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?
Everyday Intern
Aug 18, 16 6:27 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.
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.
georgiab
Aug 19, 16 10:19 am
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!
x intern
Aug 19, 16 11:07 am
Look at ncarb website and TBAE. Rules are in flux right now
Everyday Intern
Aug 19, 16 11:15 am
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
Kevin Wagner
Aug 19, 16 12:01 pm
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.
x-jla
Aug 19, 16 12:59 pm
Stupid rule. Who cares when someone takes test. They are the ones paying for it.
x intern
Aug 19, 16 1:24 pm
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.
georgiab
Aug 19, 16 2:16 pm
Thank you for the responses! Always a helpful forum.
accesskb
Aug 19, 16 5:04 pm
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.
georgiab
Aug 19, 16 5:12 pm
I agree!
null pointer
Aug 19, 16 6:36 pm
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.
x-jla
Aug 19, 16 8:20 pm
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...
x intern
Aug 20, 16 9:08 am
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.
Michael Riscica
Aug 27, 16 3:14 pm
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??
nicholass817
Aug 29, 16 2:20 pm
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.
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?
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
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.
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!
Look at ncarb website and TBAE. Rules are in flux right now
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
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.
Stupid rule. Who cares when someone takes test. They are the ones paying for it.
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.
Thank you for the responses! Always a helpful forum.
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.
I agree!
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.
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...
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.
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??
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.