Architecture Registration Exams Story: Jordan Kravitz

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:

Jordan Kravitz, AIA

As a healthcare project architect, medical planner, and researcher, Jordan believes in designing with dignity, compassion, and sustainable thinking. By creating with these strong pillars of health and wellness in mind, she helps to bolster healthcare practices in communities. With projects across the entire care continuum—from medical office buildings to complex hospital projects—she can effortlessly execute the duties of both project architect and medical planner, playing an essential role in integrating the programmatic and spatial demands of a project with its technical requirements.

Jordan’s diverse background allows her to think through complicated social justice issues with empathy and understanding. Jordan is known as a leader in her place of work and community through her activism with women’s reproductive health, justice, equity, diversity, inclusion (J.E.D.I.) initiatives and involvement with the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

“DO NOT WAIT! Life will and does get in the way.”

I had a few failed exams along the way, but I don’t know the dates of them.

May 9, 2015	In person	CDS (4.0)	Pass
July 6, 2015	In person	PPP (4.0)	Pass
September 1, 2015	In person	SITE (4.0)	Pass
January 2, 2016	In person	BDCS (4.0)	Pass
February 22, 2016	In person	BS (4.0)	Pass
March 19, 2016	In person	SD (4.0)	Pass
June 20, 2016	In person	SS (4.0)	Pass

How did you fit study time into your schedule? Was there anything in particular that worked well for you?

Weekends I would study 4 or so hours a day.

During the week, I would study (1) hour in the morning before work, (1) hour during my lunch hour and (1 to 2) hours in the evening. Something I recommend doing, that I did, was I was able to have a conversation with my supervisor. I let them know I was studying for my exams, and I would really need to work a strict 8-5 schedule, with a lunch break. It was understood that unless it was an absolute emergency, I would not be able to work overtime hours, due to the need to study. Having my supervisor “on board” allowed me to stay consistent with my studying and not get overburdened with projects at work while I was studying.

Do you have any other advice for someone studying for their exams?

DO NOT WAIT! I have had so many architects in training tell me upon graduation they do not want to take their exams right away. Life will and does get in the way. The sooner you can take your exams and pass the better.

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 Jordan Kravitz for sharing your story!

Edited by

Katelyn Rossier, AIA, NCARB, LSSBB