Welcome to the Architectural Registration Exam (ARE) experience stories series! This series is to share experiences, timelines and advice of professionals that have completed their AREs. We know it can be a daunting task to get started and overwhelming on the number of resources out there. We hope you find this information helpful in organizing how you proceed through your exams. Good Luck!
This is the experience, timeline, and advice from:
Jason Andrews, AIA
Jason is an Architect at Rothchild Doyno Collaborative in Pittsburgh. He graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture from Virginia Tech in 2019. In college, he was particularly interest in how both analog and digital tools could aid him in a design process. This passion carries with him today as he uses his sketchbook and camera to study the world around him. He also extends his interests as an active member of the Pittsburgh’s vibrant arts community.
This year, he is the YAF Pittsburgh Committee Chair. He is already doing great things this year to engage young architectural professionals with our local community.
“You do NOT need to memorize everything from every study book other there.”
Exam Order
| February 8, 2021 | In person | PcM | Pass |
| March 1, 2021 | In person | PjM | Pass |
| March 12, 2021 | In person | CE | Pass |
| March 27, 2021 | In person | P&A | Pass |
| April 16, 2021 | In person | PPD | Pass |
| June 7, 2021 | In person | PDD | Pass |
Advice for you!
Often people don’t know where to start, do you have any advice for those looking to start their exams -or- how did you start?
Find a study partner. It is much easier to take the dive with a friend or colleague. Start by reading or watching the same content, and then meet up to review and ask each other questions. You can keep this up as a routine, or you can go off on your own at your own pace, but this is a great way to get started.
What type of study materials did you use? Any particular ones that you’d recommend?
I used the Amber Book for content, and Black Spectacles and Ballast for practice exams. I think Amber Book is unmatched in terms of its quality explanations of core concepts. The Amber Book recommendation is to take the course and then sign up for all 6 exams. I could not bring myself to do that. I needed time to take multiple practice exams before each exam. Practice exams aren’t just reassurance that you are ready to go; they are study materials in themselves. If you treat the answer key almost as a mini textbook, you can fill in the gaps in your knowledge without having to go through entire books.
Do you have any other advice for someone studying for their exams?
You do not need to get an ‘A’ on these exams to pass. You do not need to memorize everything from every study book out there. Do not waste time overstudying. By taking plenty of practice exams, you will get a sense if you are hitting the percentage needed to pass or not.
We hope that this information helps you through our ARE journey, setting goals, and giving you some insight on how to get started.
Thank you again to Jason Andrews for sharing your story!
Edited by
Katelyn Rossier, AIA, LSSBB
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