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:
Sarah Nelson-Woynicz, AIA, NCARB, WELL AP, LEED AP
As a Project Architect with HKS, Inc in Atlanta, Georgia, Sarah’s professional practice focuses on commercial, mixed-use, and multi-family markets, while also amplifying and engaging in HKS’ justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion work. Dedicated to increasing the visibility of LGBTQIA+ architects, architecture adjacent, and design professionals, Sarah Nelson-Woynicz, AIA, is the Founder of Pride by Design. She has served on the AIA Atlanta Board of Directors and currently serves at the AIA Young Architect’s Forum Advisory Committee, Community Director.
“Don’t forget to show yourself grace and compassion throughout this process.”
Exam Order
I’ll speak to this within the question about study materials, but found tracking my exams alongside a project I was working on to be instrumental in my own process. The alignment did not quite stack up, but in many cases found that the exams I was studying for covered content that I was applying in my day-to-day project work. Looking back, having the space to ask questions and “test” what I was studying through my project work was a game changer. It pushed the exams from “just checking a box” into learning, applying, asking questions, and discovering what I did not know that I didn’t know.
Project Concept/Schematic Design – August to December 2018
| August 27, 2018 | In person | PcM | Pass |
| September 17, 2018 | In person | PjM | Pass |
| November 19, 2018 | In person | CE | Pass |
Project Design Development Phase – January through April 2019
| January 14, 2019 | In person | P&A | Pass |
| February 18, 2019 | In person | PPD | Fail |
| April 7, 2019 | In person | PPD | Pass |
Project Construction Documents Phase – April through August 2019
| May 6, 2019 | In person | PDD | Pass |
Advice for you!
I often get asked “why do I need to get licensed?”. Why did you decide that you wanted to be a licensed Architect?
I always knew that getting licensed was a priority – even if it was just to be able to officially call myself an Architect. It was not until going through the process and getting licensed that I realized the value and impact on my professional trajectory. Most of my day to day is what I would consider a very traditional path and role in architecture. I never could have known this when becoming licensed, but looking back now do think that the process, the questions I have learned to ask through the exams, have supported a continued growth trajectory in projects.
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?
Get the paperwork knocked out so you can start when you are ready. That seems to be one of the biggest first hurdles when talking with peers in my firm who are just beginning. After that, allow yourself time to discover how you study and what works best for you. Everyone has their own process, materials, and study environments that has worked best for them. As you discover yours, hold yourself accountable to what works for you.
What type of study materials did you use? Any particular ones that you’d recommend?
I have a whole email of study materials (though some that are likely outdated now – ha!).
Ballast was a starting point for studying. Between the content and practice questions, I used those as tools to discover what I knew versus what I needed to learn more about. I would then watch videos and take practice questions through Black Spectacles, reference the Amber Book, search for additional information in some of the NCARB references, or work through Hyperfine exercises. I also used my project work as a testing ground for what I was studying. Many days, I would start by studying for an hour or two before heading into work. In the office, I would ask the project architect (thank you Robert Bruder!) I was working alongside any number of questions on the content I had studied as it applied to the project I was working on. To be able to study something such as life safety, occupant load, sizing of stairs and exits – then come into the office, ask questions, and actually draw what I had just studied and asked about was a critical part of understanding and my process.
How did you fit study time into your schedule? Was there anything in particular that worked well for you?
I am a morning person and would find some of the most productive study time to be in the mornings before my days got busy. On weekends, I would find a different coffee shop in Atlanta and post up for a few hours to study as well. Setting my intention for the week, finding time that I could focus and dedicate to the studying in front of me, and keeping things interesting by exploring the city I was fairly new to allowed me to stay consistent and keep studying a priority.
I also found time after each exam – pass or fail – to take a moment and celebrate. I always left an exam having learned something I did not know prior to sitting to take that applicable test. The moment to exhale and celebrate helped keep me on track when I picked back up to continue studying.
Do you have any other advice for someone studying for their exams?
One of my peers, friends, and mentors, Michael Sena, passed this along when I was just starting to take exams. He encouraged that, pass or fail, to schedule my next exam within a few days of taking one. It kept me accountable and working towards the goal. Even if months out, it would give me a “deadline” to work towards and plan for what was coming next.
Also – don’t forget to show yourself grace and compassion throughout this process. Wellness and health are such a bigger priority than passing these exams. I look back at my own process, the four or five hours of sleep a night I was sometimes getting, the wellness that I did not always prioritize and would go back and change that if I could. There has been a shift in how I prioritize health – starting with getting outdoors, going on walks, aiming for no less than six hours of sleep a night (if not more). Allowing yourself the space to thrive will only continue to support your success in your own journey to becoming licensed.
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 Sarah Nelson-Woynicz for sharing your story!
Edited by
Katelyn Rossier, AIA, NCARB, LSSBB
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