Architecture Registration Exams Story: Amy Ahn Baade

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:

Amy Ahn Baade, AIA, WELL AP

Amy is an accomplished architect with a diverse background and a passion for adaptive reuse and historic preservation. With extensive experience in all phases of design and a specialization in transforming existing structures, Amy brings a unique perspective to her projects. Proficient in various software applications, she excels in producing a wide range of project materials, from captivating presentation graphics and renderings to meticulously detailed construction documents.

Amy’s expertise extends beyond design and encompasses construction administration, ensuring seamless execution of her vision. Her impressive portfolio includes notable projects such as the MuseumLab at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, The Garden Room at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh, and the Masonic Hall Lofts in Homestead, PA. Each project showcases Amy’s ability to blend creativity, functionality, and respect for historical significance.

Amy’s commitment to professional growth is evident in her accomplishments. Alongside her architectural license, she has achieved the esteemed WELL AP certification, demonstrating her dedication to incorporating design and building system strategies that prioritize occupant wellness. Amy’s educational foundation is solid, having earned a Bachelor of Architecture from Philadelphia University. During her time there, she actively participated in the Honors College, Alpha Lambda Delta Society, and the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS), fostering a well-rounded understanding of the field.

With Amy’s extensive experience, innovative mindset, and dedication to enhancing the built environment, she continues to shape the architectural landscape with her exceptional skills and unwavering commitment to excellence.

“A license won’t say how many times you took the exams, and there’s no special prize in passing them in one go.”

January 2017	In Person	SITE (4.0)	Pass
March 2017	In Person	PPP (4.0)	Fail
May 2017	In Person	CDS (4.0)	Pass

Bought a house!

November 2017

In Person

PPP (4.0)

Pass

Got married!

November 2018	In Person	PPD (5.0)	Pass
December 2018	In Person	PDD (5.0)	Pass

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

For me, gaining a license signified the completion of all the steps for working in the profession. After the degree, testing, and work experience, I wanted to be able to call myself “an Architect” without any additional qualifiers (architectural designer, etc). While one may certainly have a fruitful career without a license, I chose to pursue one because it represents my abilities and knowledge in developing projects that protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public.

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?

There is certainly a spread of exam content, so I would recommend starting with one that feels either more comfortable or more interesting. I also laid out a plan with my exam order to group them by similar content, or easy flow from one to the next.

I began by reading NCARB’s exam guides to get familiar with the overall scope of each test, to understand the general content. I would also read through study material and take practice tests throughout my study period. I found that practice tests that have explained answers were very helpful.

Before my first test, I casually read through guides and resources for most of the exams over the course of a few months before I felt ready to jump in and start studying judiciously. I studied seriously for about a month before scheduling my first exam, which may have then been another month out.

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

-Ballast

-Architect’s Handbook of Professional Practice

-Black Spectacles (used for PPD, PDD) – it was nice to have more of a lecture-style study resource. It was expensive, but paid off for two months’ use.

-Practice tests – any I could get

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

I started my tests about a year and a half after I graduated college. I wanted to do them while test-taking skills were still pretty fresh, but also have some work experience.

As I casually looked at exam guides, I was also looking at my calendar for any big events or things going on, so that I could block out time for studying and test taking. I made a general schedule for myself on what content I wanted to work through during a particular week, when I would take practice tests, and when I would test.

The two main blocks of time I took tests (for the first three, and the final two), I really blacked out my schedule. I spent a lot of my free time studying, and while social/other things did happen, it was a lot more limited during that time. It helped me to pause the things I could pause to focus on the tests.

I did get married and bought a house after I started my ARE journey. I have no regrets completely taking time off from the ARE to enjoy these other big milestones. After renovations were under control and the festivities were done, I got back into test mode again. There was no need to guilt myself for not tackling the ARE in one solid go, because there are other important things, too!

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

Schedule your next test before you sit for your current one. It helped me to keep my momentum going. Once I was able to get a sense for how long I needed to study to feel adequately prepared to test (which was about a month), I would schedule my next exam as I approached the test date for the current one, I was studying for. It kept me on a more rigorous schedule, and when I didn’t pass one, I didn’t get derailed because of it – I had to keep going and prepare for the next one.

It’s ok to fail. In the end, you’ll get there. A license won’t say how many times you took the exams, and there’s no special prize in passing them in one go. While it’s a great goal to pass on the first try, it’s ok if it doesn’t happen.

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 Amy Ahn Baade for sharing your story!

Edited by

Katelyn Rossier, AIA, NCARB, LSSBB