I talk about the 9 tests if I only write about 8? Although at this point its probably a waste of time - has the ARE moved to the 7 test format?- since I can barely remember my experience. Still... since I'm a bit of an obsessive compulsive, I wanted to at least share what I could remember.
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I started studying for the materials and methods exam after the mechanical and electrical building systems test. I was very nervous about this test, mainly because I didn't want to screw up the last one, so I postponed taking the test much longer than I needed. I felt like there was a fair amount of overlap between pre-design and materials and methods... so they worked as great bookends for me. Really, I've heard different schools of thought about the M&M test... some people think its good to take it early, as the range of material covered is so broad... I on the other hand, opted to take it last, hoping that I would have covered the majority of the material in previous tests. In fact, I think it would have worked out fine either way.
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As far as the actually studying went... I spent about 8 weeks preparing (way more than needed) and just like with the other multiple choice exams, I used the Kaplan Book and CD as well as the Archiflash cards as my main study materials. I also supplemented the Kaplan with Building Construction Illustrated by Ching. As with the other exams, the simple diagrams and drawings in the Ching book really helped me to better understand the systems and methods.

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I feel like if you've already studied for the rest of the exam, this should be a fairly simple subject... There aren't really any calculations and the test is based on an understanding of materials that hopefully we should all have by this point in our education/careers. Still, I realize that all the exams are different, and I should consider myself lucky that I got a fairly easy version.
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I apologize for not writing about this exam earlier, when my memory could have better served us all... But, hopefully this little bit will help (even if it only helps ease your worries).
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Good Luck!
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ARE - Mechanical and Electrical Building Systems

After my structural exams, I set my mind to studying for the mechanical and electrical building systems test. I was lucky to sneak into the old format, scheduling my test before they changed the format. Although, in all honesty, I'm not sure that the fill in the blanks would have been any more difficult... the only thing you'd be losing out on is the guess factor. Because at least for me, most of the questions that I really struggled with required calculations...

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Just like with the other multiple choice exams, I used the Kaplan Mechanical & Electrical Systems Book and CD as well as the Archiflash cards as my main study materials. Per many recommendations, I also supplemented the Kaplan with Mechanical and Electrical Equipment for Buildings, 10th Edition by Stein Reynolds and Building Construction Illustrated by Ching. Both were helpful, although MEEB was a bit overwhelming... I much preferred the simple diagrams and drawings in the Ching book, which really helped me to better understand the systems.

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For me, this was by far the hardest exam and I had wished that I had been better prepared for the subject. There is just so much material to cover, including having a good understanding of green building systems. Studying systems diagrams proved to be more beneficial than anything else, however I still spent most of the exam rereading the questions for clues.

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I'm afraid that I don't have a lot of good advice for this exam, partly because its been quite a while since I took the test, but also partly because I was so overwhelmed and confused when I took the exam. So the best advice I can give, is to review Ching's systems diagrams and review the green building sections of the MEEB book.

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Good Luck!

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ARE - Lateral Forces

As I mentioned before, I had decided to combine studying efforts for the general structures exam and the lateral forces exam. I was extremely nervous about the exam because I did not feel good at all about the general structures exam I had taken only 10 days prior. Still, I knew that I needed to focus on the exam at hand and not worry about the previous test.

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Like all of the other tests, I used the Kaplan General Structures/Lateral Forces Book and CD as well as the Archiflash cards as my main study materials. Also, make sure that if you use the Kaplan books, that you realize that the lateral forces portion is combined with one of the general structures book. I thought that this Kaplan book was the most lacking of all of the books, as there were only 3 small chapters devoted to lateral forces. Luckily, I felt like the cd and archiflash cards really made up for what was lacking in the book. I also decided to go over a few of the concepts with one of the structural engineers that my office works with, which was quite helpful.

