Free study resources for all NCARB ARE 5.0 Exams and the California Supplemental Exam (CSE). Led by a female minority Architect and created to encourage other female minorities to get licensed.
Exams Covered Practice Management (PcM) Project Management (PjM) Programming and Analysis (PA) Project Planning & Design (PPD) Project Development and Documentation (PDD) Construction and Evaluation (CE) California Supplemental Exam (CSE)
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Love your content. I'm studying for my ARE and Ii too got lost in notes; I would re-write them as if I was writing a text book and it just made everything cumbersome.
Hello! Thanks for your video. It’s very helpful. How long does it take for the board to approve the eligibility after finishing the six divisions? I heard they need three months? :(. Thanks
In my experience, it usually takes about two months. You might need to call CAB at the one month and two month marker to check on the status of your application. Sometimes it also takes NCARB a bit of time to send over your exam results and AXP hours.
For the Ballasts, I used the second edition and if you go to PPI2pass they have a subscription of around $45 monthly which includes practice tests, practice questions, a few videos, and a copy of the book. For me, the questions seem easier than the actual tests, but for the price, I think it's a good resource. I had passed 3 tests on the first try, and I usually score around 80%😊
My study routine was roughly the below: flashcards (quizlet app) on my train ride commute to and from the office everyday (10-30min) study about an hour during lunch breaks 1-2 hours of studying everyday after work (except for fridays. I reserved this time to have fun bc balance is key!) the study time on the weekends would vary based on how behind I was on my "homework assignments"/ study calendar for the given week. on weeks I was more on track it would be 2-4 hours for the entire weekend I would always make sure to make time for fun events on the weekend but also find time to study a bit usually the last two weekends before my exam, I would be studying all day saturday and sunday (from about noon to dinner time). these were usually my focus weekends and I would block out other fun events during just these last two or even just the last week. on the heavier weekends I would make sure to also do something I enjoy so it wouldn't feel like such a daunting task (like getting nice food/ coffee) (I talk about this more on my videos on study strategies and motivation linked below) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-bjPUGKeKjn4.htmlsi=7i0SFrG50USYnK_m The key for me was finding balance between studying and still having fun and spending time with friends. If your entire study experience is miserable, it will be more difficult to get through and find motivation to continue. Making a calendar of both studying times and what I was studying along with scheduling around fun events was key to keeping that balance. The above worked for me, but based on your lifestyle and priorities you will ultimately have to find what works for you.
I used Amberbook as my main source and took PDD as my first exam but failed by a hair so I needed to restrategize my game plan and these videos are very helpful. While under the 60-day retake window, I decided to go with PA and will follow by PPD+PDD. I am using this guideline to study PA for a month and will be taking the exam in the next two weeks. I feel confident and ready for the exam following your advice.
My study routine was roughly the below: - flashcards (quizlet app) on my train ride commute to and from the office everyday (10-30min) - study about an hour during lunch breaks - 1-2 hours of studying everyday after work (except for fridays. I reserved this time to have fun bc balance is key!) the study time on the weekends would vary based on how behind I was on my "homework assignments"/ study calendar for the given week. - on weeks I was more on track it would be 2-4 hours for the entire weekend - I would always make sure to make time for fun events on the weekend but also find time to study a bit usually the last two weekends before my exam, I would be studying all day saturday and sunday (from about noon to dinner time). these were usually my focus weekends and I would block out other fun events during just these last two or even just the last week. - on the heavier weekends I would make sure to also do something I enjoy so it wouldn't feel like such a daunting task (like getting nice food/ coffee) - (I talk about this more on my videos on study strategies and motivation linked below) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-bjPUGKeKjn4.htmlsi=7i0SFrG50USYnK_m The key for me was finding balance between studying and still having fun and spending time with friends. If your entire study experience is miserable, it will be more difficult to get through and find motivation to continue. Making a calendar of both studying times and what I was studying along with scheduling around fun events was key to keeping that balance. The above worked for me, but based on your lifestyle and priorities you will ultimately have to find what works for you.
I have been finding it so hard to know what materials or portion of materials I should be covering and this was so helpful. thank you so much!! and the schedule at the end omg thank you!
I feel so overwhelmed on this exam. I was hoping you would recommend chapters in each book. It would take me a year to go through all the material. Trying to create my own guide now using what you presented
I don’t currently have a compiled list of chapters to study in each book, however I recommend focus on the main topic categories as outlined in my study schedule. Based off those topics, read through the index of each book and isolate the chapters you need. I used the Hyperfine study plan to get started but the chapters don’t always align perfectly depending on which version of textbook you have. I’ll try to put together a compiled list in the coming weeks. Happy studying!
