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:
Marissa Berwick, AIA, NCARB
Marissa Berwick, AIA, NCARB (she/her) is a Project Architect for Collingswood, NJ based firm, Thriven Design. Throughout her seven years with the firm, she has played an integral role on projects ranging from PACE (adult day) centers to affordable housing and senior housing, across several states. Marissa is involved in multiple firm governance initiatives and has long been a champion of good studio and firm culture, advocate for licensure candidates, and mentor for those both in and looking for a future in, the AEC industry.
Marissa’s passion for building a solid foundation for the industry and its future, from new students to long-tenured professionals, started with her time at Drexel University. Like several others who have shared their stories on MentorDINO recently, she earned her degree from the 2+4 Bachelor of Architecture program and began working after only two years of coursework. During her time at Drexel, she got involved with the American Institute for Architecture Students (AIAS), which led to leadership positions within her chapter as well as nationally. Marissa also participated on multiple teams with the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) to visit, observe, and ultimately evaluate whether the architecture program of a particular university has fulfilled the necessary obligations to maintain, or to earn, its accreditation status. These leadership engagements, and the work done during them, encouraged Marissa to continue pushing for a more equitable, diverse, and forward-thinking culture in the profession, beyond her years in college.
In addition to her Bachelor of Architecture degree from Drexel University and her experience at Thriven Design, Marissa is USGBC LEED Green Associate accredited, an American Institute of Architects member, holds an NCARB Certificate, and is a licensed Architect in the State of New Jersey.
“I was so intimidated by the amount of resources out there, the cost of testing, and how it would feel to spend the money again if I failed. You won’t know unless you try though, so pick a place to start that feels right for you and try it.”
Exam Order
| August 31, 2020 | In Person | PcM | Pass |
During the covid shutdown there wasn’t much else to do while everyone was stuck inside, so I decided to start studying for the AREs. I had put it off for two full years after graduating in June 2018, partially by choice and partially by demand. I knew I didn’t want to start for at least six months or so because I had my wedding and honeymoon planned, as well as several trips for work with NAAB and for leisure.
Once I settled into my normal routine in the new year, I got a letter from the State of Pennsylvania that demanded I switch my jurisdiction of initial licensure to New Jersey, as I both lived and worked in the state. Once I did that, I had to wait several more months to fully round out the last of my AXP hours, as New Jersey does not allow you to earn hours and test simultaneously.
Although I had more than three full years of experience from working during school, I was wrapping up hours in some of the harder-to-reach areas as an early career aspiring architect, such as Project Management and Construction experience. I was also very nervous to start testing. Although I’ve always been a good student and a decent test-taker, I was intimidated by the vast number of resources out there and how to select which one(s) would work for me, and then which were within my budget. After finally requesting eligibility in early 2020 and beginning to study over the summer, my first exam attempt successfully resulted in a passing score.
| November 30, 2020 | In Person | PjM | Pass |
After the first success I wanted to keep the ball rolling before my brain took a brief break for the holiday season. After discussing with colleagues from Drexel and at work, as well as browsing some online ARE communities, it seemed like taking PcM, PjM, and CE in succession was the most logical route for me. I continued to build on the material from PcM and passed PjM next.
| March 1, 2021 | In Person | C&E | Pass |
I then took a month or so break for the holiday season and returned to studying in the new year, passing the CE exam in early spring.
| April 26, 2021 | In Person | P&A | Pass |
What I had gleaned from all my research was that PPD and PDD, the two largest tests, had the broadest range of material, and I felt I needed more time to prepare for those than my typical one-month calendar of consistent studying. They also seemed to be much more similar in terms of how detailed or ‘in the weeds’ you have to know the content, so I decided I wanted to group those exams together at the end of my path.
PA would be the next best exam to take then, bridging the gap between the more factual, contract-focused PcM, PjM, and CE exams and the more design and coordination focused PPD and PDD exams. My efforts paid off again, I passed the PA exam in late spring.
| February 7, 2022 | In Person | PPD | Pass |
I initially aimed to take the summer off and continue studying in the fall, but that turned into an extended break. I just wanted to enjoy time with family and friends and be unburdened by studying again. During my break, I also started to get nervous about the last two exams. I felt I was on solid ground with exams that were more fact-based and research based, less subjective to “design knowledge”.
