Return to lateness

I am back in the saddle, no job, but four tests scheduled.
SD Jun 07
CD Jun 24
BDCS Jun 28
PPP Jul 02

I know it may be crazy...but before my "break" I was talking to a gal at the AIA study group about a good testing schedule. She had a friend who studied hard core for about three months then took all the tests in 2 weeks. While this intense period was no cake walk, he got everything done in 3 months as opposed to 6 months...and he passed.

After reading “The 4-Hour Work week” by Timothy Ferriss, I now understand Parkinson’s Law,...Tasks will swell with time

Even though I know the next 6 weeks will be a heavy lift, I won't have time to slack off.

In the next posts, I will provide a list of study tips I have assembled during my "break". Some MC tips helped a buddy take his PE Exam. Another friend is taking his Medical Boards out in NY, and I will update the blog after his braindump, and reveal what he found most successful.

Thanks for staying tuned!

p.s. lateness refers to the insane late hours I poured into the LEED exam

The economy still sucks, trust me.

So, I apologize for the spottiness, but I was laid off from my job last Monday. In the scramble to get my bearings I have taken a brief hiatus from the exams. I plan to return to the books next week. Although the timing of losing your job is never good, I figure it gives me a little extra time to study for my exams.

ARE 4.0 Pass Rates...Scary

I finally looked at the pass rates from July 2008 – June 2009 for the new ARE 4.0 exam. It is quite shocking. The range is from a 53%-70% compared to 68-80% on the ARE 3.0 exam. I realize they have adjusted the test to make the test process shorter, but it feels that something is out of balance. I find it frustrating at a time that finances are tight, architects are out of jobs, and the costs of test has increased, that more people are faced with retaking their exams.

Schematic Design Week 1

So I have been studying for a little over a week for the Schematic Design exam. I have met a couple of people at my local AIA study group that have helped my motivation. This exam is quite strange in the fact that there is limited material out there, and you can go through the practice vignettes very quickly. I have taken two practice vignettes so far, and realize that my solution is nowhere close to the recommended answer. All in all I know it is more about using the program and managing the stress related to the 1 hour time limit for the first portion of the test. I have read some useful tips in Kaplan and on the ARE Forum and will highlight my favorites when I have time.

AIA Denver ARE Study Group

I attended the study group for AIA Denver last night. I liked the energy in the room, and there was a good range of test takers. Some people have already completed some of their exams, others are starting their first test just like me. We discussed best ways to communicate among the group, and different seminars for those interested. This study group is a free service of AIA Denver, but is limited to AIA members only. For those interested in either the group or membership contact Emily Ewing.

The group meets every Monday at 5:30 - 7:00pm in the AIA Denver office.

For the first 7-8 weeks, the group will focus on the following exam sections.
SCHEMATIC DESIGN
BUILDING SYSTEMS
CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS
PROGRAMMING, PLANNING & PRACTICE.

I will study with the newbies for Schematic Design for the first couple weeks, hopefully take the exam and then start studying for Building Systems.

Additionally, AIA offers a Review Seminar Schedule. The next session is Saturday March 13th, Programming, Planning & Practice

AUTHORIZATION TO TEST

I got my authorization to test on January 15th, 2010. It came in the mail from Prometric.
I submitted my Council Record to be reviewed on December 7th, 2010. It took about 5-6 weeks, which is close to what they predict. As I have mentioned I will begin studying after the conclusion of the winter olympic games. I also receieved word from AIA Denver of a new study group for any of those intereseted. Contact Emily at the AIA Denver Office.

On the Road

I will bo on the road with work over the next couple weeks. I will get to the blog and studying in mid February. I apologize for the gap in posts, but I still have to wait for my lovely Authorization to Test.

Cheers