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I can imagine that the lateral forces exam can be a bit daunting if you have never dealt with lateral forces. However, in the pacific northwest, this is an issue all of our structures must address, so I felt pretty comfortable with the material. Compared to the general structures exam, lateral forces is actually much more generalized. The lateral forces section focuses much more on concepts and ideas, rather than calculations. If you get a good understanding of the concepts, you should be able to deduce any mathematical problems using the formulas they give you. Although the formulas are given to you, so you don't need to memorize them... if you can, it will only make your life easier. It can be a waste of time to go back and forth from the formula page to the questions.

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All in all, I thought that this was one of the simplest (if not the simplest) exam of the bunch. I realize that everyone takes a different test and therefore you can never guarantee that your exam will be easy... the breadth of material for this exam is much less than others, which makes it much easier to study.

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Good Luck!

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More Study Materials

I just listed a bunch more Architectural Registration Exam (ARE) study materials for sale on ebay. Personally, if I were to only get a few materials, then I would definetly buy the Archiflash flash cards and the graphic exam practice vignettes. But that's just me... So, feel free to click through if you're interested. Click here to see more posts on the ARE's individual sections.

Archiflash Flash Cards

Kaplan Mechanical and Electrical Test Bank CD Rom 2006

Kaplan Building Design/Materials and Methods Test Bank CD Rom 2006

Kaplan Pre-Design Test Bank CD Rom

Kaplan Lateral Forces Test Bank CD Rom

Kaplan General Structures Test Bank CD Rom 2006

Mechanical and Electrical Equipment for Building Ed. 8

Building Technology Practice Vignettes

Building Planning Practice Vignettes

Site Planning Practice Vignettes

ARE - General Structures

After finishing up the graphic exams, I decided to knock out the two structural tests. I had already signed up to take the mechanical/electrical exam before they changed the format, but I wanted to first study for the structural tests and finish them both before Christmas. I waited a bit too long to schedule the general structures test... I was ready to take it, but the next available exam was almost a month away. So, I decided to schedule both tests about 10 days apart right before Christmas. This was the closest together that I took any of the exams. I know that a lot of people take the exams very close together, but I just couldn't seem to get my act together. Luckily, because the two exams are so similar, and obviously relate, I didn't have any problems studying for them both together.

Just like with the other multiple choice exams, I used the Kaplan General Structures Book and CD as well as the Archiflash cards as my main study materials. Also, make sure that if you use the Kaplan books, that you check out both structural books when studying for the general structures exam. I didn't realize until I started studying for the lateral forces exam that the general structures portion bleeds into the second book (with only 3 chapters devoted to lateral forces). I guess it was a good thing that I decided to study for both tests at once, or else I would have never studied half the material. Unfortunately, general structures is a very wide subject and it is pretty difficult to get a good grasp on all of the possible material. Having said that, I though that the combination of the Kaplan book, cd, and archiflash was pretty sufficient in studying... with the exception of one major section - masonry. I can not stress enough how important it is to study masonry. Especially as someone who doesn't really have any real life experience in masonry, I had wished that I had been better prepared for this subject. Studying the structural components of masonry will also help you in the materials exam.

When actually taking the exam, I realized how ill prepared I was for the masonry sections. While, I had no problems with the steel or concrete or conceptual structural questions, I really struggled with the masonry section. I had trouble focusing on this test because I felt so blindsided by the shear amount of material with which I wasn't the least bit familiar. But, just like the other architectural registration exams, I just kept rereading and checking the answers of the questions I didn't know. Often, I was able to deduce an answer on one question based on the wording of another.

Leaving the test, I felt absolutely deflated... But I knew that I couldn't dwell on the negative because the lateral forces exam was not far away.

I definitely think that the key to this exam is understanding the concepts and having a good understanding of how and when different formulas are used. The formulas are given to you, so you don't need to memorize them... but if you can, it will only make your life easier. It can be a waste of time to go back and forth from the formula page to the questions.

Good Luck!

Shameless

I'm in the process of selling my ARE study materials on Ebay. If you are interested in any of the following, feel free to click through...

