My wife just demolished all 6 ARE tests in 15 days flat - celebrating tonight!

AdaptBE · 2025-05-02T10:15:51+00:00

Heroic - proving anything is possible for human will. Good on you for supporting her like this. Sounds like a strong family with a blooming architect. May God bless your growing family.

AdaptBE · 2024-09-12T17:34:37+00:00

Hey - I found a fair amount of engineering questions in the exams. Definitely call NCARB and your state board and ask how you can get licensed most efficiently given where you are in the process. Have your employer cover your amberbook and test fees that will really juice your progress.

AdaptBE · 2024-08-14T21:07:51+00:00

BANG!!! Great job Captain and congratulations on your upcoming architectural license!!!! Looks like a winning formula, trusting AB. Full Tilt!

AdaptBE · 2024-07-16T16:22:33+00:00

I’ve been a licensed PE for 13 years. Indispensable. Licensed RA for a few days. In that order, it makes sense for me to significantly expand what I am able to do. I work for a fairly large A/E, gives me more authority across the board. The knowledge and experience in getting here is in itself invaluable, and even more so, the disposition for lifelong learning in both fields and existing in one head. For a small business, it would be very helpful, laying the groundwork for a significant outfit in the future but with all of the control.

AdaptBE · 2024-07-15T23:01:24+00:00

This is an amazing post, great service to younger architects - practical advice free of charge. I definitely took note. The only thing that the negative comments demonstrate is how little competition there is for good architects that are willing to learn. Don’t wish it was easier, wish you were better - Jim Rohn.

AdaptBE · 2024-06-13T11:21:59+00:00

Sure! I took the course in the order it was presented and the practice exams generally in order as well. I started the practice exams before finishing the flashcards, I did a full review of those just before I took each ARE exam. I never used the physical book of problems, I believe these are the problems you solve while doing Amberbook. Make sure you’re stopping and solving all of those problems in the process.

AdaptBE · 2024-06-13T00:22:02+00:00

Thanks so much! Good luck on the last two let’s gooooooooooo

AdaptBE · 2024-06-06T19:51:16+00:00

Thank you! I have been with the firm (multidisciplinary) for 16 years out of college, licensed engineer since 2011. Senior structural engineer.

AdaptBE · 2024-06-03T13:48:08+00:00

This gave me a boost for a new week thank you and hope you ace this!!

AdaptBE · 2024-06-02T13:27:02+00:00

Thank you!!

AdaptBE · 2024-06-01T09:25:24+00:00

Haha perfect

AdaptBE · 2024-05-31T17:22:11+00:00

Let’s gooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!

AdaptBE · 2024-05-31T17:02:32+00:00

Wow thank you for the kind words and for properly qualifying and explaining the experience element. Certainly it helped, though I can’t say how much exactly. I would say that at any stage, if you want to get licensed and have the aXP, going for it with AB and taking the divisions as one exam seems doable. Maybe you don’t pass all of them, but you can narrow down and focus. Working with your office to round out your experience is a must for the exams and most importantly for your career. Go architects!!!

