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Starting ARE exams before graduating

georgiab

Is it possible to begin taking the ARE exams prior to receiving your degree from your NAAB ccredited school? If so, is there an intern hour requirement?

 
Aug 18, 16 5:18 pm

Depends on the jurisdiction. I'm not aware of any that allow you to begin taking the ARE before completing the educational requirements, but I don't have all the requirements for every state memorized. 

What jurisdiction do you want to be licensed in?

http://www.ncarb.org/ARE/Getting-Started-With-the-ARE.aspx

Aug 18, 16 6:27 pm  · 
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x intern
I seriously doubt you could pass them before actually working on a few projects. There's been talk of this but the problem is they don't teach you to be an architect in school. That's why you have to do 3 years of interning.
Aug 19, 16 8:59 am  · 
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georgiab

Texas. I disagree about being about to pass them before working on projects. To preface, I'm actually asking this question for a friend who asked me and I didn't have an answer. I've worked on a few projects but only at the schematic design level and am in the midst of taking my second exam. I think if you studied enough for any exam you could pass it!

Aug 19, 16 10:19 am  · 
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x intern
Look at ncarb website and TBAE. Rules are in flux right now
Aug 19, 16 11:07 am  · 
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Whether 'your friend' can pass them without working on actual projects first won't matter if they are going for initial licensure in Texas. According to NCARB, they'll need at least 6 months experience after graduating with a NAAB degree (it would be smart to verify with TBAE as well).

Does your board allow early eligibility for the Architect Registration Examination (ARE)? 

Yes

When can an Intern-Architect access the ARE? 

After NAAB degree, enrollment in AXP and 6 months under a registered architect

Aug 19, 16 11:15 am  · 
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Might be a benefit having little to no experience while taking exams...no "well, that's not how we do it" conflicts to cloud the mind.

Aug 19, 16 12:01 pm  · 
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x-jla

Stupid rule. Who cares when someone takes test.  They are the ones paying for it.

Aug 19, 16 12:59 pm  · 
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x intern
True. As long as they keep the internship requirements
Licensed architects strait out of school would be disastrous for our profession and our perceived value by public.
Aug 19, 16 1:24 pm  · 
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georgiab

Thank you for the responses! Always a helpful forum.

Aug 19, 16 2:16 pm  · 
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accesskb

Leaving aside whether one is allowed to take these exams or not while still in school,  I keep hearing you can't pass these exams without real work experience..  Is that really true?  Yes, I know what we're taught in school won't prepare us for this exam.  But what is stopping someone with only a degree and no experience from buying books and materials to study and pass this exam?  Sure it might take longer to study and understand but I don't think its a given fail if they haven't had any work experience.

Aug 19, 16 5:04 pm  · 
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georgiab

I agree!

Aug 19, 16 5:12 pm  · 
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null pointer

Working in a firm can be poison. A lot of architects, especially in small firms, have no fucking clue how to run a project in the sort of way that the ARE assumes a project is run.

Construction Docs with actual experience is painful. Programming and Planning with actual planning experience is horrible as well (and I mean actual Urban Planning experience). I can't fucking detail shit (aside from facades), and building systems (aside from facades) were foreign to me, so I aced those. Go figure.

Aug 19, 16 6:36 pm  · 
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x-jla

I know several people who took and passed the exams right out of school with zero work exp during the recession....the licensed folks like scaring people and exaggerating the value of office learning...when in fact self education is really better for many...

Aug 19, 16 8:20 pm  · 
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x intern
Maybe I should clarify. Being in an office drafting isn't the helpful experiance. Managing a project and overseeing construction is Very helpful. Unfortunately most offices don't put their interns on the job site so you may be correct that being a cad monkey isn't helpful. The tests aren't that bad but they cover a wide range of information it would be painful to just sit down and absorb. I would worry about long term retention of the info using the crash study method but more power to you.
Aug 20, 16 9:08 am  · 
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Even if you can take the exams while in school, I would question why you aren't using that energy to focus on your architecture education??  

Aug 27, 16 3:14 pm  · 
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nicholass817

I didn't take the ARE while in school.  I did look at what Information the sections covered and used that as a basis for what I should be paying particular attention to in the courses.  So, taking the ARE or prepping for it while in school could potentially further your education, and lead you to ask questions you wouldn't otherwise know to ask.  

One thing I have noticed is that those with a 5 year B.Arch seem to struggle with the ARE more than those with a 4+2 M.Arch....just an observation from a somewhat limited point of view.  

Aug 29, 16 2:20 pm  · 
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