Fundamentals of Building Construction by Edward Allen

Mechanical and Electrical Equipment for Buildings by Stein Reynolds Grondzik Kwok

Uniform Building Code 1997

International Building Code 2000

ARE - Building Technology

Building Technology was the last graphic exam for me. The building technology exam is the longest (at 6 hours) and is made up of 6 sections including a building section, structural layout, accessibility/ramp, mechanical and electrical plan, stair design, and a roof plan. Each of these taken separately are relatively simple, but it can be confusing when moving from one design test to another. And again, the most difficult part of the test is often trying to navigate through NCARB's software.

Like the other tests, I relied heavily on Kaplan products for studying, including the book and practice tests. Just like with the site planning and building planning, the practice tests give you a problem similar to the exams, with one or two solutions in the back. Once again, I worked out 3 separate solutions on trace paper before looking at the solutions. The practice software was also very helpful for this exam. But to be completely honest, the most helpful study guide for this exam was the ARE Forum, which I found while studying for this test. I can not stress enough how helpful this forum is while you are studying... Not only can you chat with other intern architects around the country, all working towards the same goal, but there are many people on the forum willing to share insights into the exam. I'm not talking about anything that would be against NCARB policy, rather I'm talking about the intricacies of the software. For example, people on the forum will explain exactly how to pick a vertex on the roof plan, and what to do if you can not seen to select the roof. This forum proved invaluable for me, for this test as well as all of the subsequent exams.

My thoughts on the different sections of the exam are as follows:

1) The building section is extraordinarily easy. If you don't know how to draw a standard building section, then perhaps you are not ready for this test. Reading Kaplan's guidelines and the information found on the ARE Forum helped clarify any questions about the software.

2) I also found the structural layout to be fairly simple. Although, I must admit that I do structural layouts (of a similar size) regularly at work. You don't need to have any in depth knowledge about the structures, but rather a good understanding of simple framing techniques. If you keep your solution simple (try spanning in the shortest direction possible), you will be much more likely to find success.

3) Accessibility/Ramp was the most difficult portion of the exam for me. The concepts are very simple, but like the building planning section you've got to determine a solution fairly quickly in order to have time to input it into the computer. Also like building planning, I sketched my solution on the scratch paper in advance of putting it into the computer. If you don't do this sort of thing at work, then I would recommend plenty of practice. Make sure to accommodate railings and leave plenty of room for landings.

4) The mech and elec section of the test is fairly simple in concept, but can be pretty confusing due to all of the information that needs to be put in a relatively small area. Practice using the layers function of the software, as it will be extremely useful as you try to locate lights, diffusers, duct work, and more. I made a matrix of all the items required and rooms in which they are needed on the scratch paper before putting the solution in the computer. Try to keep the solutions as symmetrical as possible in order to obtain the simplest solutions.

5) The stair design exam is another more difficult portion... Again, the difficulty is in quickly laying out the solution on the first try. The key for this portion is to be sure to keep track of head room, as there is always a solution that seems obvious, but actually doesn't work due to lack of head height.

6) Lastly, the roof plan in another simple test. Keep your roof design as simple as possible and be sure to locate the equipment above appropriate areas. Its also important to locate the downspouts per the program... don't add anything unnecessarily.

Good Luck and try not to over study!

A Little Disconcerting

I saw this 'construction project', if you can call it that since there was no appearance of any additional construction, while in Hyde Park during my latest visit to Chicago. The removal of the brick arch seems to go against everything I know about structures, especially knowing the age of most of the surrounding structures... You've got to assume that this is a load bearing masonry structure, so what's holding up the masonry above the missing arch?

ARE - Building Planning

Next up for me after the Site Planning exam was the Building Planning exam. In my opinion, this exam (more than any other) is nearly impossible to study for... If you do a lot of schematic design in your work, then you are certainly at an advantage, but really this is an exam where common sense and a good design intuition prevail.

Again, I relied heavily on Kaplan products for studying, including the book and practice tests. Just like with the site planning, the practice tests give you a problem similar to the exams, with one or two solutions in the back. Once again, I worked out 3 separate solutions on trace paper before looking at the solutions. A big portion of this test relies on you having a good understanding of and inherent ability to space plan.

