Earlier, I was under the impression that I was qualified to start taking the ARE exams. I spent considerable time skimming the ARE Review Manual to see what test areas I was most comfortable in. I read through the ARE forum and the Review Manual and devised a testing order that is tailored to my competencies, and that I am quite happy with. That was well over a month ago. I was notified that I wasn’t quite finished with the IDP requirements as explained in a previous post. Since then I have made many pathetic attempts to keep up the studying, but on the bright side I have caught up on most of the “honey do” projects and learned some more about building methods in the mean time.
It has been really hard to take the ARE Review Manual seriously, its like reading the dictionary for fun. Ain’t got no time, and it isn’t that fun. So, I would recommend picking up these books for the time being.
1. Kaplan - Architectural History
2. Francis D. Ching - A Visual Dictionary of Architecture
3. Francis D. Ching - Building Construction Illustrated
The Architectural history section is no longer an individual test section of the ARE, but is still tested throughout on each exam. Thus, it is helpful to brush up on some history. I noticed that Kaplan’s flashcards actually asked some history questions when I was flipping through the Building Systems deck of cards.
I probably do not know all of the components that make up a building section. Ching’s books are a good refresher to get familiar with industry terms and see how things are best represented graphically. This should help come time for the vignette section. In general, familiarizing yourself with the Ching book so you can find a picture of a Type “G” Bulb, should help serve as a useful companion to the ARE Review Manual.
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Best of luck as you travel down the ARE 4.0 path.
ReplyDeleteMike