Architecture Registration Exams Story: Sofia Mere

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:

Sofia Mere, AIA, NCARB

Sofia Mere is a very accomplished Florida licensed Architect bringing forth fifteen years of experience as an effective leader in high-end Residential and Commercial projects throughout South Florida and the Caribbean. A native of Miami, Florida, Sofia has had a hand in designing restaurants, bars and public spaces in Coral Gables and Wynwood, as well as luxury residential homes in Miami Beach and the Abaco Islands. Sofia is a great collaborator. She is known for her keen attention to detail and dedication to aesthetics and functionality in all of her designs.

A creative at heart, Sofia is always looking for new sustainable ways to bring traditional architectural methods to upcoming projects. Longevity, sustainability and efficiency are the elements that inspire her vision to deliver ease and harmony to the ever-growing South Florida community. She is passionate about her city and its cultural, sustainable and progressive growth.

Sofia is a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) as well as the National Council of Architectural Registration (NCARB). She started her career attending a summer study at the University of Florida and continued on to pursue her Master’s degree at Florida International University. She then began work as a junior architect at various firms in Coral Gables, managed her own company for 4 years, and now she works as a Senior Project Architect at Strang Design based in Coconut Grove. Her involvement with the AIA, along with her pursuit of licensure, has inspired her to become more engaged in the architecture community and hopes to mentor other aspiring architects.

“If you are juggling studying for your exams along with other big life responsibilities, such as working full time, marriage and parenthood, give yourself a break.”

March 23, 2017	In Person	CDS (4.0)	Pass
May 9, 2017	In Person	PPP (4.0)	Pass
June 12, 2017	In Person	SITE (4.0)	Pass
August 29, 2017	In Person	SS (4.0)	Fail

I had just found out I was pregnant the day before this exam!

Transitioned to ARE 5.0.

During this time period with the exams passed in ARE 4.0, there were only two exams in ARE 5.0 that I needed to pass to be complete.

December 11, 2018	In Person	PPD	Fail
March 23, 2019	In Person	PDD	Fail
March 30, 2019	In Person	PPD	Fail
June 29, 2019	In Person	PDD	Fail
August 6, 2019	In Person	PPD	Fail

During the exams above I was trying to juggle becoming a new mom, work, marriage, family, and health. It wasn’t until I let go of trying to be good at everything and just focus on being good at test taking that I was able to be successful.

February 3, 2020	In Person	PDD	Pass
August 18, 2020	In Person	PPD	Pass

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

For autonomy of my career. I wanted to become licensed so that I would not need to depend on a job to collaborate on great projects. Having my license allows me the freedom to work independently or to be part of a firm. I value the flexibility.

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

The first three exams (in 4.0) took a lot of reading of materials provided in books or online study sources. This heavy reading approach worked for me and I passed all three 4.0 exams on the first try.

Once I transitioned to 5.0, I confidently took the same approach and it didn’t work at all! After many trials and errors (five to be exact!) I found that the key to passing PPD and PDD exams was taking practice tests over and over, from any and all sources that I could find. I found a lot of practice exams in textbooks or online study materials, but the best tests came from online community forums.

After 5 failed attempts at both PPD and PDD, this was the most important change that I made in my study approach that helped me pass both of my 5.0 exams once and for all.

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

If you are juggling studying for your exams along with other big life responsibilities, such as working full time, marriage and parenthood, give yourself a break.

Allow yourself to drop the ball with some things so you can focus on studying and get the results you want. When taking the ARE’s I tried to be a great employee, wife, (new!) mom, and get my work-outs in and it was all too much. I was getting in my own way.

As soon as I gave myself the grace of letting go of some aspects, I was able to excel in a way I never thought possible.

We hope that this information helps you through your ARE journey, setting goals, and giving you some insight on how to get started.

Thank you again to Sofia Mere for sharing your story!

Edited by

Katelyn Rossier, AIA, NCARB, LSSBB