There are two sections for this graphic exam. I found the first in which you must do space planning for an office to be the more difficult of the two, if only because of the time constraint. You must incorporate a variety of rooms, furniture, and clearance requirements in a short amount of time. I found the best way to attack the problem was to sketch it out first (on the scratch paper they give you) before attempting to put it into the computer. I didn't personally think that there was enough time to input an incorrect solution and then correct it within the time given, so it was very important to have a clear direction when starting to draw. Also, be sure to use the practice software provided by NCARB... The software is not intuitive at all, and can be quite confusing at times. For example, you must be sure to overlap your walls exactly, rather than placing them side by side. I strongly feel that this one bizarre feature of the program accounts for more fails than actual poor designs.

I found the second section of the exam extraordinarily easy. In fact, I finished with more than an hour left in the exam, which was plenty of time for me to worry that I had missed something obvious. Again for the second section, which requires you to provide a schematic design for a two story building (including egress and adjacency requirements provided in the program), I sketched out my solution before inputting it into the computer. I also carefully drew a matrix describing adjacency requirements, and window/view requirements, egress, and room sizes. Room areas must be within 10% +/- of the given area in order to pass, which I listed on the matrix. This ensured that I did not go over or under in my design. Also, I found it much easier to make the rooms as small as possible, that way if I needed to enlarge a particular room in order to make the design work, I would likely not have to worry about the area or egress. And to reiterate, just like in the site planning... providing the most sexy and forward thinking design is not nearly as important as providing a good design that functions properly.

Good Luck and try not to over study!

ARE - Site Planning

After studying for and finishing the pre-design and construction documents multiple choice exams, I decided to switch gears to the graphic exams. For those of you who aren't aware... the current version of the exam consists for 6 multiple choice exams and 3 graphic exams. The graphic exams have some of the lowest pass rates, which is why I wanted to take them sooner than later. If I was going to have to retake and exam, it would be easy to tack another onto the end... but if you fail that last exam, then you've got to wait a full 6 months before you can retake it.

Anyway... In my opinion, the hardest thing about the graphic exams is learning the new software. NCARB uses a proprietary software, rather than something like AutoCAD, so that no test taker can have an advantage over another. The problem though, is that more often that not, a failing score is due more to difficulties with the software, than difficulties with the scope of the exam. Having said that, I did think that this was the most difficult (in scope) of all the graphic exams, and it was the only exam of the 9 that I used every last second of available time.

Again, I relied heavily on Kaplan products for studying, including the book and practice tests. The practice tests give you a problem similar to the exams, with one or two solutions in the back. I found that once I saw the solution, that I could no longer think beyond it... it would just get ingrained in by brain. So, in order to practice each tests multiple times, I worked out 3 separate solutions on trace paper before looking at the solutions. A big portion of this test relies on you having a good understanding of and inherent ability to space plan. Because you will never know the problem in advance, you must rely on common sense and your own space planning to find the best solution.

The site planning exam is made up of 3 sections, site zoning, site grading, and site planning. Both the zoning and grading vignettes are fairly simple and short. Between modifying contours to affect drainage, and drawing a site section and plan reflecting zoning requirements, there is no reason that any intern architect should not be able to pass these sections of the exam. However, the site planning portion (which is longer) is a bit more difficult. There are a great deal of site requirements such as shading, handicap access, parking, views, and protection from the elements that must be considered (just like any project). The difficulty comes in accommodating all of the requirements in a relatively short time frame. I personally found the parking to be the most difficult, as its something that I don't regularly deal with at work. While working on this portion of the exam, I copied down the requirements onto my scrap paper, so that I wouldn't need to flip between the drawings and instruction screens. This turned out to be well worth the effort, because I ended up using every last second (I noticed a missing shady areas at the last minute) moving some trees around and would not have had time to flip back the the instruction screen to review my solution.

