Architecture Registration Exams Story: Lonnie Bennett II

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:

Lonnie Bennett II, RA, NCARB

Introducing Lonnie, a dedicated and accomplished Architect with a passion for automotive architecture. Lonnie earned a Master of Architecture from Louisiana Tech in May 2016.

Currently, Lonnie thrives as a Project Architect within the Automotive Practice at VLK Architects, where he brings his extensive knowledge and experience to a diverse range of projects spanning Texas, California, and Illinois. His responsibilities extend far beyond technical expertise; Lonnie plays an integral role in welcoming new employees to the firm as an onboarding ambassador. Additionally, he contributes as a valued member of the firm’s visioning and culture syndicate, actively identifying opportunities for growth and improvement.

With licensure behind him, Lonnie now aims to expand his impact within the firm, aspiring to assume leadership roles and make meaningful contributions to the architecture and design community at large. Drawing from years of experience, Lonnie is well-versed in project management, diligently ensuring that clients’ visions are realized within prescribed timelines and budgets. From coordinating with consultants to collaborating closely with project designers, he offers comprehensive support throughout every phase, from programming to construction documents.

Lonnie’s unwavering dedication and multifaceted skill set position him as a dynamic force within VLK Architects and the broader architectural landscape, making him an invaluable asset to any team or project.

“Getting licensed turned into a goal that I needed to achieve to open more opportunities to better myself as well as providing a better life for my family.”

October 25, 2019	In Person	PcM	Fail
February 28, 2022	In Person	C&E	Pass
February 09, 2023	In Person	PcM	Pass
February 16, 2023	In Person	PjM	Pass
March 03, 2023	In Person	P&A	Pass
March 16, 2023	In Person	PPD	Pass
March 24, 2023	In Person	PDD	Pass

I often get asked “why do I need to get licensed?”. Why did you decide that you wanted to be a licensed Architect?

Originally when I graduated my thought was, “I need to get licensed. I need to make all the years & countless late nights in studio worth something”, but as I started to progress in my career that thought changed. Getting licensed turned into a goal that I needed to achieve to open more opportunities to better myself as well as providing a better life for my family.

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?

I don’t think there is a true blanket statement that can be given. I found while studying and reaching out to others to get advice that most people have a different way of tackling their exams.

There were many times where I started then stopped studying due to life, but after my wife and I had our daughter, it was clear to me that I needed to get serious. So, I restarted by first taking a practice exam for each exam to see which I did the best on, which ended up being CE. So, January 2022 I began studying a few hours a night then took and passed CE in the following February. I thought after this pass I could continue the path to take an exam every other month, but my daughter had other plans. She did not get on a constant sleep schedule for a while and by the time she did work began to get hectic.

Unfortunately, I did not get back into studying until January 2023, but at this point I realized that life would continue to get in the way so instead of taking every other month approach I decided to take a more ambitious route. I scheduled an exam every two weeks to get them out of the way, but doing this required me to study every night for 3-4 hours with weekends being reserved for practice exams & review. Excluding CE, it took me 7 weeks to complete all of my exams.

What type of study materials did you use? Any particular ones that you’d recommend?

I know a lot of people post pictures with a mountain of different books, but that amount of information seemed overwhelming. The only books that I read through was the Architect’s Handbook of Professional Practice and the Ballast ARE 5.0 review manual. I also studied videos from Black Spectacles and Amber Books.

I would recommend to study both Black Spectacles & Amber Books especially if you work for a firm that offers both as a resource.

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

I had to be disciplined. Once we put our daughter to bed, I ate a quick dinner then sat down and studied for 3-4 hours. I think this only worked for me because I had all my exams scheduled so close together that I understood that I only had to keep up this study schedule for a short time.

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

The main advice I would give someone is to try to separate your specific work experiences from your studying. The way you would react to a situation in the real world will more than likely be different than how NCARB or AIA would recommend handling it.

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 Lonnie Bennett II for sharing your story!

Edited by

Katelyn Rossier, AIA, NCARB, LSSBB