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:
Bryan Seef, RA, NCARB, CDT, LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP
Bryan is an Architect at SmithGroup who, prior to taking his exams, had about 5 years of experience under his belt during and after college. He preceded his AREs with CSI CDT certification, LEED AP BD+C certification, and WELL certification, which, coupled with his experience, put him in what he felt was a state of preparedness to be able to take the exams. After getting licensed, he reinvigorated his leadership of the SmithGroup Exploring Post program but continues to eye opportunities for growth and additional certifications and maintain his involvement with other volunteer venues. As it stands now, he is on the project architect/technical pathway, but does not want to lose sight of how sustainability sparked his interest in architecture initially and thus wants to become an advocate for resiliency in its many forms in the profession.
“Find ways to treat yourself along the way for victories both big and small.”
Exam Order
| April 15, 2019 | In person | CE | Fail |
Revised study approach and acquired more materials after this first one, so I generally don’t like to include it in my “serious” streak thereafter although it did give me a flavor for the exams generally speaking. The realization in June of 2020 that COVID was a great time to study and that “we might be in this for a while” led me to dedicate myself to taking the exams in short order as I’d re-prioritize outside obligations temporarily. I did not want to take a gamble with virtual exams, which had emerged from COVID, so I scheduled PcM and PjM in person and set an aggressive but achievable target to take both within 3 months in person to set me on the right path finally.
| September 21, 2020 | In person | PcM | Pass |
| September 22, 2020 | In person | PjM | Pass |
| November 9, 2020 | In person | CE | Fail |
| March 22, 2021 | In Person | P&A | Pass |
| May 17, 2021 | In Person | CE | Fail |
I believe after this exam or the exam prior (Programming and Analysis) I had gotten wind that the testing would be switching over to a new provider. Still not wanting to risk connection or technical mishap from the virtual exams, and realizing that the nearest test center under the new provider was a ~30 min drive away (which I know would not work for me for a multitude of reasons), I resolved to take all my remaining exams before the transition to the new provider was complete. This led me to schedule three at once, with the last one being Construction and Evaluation, which had given me trouble to date.
| October 1, 2021 | In person | PPD | Pass |
| October 2, 2021 | In person | PDD | Pass |
| October 4, 2021 | In person | C&E | PASS! |
Advice for you!
I often get asked “why do I need to get licensed?” Why did you decide that you wanted to be a licensed Architect?
I decided I wanted to become a licensed architect not only because it would be a sort of “bow” being put on the package of my experience and education and I spent considerable time and effort getting to be able to take the exams, but also because it had long been a goal of mine since initially learning about the process while in college. I appreciated the flexibility and officiality that would result in getting licensed, and while I knew that doing so wouldn’t change my work regiment overnight, it would pay off in the long run, opening up new opportunities that might otherwise be an impasse without licensure.
Lastly, I wanted to practice what I preached, where for years I’d been speaking to some of these reasons in mentorship roles, so having gone through the process myself would illustrate that I indeed valued getting licensed.
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?
Something that I found helpful to start was to set a goal to take an exam 2-3 months out, and then pay for and schedule that exam with that rough idea in mind. Once you have the date imprinted on your mind, you approach studying much more seriously and can start to establish your regiment.
Additionally, it’s helpful to know that there’s no way you can possibly know everything for that exam, so it’s good practice to study the large, overarching concepts first – these are the ones NCARB defines per exam – and keep those embedded as formwork behind what you’re studying. There’s still going to be plenty of time learning after you get licensed, so having a wide knowledge base that’s deep where it matters can help with what might be an overwhelming amount of content.
Lastly, compile old notes and books from college – these are more useful than it might at first seem, and in many cases can reinforce new study materials you’ll have to purchase!
What type of study materials did you use? Any particular ones that you’d recommend?
I find myself to learn best when I have a healthy mix of materials to pull from, so I used a variety of books (many of which were recommended by NCARB, chief among them The Architect’s Handbook of Professional Practice) Kindle books and PDFs (I read sample contracts several times through these means), and virtual platforms (I’d highly recommend anything Young Architect, though I personally did not enroll in the ARE Boot Camp series, but Amber Book and Ben Norkin’s then Hyperfine courses helped as well for different exams) primarily.
I took a lot of practice exams when I felt I was ready, or wanted to assess where I was at with the time I had remaining, so Black Spectacles and NCARB were useful in this regard.
Lastly, to help keep myself motivated, I’d listen to the Young Architect podcast for stories that I could relate to, many of which result in licensure, the end goal I was working through as well. The variety of materials keeps things fresh, but also provides ways for you to study productively, ranging from studying on your commute or while cooking dinner to studying for a whole weekend. There are lots of overlap between lots of materials, and it’s helpful to find sources that identify this early on as well – Young Architect was vital in this regard – so you have an idea of what is most important to purchase.
How did you fit study time into your schedule? Was there anything in particular that worked well for you?
Because I took an approach of wanting to study for multiple exams at once, I knew I’d have to spend a lot of time studying which would mean establishing boundaries so I could focus. I studied during a time when places were shut down, events weren’t happening, and we were primarily working virtually, so there were some marginal gains in not having to tend with the commute or in-person obligations. It was rough and at times draining, but I committed to waking up early before work to study, studying after work, and studying for most of my free time over the weekends, every day and every week leading up to my exams without any gaps.
It was important to let my friends and family know that I was studying, the studying was really important to me, and during the time I would be taking the exams, they would in a sense become “second” next to work in terms of time commitment. I had to draw boundaries at work as well – in my case, I set “focus time” on my Outlook calendar for studying every morning and evening, and relayed to my project teams that my correspondence may be limited during these times with the exception of the inevitable late-night work towards a deadline as needed.
When work and studying took over, I did try to find ways to breathe, in my case taking some time cook a fresh meal, and time permitting, get some cardio in (running or biking). I did not let my volunteerism completely lapse during this time either because it helped keep my spirits up, so I continued to teach at a nonprofit bike shop I’d been involved with and stayed accessible to help out with our high school outreach programming through work. It was important for me to have something other than studying to look forward to, and to maintain my interests outside of architecture, even if this took on a new form for the time being.
Do you have any other advice for someone studying for their exams?
Other than embedded pieces of advice in my other responses, and because no one way to study is the “right way” to study, my advice is more on the “fulfillment” side of the equation.
Find ways to treat yourself along the way for victories both big and small; if you achieve what you set out to that morning or evening, grab a cookie, cup of tea, etc. but if you pass an exam, treat yourself with a day or weekend off to reset! Become encouraged by your peers – whether for you that means finding a study group, or something simpler like checking in occasionally with family or friends who have your back.
It might help as well to study for another certification like LEED, CSI CDT, etc. before taking the exams, because even if content doesn’t overlap considerably, the process of taking the tests and getting yourself into the study mindset almost certainly are.
Finally, regardless of whether licensure is closure to you on this chapter of your architectural journey, reward yourself when you’re done and reflect on your experience. If this takes the form of a vacation, a party, that new gadget you’ve always wanted, or some combination thereof, be sure to celebrate your success in some way meaningful to you!
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 Bryan Seef for sharing your story!
Edited by
Katelyn Rossier, AIA, LSSBB
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