I thought the most important thing to do in order to study for this test was to practice the NCARB software over and over. Make sure that you know how to use every function without thinking, as you'll want all the time available for design, not struggling with the computer. Also, try to remember that the computer will not grade you on the most exciting design, but rather the most correct one... you need to be careful to fulfill all of the programmatic requirements before you try to do anything fancy with the design. This is a little different than the way many people work, but its what you need to do in order to pass.

Good Luck!

Well, I was kind of hoping...

Today I arrived home to a great bundle of mail... my official certificate of registration and architectural license number! Although, I have to admit that as excited as I am... after over a year of studying and anticipation, this little bit of mail was a bit anti-climatic. Ah well... at least the wait is finally over and I can officially say that I AM AN ARCHITECT.

I'm pretty pumped (in case you didn't notice).

Card via Etsy

ARE - Construction Documents

Even though I had felt like the Pre-Design exam was a complete fiasco, I didn't have time to dwell on the negative... I had already scheduled my Construction Documents exam for 2 weeks after pre-design. I knew that I wouldn't get the results until after I took the second test, so I tried to focus on the next exam rather than the impending results of pre-design. The exam consists of Codes and Regulations, Environmental Issues, Construction Drawings and Project Manual, and Project and Practice Management. Many of these subjects come up in daily use at work, while others overlap quite a bit with Pre-Design, which made studying easier since I had just finished that test..

Just like with the pre-design exam, I used the Kaplan Construction Documents & Services Book and cd as well as the Archiflash cards as my main study materials. The Kaplan book in particular was very basic for this section, and knowing that a good portion of the exam focuses on contract details, I supplemented my studying with as many AIA documents as I could get my hands on. My office is pretty open in sharing these documents, so I was able to refer to older contracts and forms. However, my office (like many, I'm sure) doesn't use all of the AIA documents, just the few that pertain to our general use. I had a great deal of difficulty memorizing the use of documents that I had never seen before. I know that some local AIA offices will lend sample documents out to members, and I would highly advise taking this opportunity if you can get it. While studying, I also had the opportunity to go over some of the terminology with a few friends, one of whom is in real estate and the other owns his own construction company. These two people really helped fill in the gaps in my understanding of legal issues related to the construction industry. Personally, I felt that the majority of the Construction Documents exam is common sense, especially if you have experience in construction administration. However, the smaller portion of the test that focuses on the legalese of the profession is very difficult.

Again, I spent a great deal of time studying (although not quite as much as Pre-Design), spending about 5 hours per week for 6 weeks, and then 24 hours per week for 2 weeks. Going into the test, I was a bit apprehensive, as I had felt prepared for the pre-design test and yet still found it very difficult. However, I didn't need to worry too much... I thought this was one of the easiest tests of the bunch (although again, I can't stress enough how different the tests are for everyone).

Again, one of the keys to taking this exam was to make sure to leave enough time to review all of the questions. However, this test is different from many of the others as it requires not only an understanding of concepts but also a great deal of memorization of terminology. And again,. if you've got experience in construction administration (which technically, we all should in order to even be qualified to take the exams) this test should not be a problem.

Good Luck!

ARE - Pre-Design

After I finally received approval to test, I quickly started studying for the Pre-Design exam. Actually to clarify, I had been casually studying for both Pre-Design and Construction Documents for several months while I waited for permission to schedule an exam.

You see, I had mistakenly thought that it would only take a month or two for my records to transfer (I had semi-regularly kept up my NCARB/IDP file). Of course, I was absolutely wrong... it took more like 6 months from the time I requested the transfer until I received the letter of permission. During this time, I purchased the Archiflash Cards and had casually reviewed the two sections mentioned above.

One of the big problems I had with starting studying was the absurd list of reference materials listed by NCARB... How on earth are we supposed to know which materials to study?!? The list is so long and inclusive, there is no possible way for anyone to read, comprehend, and retain all of the information.

Based on the advice of a few friends that had passed the test, I decided to use the Archiflash cards and the Kaplan Pre-Design Book and Pre-Design CD-ROM Mock Exam as my study guides. This particular test is one of the most inclusive exams, incorporating programming and analysis, environmental, social, and economic issues, codes and regulations, project and practice management, and site planning/design principles and environmental issues. And of course, architectural history has been dispersed throughout all of the multiple choice exams (although, I thought pre-design was the most history heavy).