There’s what you learn in college VS during your work experience VS how the AREs want you to think about questions. I had read a lot of online articles about others’ experiences, and looked ahead at the amount of material covered by the exams. It just all seemed so daunting, but I got back on the saddle in the fall and gave myself several months to prepare for PPD. During every exam I felt a bit nervous and worried, but still confident that I had been well prepared and I could answer the questions. This exam felt completely the opposite. The entire test I was thinking to myself that there’s no way I’d be passing this one. The questions just felt unrelated to what I had studied, or way more detailed than I expected. In the end, I passed with much relief.
| April 11, 2022 | In Person | PDD | Fail |
After being surprised at my passing PPD attempt, I wanted to just get PDD over with, I was so close!
I had passed every exam on my first try, and I was still super nervous but also confident that I could hit the grand slam and pass this last one. I could be an Architect by the summer and move on from the guilt of not studying in my free time! Well, there’s a first time for everything and this was the first time I failed an exam. To be honest, I think it was the first time in my whole life that I had ever truly failed an exam. This was a bummer, and my confidence definitely took a hit.
All of my family, friends, and colleagues rallied around me and told me to keep going. After letting myself sulk for a few days, I was ready to start researching and planning my next steps, but then in anticipation of having to search for months and months to successfully purchase a new home, we started our house-hunt early and our offer was accepted on a home within two weeks of taking that last exam! The remainder of 2022 was spent packing, moving, unpacking, buying furniture, being gifted the puppy of my dreams, and enjoying life in our new home.
| March 27, 2023 | In Person | PDD | Pass |
When 2023 rolled around, I said it’s time to actually get this done, I WILL be an Architect by this summer.
I put my head down and got studying, anxiously working toward the end of March. I knew that if I passed, I could celebrate with family that was visiting from out of town the following week. At long last, all the studying, sleepless nights worrying, and endless complaining to anyone who will listen, I passed that last exam.
Nothing felt as great as walking out of that testing center with a “likely passed” and then opening my account the next morning to see “PASS”. The long journey was over, the one that started way back in 5th grade, I could finally call myself an Architect (after all the administrative paperwork of course!).
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 was so intimidated by the amount of resources out there, the cost of testing, and how it would feel to spend the money again if I failed. You won’t know unless you try though, so my best advice is to pick a place to start that feels right for you and try it.
Get that first test under your belt so you can see how it really feels to go to the center or login online and go through the full motions of “exam day”. After you do it once, you’ll feel better prepared for the next time even if that just means you’ll be prepared to not sweat the small stuff, like what you shouldn’t wear or how you get to the test center.
How did you fit study time into your schedule? Was there anything in particular that worked well for you?
I was used to fitting a lot into my schedule; however, it had been a long time since I truly studied for an exam, there weren’t a lot of those in architecture school. In order for me to stay focused and fit in the material I wanted to cover before each exam date, I set up a calendar schedule using google calendar and breaking down my study plan into daily tasks.
During the week I would focus on readings, videos, or practice quizzes each day. On Saturday mornings I would take a practice exam and review all of the answers, and on Sunday I would take a break from all studying. This allowed me to keep my weeknight studying between 60-90 minutes of time, Saturday usually took me 3-4 hours total, and then I got a decent break before it started all over again on Monday evening.
This type of schedule left enough flexibility for me where I could attend some after-work functions throughout the month and spend most of my weekends doing what I wanted. This was important for me to avoid feeling completely consumed by the exam process and leading to burnout.
Do you have any other advice for someone studying for their exams?
My other advice is to surround yourself with a support network of family, friends, or colleagues that will champion you through the process. It’s long, it’s hard, and it’s draining. It takes a lot of time and dedication, and after a minimum of five years in college, it’s not what anyone wants to spend their free time on, but it is so worth it. Having people to turn to, who will remind you of the value of investing in yourself and your professional career when you’re feeling down about it, is a life-saver.
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 Marissa Berwick for sharing your story!
Edited by
Katelyn Rossier, AIA, NCARB, LSSBB
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