Thank you for your reply! The video was very helpful I am just a slow reader so I am trying to make my hours count. That would be great if you just had a rough guide of chapters. But the way how do I send you an image of my dog for your videos?
Hello! Thanks for the videos. They’ve been helpful in 5 of the exams. I’ve passed them all so far except PDD. I studied for PPD and PDD together, focusing more on PPD. I passed PPD in the first try, I was 9 months pregnant. I took PDD two weeks later to just give it a try, but I failed, according to Elif Bayram ARE 5.0 score card calculator, I most likely missed the exam by 4 questions. I will use your advice from this video to study in depth for the PDD. Thanks again!
Wow! Congrats on the baby and passing 5 exams! You’re almost there! PDD was one of the most difficult exams in my opinion bc some of the information you had to remember was soooo specific. It was a bit annoying, but you can do it! Best of luck and happy studying!
Thank you so much, I'm following your guide exactly to get motivated and get started! The 2x Brightwood linked books appear to be "out of print" , on searching their other test books look to be in stock.
Thanks for your videos, I am going to begin with practice management, but I have a question I see your schedule a months or two But are you study after work? Night time Or you were not working when you took the exam and study day time? Your schedule is excellent. Thanks for your advice
Great question! I was working a normal job for the entire time I was studying for these exams. I would study flashcards on my commute to and from work, sometimes study at lunchtime, then study for 1-2 hours after work. If I couldn't keep up with my schedule during the week, I would use the weekend to catch up on my "assignments", sometimes studying for several hours on both Saturday and Sunday.
As an update, I passed all 6! I enjoyed watching the next video in the series as I completed each exam. Thanks for all the info.@@dp.DesignProfessionals
Hi! After having failed the PDD exam a few times, I knew I had to change my study methods and came across your video. I followed this method for PDD last year and finally passed! I actually read the "Building Construction" book by Mehta from cover to cover albeit with an app that speed reads for me! Unfortunately, I didn't pass PPD, but I will continue to use this method as it keeps me much more organized and focused. Please don't ever stop creating these videos! Thank you!
@@coolsleeplessnight I think it did. It was just absorbing and understanding the concepts as much as possible, including using RU-vid and Google searching images, etc. I obtained my license last year so everything helped! Best of luck to you!
Thanks for the video! It is quite helpful. As a suggestion can you do a video on your basic study materials such as your journal and how you take notes…type highlighters that work best and pens/markers you use when we’re studying. I get annoyed when I use a marker that bleeds through my page. Or, a pen that does the same thing. Now, I stick with Muji or Pilot since they seem to work best. Thanks.//Chuck
Can someone explain to me what the paragraph 4.1.6 in form A701-2018 Instructions to Bidders means? I'm having a difficult time understanding what they're trying to say about the Bidder being able to "refuse to accept award of less than the combination of Bids stipulated by the Bidder". Thanks
I only tried Black Spectacles for PPD and PDD. My experience with it was the video content did not go into enough detail so I was not able to pass. I would not rely on just Black Spectacles to pass any exam, you will definitely need supplemental materials. I have heard great things about their practice tests though!
Spent 2 months studying black Spectacles and took 3 practice exams- got around 56% on all. Ncarb practice - 56%. Found your study material 3 weeks before and have been cramming for my exam this Friday. Took the ballast practice exam and got 56% (assume it is harder). I will let you know how it goes but I am feeling like I have absorbed so much more from your guide than I did from black Spectacles.
As someone who has been procrastinating on taking the ARE tests because of overwhelm and anxiety these videos are so incredibly helpful. I was feeling completely lost on what to do and feeling completely overwhelmed with the material and planning going into these tests. Thank you so so much for these videos keep up the amazing work!
Not very helpful. I would focus on using the NCARB recommended study materials for this exam. I would only look at 3rd party study resources when I needed additional help in understanding a specific topic.
Thank you for these helpful videos! Could you make something updated, as Brightwood does not sell their study guides anymore? Or recommend something in lieu of this book. Thanks!
you mentioned that you studied all of the AHHP in a week. The required sections are about 480 pages. Can you please elaborate on how you managed to get through all of that in a week? Do you skim through the material or do you actually read all of it? (which would be about 70 pages per day) That book puts me to sleep.
I actually read all of the chapters highlighted in Red on the Pluralsight guide. Every evening after work I would get through as much as I could (studying for about 2 hours each night) and then on the weekend I would finish any material that I couldn't get done during the week.
I read the entire book front to back. I know it sounds ridiculous, but there are so many tiny pieces of information in that book that helped immensely during the exam.
I do not have a folder or class for the quizlet flashcards. I would typically just search for the exam I was studying for and then browse through the different study sets to see which one had the most content that seemed relevant (and the fewest spelling mistakes).