I spent a great deal of time studying for this exam... to be honest, I probably spent more than needed, studying approximately 20 hours per week for 8 weeks. But, I'm a bit of a nerd and a bit compulsive, so not knowing how difficult the test would be, I thought it would be better to be over prepared than under. Looking back, I think that I likely spent more time studying than needed, but I personally needed the confidence boost of knowing that I knew all of the archiflash cards and could score a 90% or higher on all of the practice exams.

Using the Kaplan book was very helpful, but its really only useful if you already have a general knowledge of the material. If you are looking for a more in depth explanation of a particular subject, than you are far better suited to check out the reference materials listed by NCARB. The cd was also helpful (I had received the whole set as Christmas gifts), but perhaps a bit redundant if used with the Kaplan book. The biggest benefit was to practice the exam in a timed format similar to the actual test.

As the test date got closer, I started to panic about the history portion of the exam. While I feel that I have a decent understanding and memory for architectural history, it had still been a long time since I cracked a history book. One weekend I decided to check out Borders, specifically looking for a quick and easy refresher course. I knew that if my memory was jogged, I would be able to recall more specific architectural information. The only book I could find that seemed appropriate was Architecture for Dummies. I can't tell you how embarrassed I was to buy the book, but I must admit I sure am glad that I did.... There were multiple questions on my exam, whose answers I could specifically remember from the Dummies text. Go figure.

Once I finally sat for the exam, I felt that I could not possibly be more prepared... And then I started taking it. This was one of the most difficult of all the exams (at least for me), and I struggled through the entire thing (with the exception of the history questions). The toughest thing about this exam is the shear volume of the material. I feel like there is no amount of studying that would truly prepare you for this test. All you can really do is study hard and use common sense when applicable. All of the site and environmental issues are particularly crucial in both theory and application. If you don't deal with these sorts of items on a regular basis at work, then I would definitely recommend dedicating some study time to site and urban planning.

Somehow, even though I felt this test was impossible, I managed to scrape a pass. I think one of the keys is to leave enough time to carefully review each question of the exam, as sometimes you will find the answer to one question in another. I actually had more than 45 minutes to review the exam, as I either absolutely knew an answer or absolutely didn't (and had to guess).

Hopefully, this will help someone in their studying... As always, the most important thing is to have an understanding of the material rather than pure memorization, as the likelihood of the question exactly matching anything you have seen before is very slim.

Good Luck!

Summing Up

Now that I'm officially done taking the AREs, I finally feel ready to talk about the whole experience. Without giving too much away, I'd like to share some of my experiences so that perhaps other taking the exams realize that the horrific process is one shared by many.

I have to admit that nothing about taking the Architectural Registration Exams is easy. And I'm not even talking about the tests themselves. I swear that the whole process is designed to weed out those not fully committed to the profession by wrapping every last detail in yards and yards of red tape.

The first step of the exam process begins with signing up for IDP with NCARB. I can not stress enough the importance of signing up for IDP as soon as humanly possible! The longer you wait, the harder it is to get your hours processed, the longer it will take, and the more it will cost. You may not think that you can afford to sign up right out of school, but I swear it will make your life so much easier if you do. I can't think of a single person who has not somehow been slighted by NCARB, and while you may not think that its possible for an organization to take over a year to process your information, I assure you that not only is it possible, but its sometimes optimistic.

Once you have finally been authorized by NCARB to take the exams, you have to start scheduling your tests through Prometric. The tests can be scheduled online or on the phone, but if your testing facility is anything like mine, I'd advise you to schedule your exams up to 2 months in advance to ensure you can take them when you want. And while you might expect a facility conducive to test taking, you'll more likely find an uncomfortable chair facing a tiny monitor under a flickering florescent light. Peachy.

