Let's start with Building Systems.

UPDATE - I SWITCHED MY FIRST TEST TO SITE PLANNING AND DESIGN, I WILL UPDATE MY TESTING ORDER IN A NEWER POST. So after skimming the PPI ARE REVIEW MAUAL and paying attention to their recommendations and my strengths, I've determined my testing order. I chose BS as the first exam due to my interest in the material, relevance to buying a new house, and the fact that I've taken the LEED exam recently, and I want to use this material right away before it gets pushed out by all the new stuff I'm absorbing.

So...here is my proposed order.

3 Tests before February
1. Building Systems (4 hr MC + Graphic Exam)
study time: 2-3 weeks after Authorization.
2. Site Planning & Design (4.5 hr Graphic Exam)
study time: 5 weeks, extra time to master 1st true Graphic Exam)
3. Schematic Design (6 hr Graphic Exam)
study time: 4 weeks, This may seem a bit long, but I will not be able to study from mid January to mid February. If I can get 3 tests completed before February I will be happy.

4 Tests before July…I want to have at least one month of summer left to enjoy.
4. Structural Systems (5.5 hr MC + Graphic Exam)
study time: 4-5 weeks, I want to get this tests done before St. Patricks Day…reason to celebrate. 5. Construction Documents & Services (4 hr MC + Graphic Exam)
study time: 4 weeks, Heading into the home stretch study habits should be shored up by now.
6. Building Design & Construction Systems (5.5 hr MC + Graphic Exam)
study time: 3-4 weeks, by this point this material should be very familiar, but don’t want to rush it.
7. Programming, Planning & Practice (4 hr MC + Graphic Exam)
study time: 2-3 weeks, by this point I don’t think I will be able to handle more than 3 weeks of looking at the same stupid book that much longer.

I started reading material for the BS exam. So far things are straightforward, though the people on the areforum are recommending to read MEEP. I will read this at the end, when I have concise idea of how to solve problems, and have a good grasp of the general material. Additionally, they are saying to stick with PPI. I will still work with Kaplan when it becomes available at AIA Denver, and will let you know my opinion. I’m sure anything helps.

AIA material, hit and miss

So after I figured I wanted to start with Building Systems I turned in the mega ARE Review Manual at AIA and went to check out some BS reading. Turns out, its already gone. Though I love being able to borrow this material for free, the fact that the one subject I start out with was not available does not set a good precedent. I chose to take Kaplan's Sample Exam booklet and the old version of the ARE Review Manual, The material was the same and I'm hoping some of the sample questions will be different.

Structural Systems, the Motherload of too much information

I thought I was making really great progress skimming through the first three sections of the ARE Review manual. Then came the structural systems portion which is about half of the entire book. Structures looks like a big pill to swallow. I can see 40-60 hours easily devoted to this section. In retrospect the first three sections aren't too intimidating, especially if you have studied for LEED. Schematic Design has no multiple choice, just two graphic vignettes. That said, these are considered to be very challenging. I will blog specifically about this section so you know what to expect.

Week 1: Lots of skimming

I spent the last week skimming the first couple chapters of PPI's ARE Review Manual. I only got through the first two test sections, that being said I am confident that my LEED exam will help me in the Programming, Planning & Practice Exam. Some things I have noticed in my first week of studying. Get your self organized both in studying and at home. Though I budgeted my time well and have a very understanding spouse, I kept thinking about how my workspace in the basement was kind of a mess and the office upstairs was completely unorganized. Though I lost a day or two in reading, now that I have organized, my study spaces are less distracting. At the beginning, you will go crazy if you try to read every word of the Review Manual. Skimming the pages just to get a sense of the material covered has helped me speed things up and get a greater sense of things I remember from my undergrad Programming class.