Architecture Registration Exams Story: Kaylyn Kirby

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:

Kaylyn Kirby, AIA, NCARB

I was introduced to architecture through my older brother, who pursued the path based on my grandfather’s career in aerospace engineering. My brother would drag me along to the architecture studio, where I was fascinated by the interesting and creative things I saw on the various desks, walls, floor, etc. I was hooked and went on to earn my B.S. in Architectural Studies from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2010. After a year hiatus, I went on to get my Masters from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, graduating in 2014 (it was a 3 year M.Arch). Following graduation, my now-husband and I decided to relocate to Denver. 

I worked at a large firm for about 3 years where I was able to navigate my AXP hours. I then moved to a smaller firm (Semple Brown Design, PC), where I am now an Associate. I dove into my exams while at Semple Brown and have since been able to expand my skills and responsibilities, as well as serve as a sounding board for others in the office pursuing licensure. 

Today I both lead and support teams of various sizes on commercial, mixed-use, and hospitality projects as a Project Manager. I’ve gained a knack for our local Zoning Code and serve as the go-to in our office for questions on navigating the process. I enjoy working directly with clients to help deliver their projects in creative ways.

“Even George Costanza (Seinfeld) wished he was an Architect.”

I had a self-imposed deadline of being licensed before I turned 30. I finished my AXP hours the first ~3 years after graduating with my M. Arch. I was contemplating starting my exams, but it was near the transition from 4.0 to 5.0. Hearing some horror stories of the drafting software from friends, I opted to wait for 5.0 and complete all the exams in the same version rather than going through a transition.

Well, 30 started to sneak up on me pretty quickly, so in the fall of 2018, I mapped out a path to complete all the exams and hopefully have my official license before my birthday in August.

I had a 4 week on, one week off (generally) schedule. My husband and I bought a house in May of 2018 that needed some serious work. We put that on hold while I studied, as it consumed most of my non-working hours.

I studied in the evening for 1-2 hours and on the weekends for ~4 hours in the morning. I generally took a practice exam Saturday morning, then reviewed the results. Sunday was for new content, etc. I gave myself the weekend afternoons to have some fun or at least not study to keep my spirits up and a semblance of a relationship and friendships. We ate a lot of not so awesome food during that exam stretch, but I was able to knock them out in one focused period.

I typically scheduled exams for Friday mid-day (my office gave me the full day) so that I could then really enjoy the weekend after taking the exam.

November 16, 2018	In Person	PcM	Pass
December 21, 2018	In Person	PjM	Pass
January 25, 2019	In Person	P&A	Pass
March 3, 2019	In Person	PPD	Pass
March 15, 2019	In Person	PDD	Pass
May 20, 2019	In Person	CE	Pass

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

After spending 7 years in higher education (4 years of Bachelor of Science in Architecture and a 3-year Masters of Architecture program), I wanted to be able to legitimately call myself an Architect. The whole reason I went on to get my Masters was to have a professional degree in order to be licensed. I also felt it was a priority in order to advance within my office as well as the profession as a whole. Licensure holds a lot of weight and can open doors to greater responsibility and growth.

Plus, even George Costanza (Seinfeld) wished he was an Architect.

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?

Don’t over think it. There are all kinds of theories on the “best” order to take the exams or various strategies. I took a layer of over-thinking out of the equation and just took them in the order they are presented by NCARB. It worked out well as it started and ended with some of the shorter exams, with the longer ones in the middle.

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

• NCARB forum
• Standard list of recommended materials
• Ballast
• Black Spectacles (loved the practice exams)

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

• Week before the exam; ~1 hour study time in the office before starting (7-8am)
• 1-2 hours in the evening. Set strict work boundaries to be done by 5pm
• 4 hours on the weekends (8-12); allowed me to still go do things on the weekends
• Scheduled exams on Fridays so I could enjoy the weekend

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

• Give yourself some grace and make sure you leave time for friends / family / fun.
• Reward yourself for successes, no matter how small.
• Find a friend or colleague who is also testing; it’s nice to have an ally to strategize with or just rant when needed.
• Find what works for you and go with 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 Kaylyn Kirby for sharing your story!

Edited by

Katelyn Rossier, AIA, NCARB, LSSBB