One great thing about the AREs is that you can determine the order of your exams for yourself, as well as the speed at which you take them. For me, this meant that I spent an entire year holed up in my apartment studying in order to ensure a pass on each test. But frankly, looking back I'm not sure that I would do it the same way. I know several people who took the exams in much quicker succession, and even with an occasional fail (and the requisite 6 month wait for the retake) managed to finish faster than me. The order for me, was also quite important... I tried to organize the test into pairs of similar tests (because there is a great deal of overlapping information) taking them in the following order:

Pre-Design
Construction Documents

Site Planning
Building Planning
Building Technology

General Structures
Lateral Forces

Mechanical & Electrical Systems
Materials and Methods

This system obviously worked well for me, but I'd certainly recommend reviewing the new changes that will be made to the ARE before scheduling or studying for any tests. The new system will have 7 tests instead of 9, and passes in some early tests will count after the transition (but not all).

Lastly, I'd also recommend taking some of the harder tests earlier. In my opinion I waited until too late in the process to take some of the harder exams, and was extremely stressed out wondering if I'd have to wait another 6 months to retake. While the tests are different for everyone, my personal difficulty rankings are listed below.

Simpler Than Expected
Lateral Forces
Materials and Methods
Building Planning

Fair, But Difficult
Site Planning
Building Technology
Construction Documents

Nearly Impossible
Pre-Design
General Structures
Mechanical & Electrical Building Systems

I plan on writing a summary of each testing experience later, but I hope that this basic overview will help others just starting the tests. As bad as it was, it was definitely worth all the effort!!

Done! Done! Done!

For the past two months I have been anxiously awaiting the results of my final Architectural Registration Exam. I haven't wanted to talk about the AREs on this site because although I'm not generally superstitious, I didn't want to jinx the results!

Well last night as I was getting ready to leave the office and walk home, C called to tell me he was waiting outside the office... I went outside where he was standing with a very large envelope from the Department of Licensing. Flashbacks of college applications, when you hoped for the large envelope came flooding back and I hurriedly opened the package. Sure enough, it was a P (apparently they are too lazy to write out the whole word... and don't get me started on how similar P and F are). And not just one P, but the final in a set of nine Ps.

All of this means that after a long year of studying, I am finally done. Done with all nine exams! Now all I have to do is a little more paperwork and pay a little more money and I can officially call myself an architect!!! I spent the rest of the night (and will probably spend the rest of the weekend) skipping around without a care. I feel so completely relieved to know that these tests are finally behind me!

Structures 101

This building located in NYC has the unfortunate luck of being located next to another building that is currently under construction. Still, its a good reference if you ever have trouble understanding the different types of load failure in masonry... cracks A & B are perfect examples of in-plane loading.

Visit Curbed to take part in the building collapse betting pool.

Ready for the ARE?

There used to be a post here advising about a new ARE study class available in Seattle (among other areas). I say used to be, because I've decided to delete the information (and the two spam-like comments). I previously allowed the comments from the company's rep, because I thought they were harmless and moderately informative. But, now I've been spammed by this company (they sent me a pm on a forum I belong to)... and I do not appreciate spam!

They've now lost me as a potential client.

It figures...

Now, that I am almost done with the ARE, they have decided to change the exam formats. The multiple choice and graphic divisions will be combined, which will subsequently decrease the number of exams from 9 to 7. The changes won't be going into affect for at least a year, but they are coming.

I'm sure there is going to be a lot of conversation regarding the difficulty or ease of the new format. People who have already taken the exams will probably think that their 9 tests were more difficult... and I'm sure that people taking the new version will argue that the new combined format is more difficult. I for one, think that NCARB maintains a certain percentage of passes and fails no matter the difficulty of the test, so it won't make a difference. I'm a little bummed about having to pay for 9 tests instead of 7, but they'll probably increase the costs of the tests to make up the difference.

I haven't yet figured out how to post a pdf, so if you are interested in learning more click here.

Also, as a side note, this information is not yet available on the NCARB website, and since I found it through another forum I can't verify its authenticity. However, it sure looks like the real thing and the changes they are proposing actually make sense, for once.