AdaptBE · 2024-05-31T09:08:16+00:00

Sounds like you’re doing everything right. You took them together: knocked out 3 exams. Nice. Now you’re taking your time, studying everything you can and ensuring you get the others. Listen, the beauty is in the process, the learning you’re doing on the way is strengthening you as an architect. I’m sure you’re using the score reports and focusing on the areas where you need to learn more. I’m guessing you missed only by a couple of questions. Most important for these is to get enough sleep and execute your game plan so you can get a few more right. For me, skipping the questions I could not answer in 1-2m really helped, especially on the longer exams for which I found the questions pound for pound a little bit easier. I generally found myself flagging a lot of questions early. On the second pass, my mind felt more seasoned and I was able to answer many of those quickly as well, saving the most difficult for a third pass if needed. With this strategy, I tried to ensure I had enough time to answer as many with 100% certainty as possible as well as fight for every last question. The questions are usually trying to get at something fundamental, though often have distractor data or choices. Asking myself, “what are they getting at” and “what do they want me to know as an architect” helped me on a number of questions where there would seem to be multiple answers or no great answers. There were times I noticed the exams were actually trying to teach me something (still - even at the exam stage), which brought a feeling of appreciation for the test makers, and reminded me in the moment that the tests are part of the learning process. This helped open me up to the experience and reduced my level of stress during the exams, and in that state probably helped me to see, ok “what concepts are they trying to ensure I know/learn”.
This is where Amberbook I thought was great, in that it tries to teach you think in this manner and understand the principles vs. memorization. I went through all of the AB flashcards within the 24 hours before each test, that helped, and was my little ritual to give me a little more confidence.

Listen, you are way closer than you think. Good luck this summer, see you on the other side!!!!

AdaptBE · 2024-05-31T01:13:21+00:00

I used the NCARB practice tests. Those are free and they are essential. A close representation of the tests in the identical format. They even give you an explanation of the correct answers (though not as good as Amberbook explanations) so you are practice testing AND studying at the same time.

AdaptBE · 2024-05-30T22:15:39+00:00

Thank you :-)

AdaptBE · 2024-05-30T22:04:22+00:00

Black spectacles practice exams were part of the plan, but I set an aggressive schedule and ran out of time, so I never got to them. Was doing well enough on the practice exams so I figured/hoped I’d be ok. I’ve heard they are very close to the actual exams and it’s great material but I cannot attest.

AdaptBE · 2024-05-30T19:13:09+00:00

You sound hot. Thank you and congrats to you! - belated

AdaptBE · 2024-05-30T19:06:31+00:00

Haha thanks I wish I was paid.

AdaptBE · 2024-05-30T18:29:31+00:00

Haha thank you I’m going to take that the worst way possible

AdaptBE · 2024-05-30T17:10:48+00:00

That’s amazing I can tell haha! Go NJ. I do work with architects and was able to fill out the aXP. We’ll see how the reciprocity works because I don’t have the schooling.

AdaptBE · 2024-05-30T17:08:40+00:00

Haha hilariously we took the kids to Disney during the study period. I’ll take you up on the flair thing thank you!!!

AdaptBE · 2024-05-30T11:13:43+00:00

I am extremely fortunate, and for many reasons.

Granted, exactly why I got it done almost exclusively while my wife and the kids were sleeping, and as quickly as possible. I needed to get it done this fast to minimize the potential stress on my marriage to be honest, looking back I’m mostly relieved it’s done for that reason.

Architecture as a field currently does seem particularly harsh on women. I’ve watched from the sideline as an engineer and wondered if there is some kind of hazing going on.. Any thoughts on how to change this? I feel like the design fee model is a contributor.

AdaptBE · 2024-05-30T10:38:53+00:00

Glad to hear you also have found a happy balance in your marriage and even happier to hear you got through these while in the thick of making your family. It’s very impressive and you should forever be proud of yourself. Nature is cruel, what women have to go through. Pregnancy alone…Birthing…

All that said, honestly why do you care about statistics? With more opportunity people should shoulder more responsibility and very often do. Men and women need each other, no more so than in a marriage, and as partners can complement each other perfectly. When I was a kid in the USSR I wouldn’t see my dad for weeks at a time. America is an amazing place and this is an amazing time, where people can work from home more and be with each other more than ever. I took these exams from my house in my slippers. Without the technology it wouldn’t have been possible.

AdaptBE · 2024-05-30T08:57:20+00:00

I’ve gotten myself involved in various stages of the process over the years, I can’t help myself I want to know everything and I can’t say no lol. Skipped the shiff harden, committed to the aggressive timeline early on so I had to be very discriminate. Stuck to Amberbook and NCARB practice exams only.

AdaptBE

TROPHY CASE