For a lot of reasons, the Architectural Registration Exam is a very daunting thing to a young architect, mostly because the exam itself seems like such an enormous task to take on. The biggest problem with the licensing exam is that, when all is said and done, its just a test. That’s it. A task that needs to be completed, a burden that needs to be overcome. And since it’s a basic human tendency to find the simplest method of completing such a task, it comes as no surprise that there are a lot of exam candidates that are just interested in test-taking strategies (being told things like “pick ‘C’,” for example) than drawing upon one’s knowledge and experience to determine the correct answer.
Unfortunately, the reality is that RFIs aren’t multiple choice, and job-site issues aren’t something that you can find in a study guide. Learning the content is the best possible way to pass the exam, and it makes you a better architect in the process. The YAF’s recurring series of ARE Review Sessions are founded on this principle, the simple notion that knowledge is the most important aspect of test-taking.
The 2011-2012 series is currently underway. We are proud to see a few seasoned veterans return to help us out again in 2012, while also welcoming some new blood to help deepen our pool of presenters. Al Cuteri, AIA, and John Schneider, PE, whose past reviews on Construction Documents and Services and Structural Systems (respectively) have been highly regarded as some of the best sessions this ongoing series has produced, presented updated versions of this material again in early 2012. Nancy Lonnet Roman, of Pasheck Associates led a review on the Site Planning division of the test, and various representatives from CJL Engineering will present content related to the Building Systems exam.
The 2012 schedule (always subject to change, of course) can be found here. Comments and suggestions for improving upon this valuable resource are always welcome – contact Sean Sheffler, AIA, at ssheffler@wtwarch.com .