Architecture Registration Exams Story: Andrea Hardy

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:

Andrea Hardy, AIA, EDAC

Andrea Hardy, AIA, EDAC is driven by bringing communities together whether its developing platforms such as colleague mentorship or sharing her expertise with the international architecture community through publications. Andrea has been practicing in architecture offices for the past 18 years while simultaneously obtaining her college degrees.

After working professionally in Boston and Phoenix, and studying public architecture through Arizona State University in Buenos Aires, Argentina, she is now a Senior Architect and Associate at Shepley Bulfinch in Phoenix and a registered Architect in the State of Arizona. Outside of work, Andrea teaches an ARE prep course in Arizona, serves as the Treasurer on the Arizona Phoenix Metro Chapter (2024), and is the AIA YAF Representative for the State of Arizona (2024).

“It’s less about what material(s) you use, and more about understanding what method of studying works best for you.”

I took the 4.0 series (7 exams) – starting in January of 2014 and passed them all on the first try with my last exam completed 365 days following my first. My approach was to take exams where some content was included in later exams so that I could essentially study for 2 exams at once. I wrapped up test taking with Schematic Design, what I thought would be the easiest exam because it contained only 2 vignettes – no multiple choice. Therefore, it was mainly practicing how to use the platform, not so much studying actual material. Ironically, this was the only exam that took me the entire test duration, with only 2 minutes remaining when I finished.

I also want to share my workload when taking the exams. I was working full time – 40+ hours per week, while editing 2 publications. With this amount of work while studying for the exams, I lived a very structured life. I would go to work 1-2 hours early and study before work, then I would study for a couple hours in the evening (and work on my publications). On the weekends, I studied (and/or worked on the publications) all day Saturday but would almost always take Sunday off to decompress. Just before taking an exam, I would give myself 1-2 days so I could go in with a clear, well-rested, positive, and focused mind.

By sharing this information, I hope it emphasizes that taking the exams needs to be a priority. It is easy to reschedule the exams and let other things in your life take a priority. No matter how much you have on your plate, becoming licensed is achievable!

January 4, 2014	In Person	SITE (4.0)	PASS
March 15, 2014	In Person	PPP (4.0)	PASS
May 3, 2014	In Person	CDS (4.0)	PASS
July 19, 2014	In Person	SS (4.0)	PASS
September 29, 2014	In Person	BS (4.0)	PASS
November 23, 2014	In Person	BDCS (4.0)	PASS
January 2015	In Person	SS (4.0)	PASS

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

I’ve always wanted to become licensed – it wasn’t really a question for me. While there is room for both unlicensed and licensed professionals in our field, there is typically only so much growth for those who do not tackle the exams. Take the exams and grow to your best potential!

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?

Start a NCARB account and confirm that you are eligible to take the exams. If you do not know where to start, call NCARB or your State’s Registration Board – there are plenty of people who have gone down this path and you should use them all as resources!

After that, do not over analyze how to study – take a stab at it and then rip off the Band-Aid and take an exam. You will not know if your method of studying is successful for YOU if you do not take an exam and find out.

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

Study materials now are different for 5.0 (I took 4.0). I tried Kaplan and Ballast, and Ballast worked best for me.

My study method: I would read Ballast and take notes. From my notes, I would then create my own flashcards, which I would study for the exam.

In my opinion, it’s less about what material(s) you use (although do familiarize yourself with the reference documents listed on NCARB’s website), and more about understanding what method of studying works best for you. Are you a visual, audio, or tactile learner? I’m tactile, which is why I chose to study by re-writing materials than studying flashcards.

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

Bottomline – getting licensed was really important to me. I made the time to study. I joke around that I reintroduced myself to my friends after hermitting for a year. I had no personal life, but in 1-year, I was licensed and had a lot to show for myself.

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

Make a calendar and understand what method of studying works best for you. From there, just follow your calendar and make this a priority for yourself.

Is it hard? Yes.

Can you do it? Yes.

Believe in yourself and leverage your resources, which are all your colleagues who have taken the exams before you. Ask them what reference documents they used and how they studied. Talking to more people helps you know how many people go through this process and helps you understand the most efficient way to accomplish this life milestone as well.

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 Andrea Hardy for sharing your story!

Edited by

Katelyn Rossier, AIA, NCARB, LSSBB