has anyone been sucessful with this test prep strategy? i want to start the NYC program in April, and finish by July...taking (and hopefully passing) all exams.
here is the concern: i work full time and have 2 small kids. if i am going to take weekend time for this--IT HAS TO HELP.
fwiw--i've been struding on an off for some of the sections for 2 years, but have not buckled down yet. all feedback appreciated. tia.
this process is different for everyone, but i would not recommend taking time and resources away from yourself/your family for test prep.
try to assess what kind of study skills have worked best for you in the past. if you are the type who 'tests well' and has a good record of efficient solo study, then spend an hour or so each day (over lunch or in the evenings or on the train) with a borrowed test prep book and save the weekends (and the money) for the kids. schedule a test every 1-2 mos...you can definitely pass the tests this way.
i do know some people who have really struggled to pass, though, and multiple retakes end up being more expensive/time consuming in the end. so if you suspect this may be you, then buckle down and do it.
oh, i see that you want to get this done in less than 7 or so mos...toward the end i was taking a test every 2 weeks, with no test prep other than books, and that worked pretty well for me...
i used to be a good test taker, and am farily confident that i could pass on my own, with focused study...over 3 years. i hope to avoid the take-and-retake theme, both because of time and expense. i also love the idea of having the tests done by my <35th-yikes> birthday in july :)
maybe i will shoot for one test before the class starts and see how it goes. thanks again :)
maybe i will shoot for one test before the class starts and see how it goes. thanks again :)
I would ABSOLUTELY do this. The exams are pretty different from the test prep material, including the practice exams. You'll get a feel for how they're set up / what themes they focus on (there are definite thematic focal points across the exams) which in turn really helps you target your studying for the following tests.
The good news is, they're not *that* hard. The bad news is, they're not super easy to just study for, from a book*. In my personal view, despite what I'd heard others say, I found they really do draw from experiential knowledge, and so they seem to be more suited to a candidate with a lot of field / CA experience. So given your age, perhaps that will make it a bit smoother for you?
*I've come away from most of the exams feeling like even if I'd studied the books for months I wouldn't have been any better prepared than I was. I don't think it's possibly to completely study for these tests - at a certain point a) you just have to know the concepts, experientially and b) you hit a saturation point of studying. So personally I wouldn't spend a lot of money on test prep right off the bat - I would spend that money on your first exam, see how it feels to you personally, and then adjust from there.
gonadsxe--my kids are in bed by 7... i typically work at night, but will have to shift some hours to studying.
mantaray--thanks for all of the thoughts and advice. i am old (sniff, sniff), and have good experience. i think this will help. i have heard that the exams aren't hard, let's hope it that is the case.
No problem. In a weird way I have actually enjoyed taking these exams and hope you will too. They really aren't the worst thing in the world. Don't believe what you read on the ARE Forum - in fact, I would ignore the forum almost* completely. It seems like most of the people posting on there are probably new to the field, which is great, but they tend to have a lot of questions that more experienced people simply don't, and their stress level can end up unnecessarily raising your own anxiety.
The only other advice I'd add - which is ESSENTIAL - is that you MUST follow Professor Dorf's book on the vignettes. This is all I have used to study from for the vignettes and if you only follow his advice TO THE LETTER, they are a cinch. Conversely, I literally don't know how people pass some of those vignettes without going through his book.
*There are some gems of material in the ftp portion of the site, including a great study cheat sheet on ADAG dimensions. And some great advice - if you don't mind searching through a lot of worrying to get to it - regarding what to study for on each exam.
mantaray is exactly right on. Even though I took the exams a long time ago (10 years?) the study prep for the vignettes was crucial and aligned closely with what to expect on the tests. The other material was hit-or-miss whether I just knew it from experience or studied (crammed) it from a book beforehand.
And her most important point: spend the money on taking one exam. That will prepare you leaps and bounds - the scariest part is the unknown, and being familiar with the testing center, the rules, the format of the exam, the language, the time constraints etc. will help you relax and pass them.
They're really not that hard - the process is difficult, and frustrating, but not as hard as we all tend to fear. Good luck!
I attended the Funkaar Studios seminars for the ARE 3.1 graphic portions of the exam. I also used the Dorf vignette study guides. I took the graphic portions of the exam in two week intervals and the written portions monthly.
The Funkaar Studios graphic seminars were fast-paced and very helpful for tips & tricks with NCARB's goofy little computer program and things to pay attention to. Dorf's material were great for practicing at home. The exams weren't that hard, I just had to be mindful of what I was drawing, double check my work and be confident with the computer program.
For the rest of the exams I reviewed the Ballast & Kaplan materials which were available in our office library. The seminars gave me confidence in the areas that I felt I needed a boost, but taking all of the seminars would have been a waste of time and money for me.
I agree with mantaray's advice regarding the ARE Forum, and Donna Sink has great advice about becoming familiar with the testing centers, rules, etc.
I'm studying for AREs now and started a self-quiz blog to reinforce what I'm reading. I'm hoping it's a way to complement my own studying and possibly be a spot review/refresher for others. I'd welcome any suggestions on the material! BTW I'm not copying test questions from existing study guides or flashcards, so the questions don't really follow the familiar ARE format. However, I think that can be a useful way to test actual content and not test-taking skill.
My 2 cents. I just finished test #6. I had the luxury to study full time this summer. I quit my office job around May and had a goal to finish all 7 by early Aug (when i knew i was going back to grad school). So thats about one test every one to two weeks. I made it through 5 in that period (and luckily passed) and took the 6th this past holiday break 4 months later. I actually would recommend taking them back to back. It takes an exam or two to get used to how they ask the questions and they become easier somehow (maybe i just got used to it and was in the rhythm). you can really just deduce many of the MC answers b/c many questions that come up are not in the prep material. It made it harder to go back after 4 months.
i used ballast, kaplan Q+As, Archiflash, and Dorf's Solutions for the vignettes.
after also taking six tests, i would say it's debatable how much study time you actually need. every test i leave felt like a total gamble and somehow i ended up passing. most of the questions are a judgment call, as others have said above. there's definitely something to be said for studying/test prep as a way to boost your confidence though.
That is great and generous help! My only suggest would be to see if you can get the pop-ups to appear permanently while you hover your pointer over the answer. For some reason, my pop-up disappears after about 5 seconds even without moving my mouse off the answer. I have to "rehover" to read and comprehend all of the answer. Otherwise, I, for one, appreciate it.
thanks beekay31. yes - agree with the short pop-up. i'm not savvy yet with the code, but i hope to remedy the length. hopefully it's a fun diversion from the mostly dry study materials.
ARE + funkaar test prep
has anyone been sucessful with this test prep strategy? i want to start the NYC program in April, and finish by July...taking (and hopefully passing) all exams.
here is the concern: i work full time and have 2 small kids. if i am going to take weekend time for this--IT HAS TO HELP.
fwiw--i've been struding on an off for some of the sections for 2 years, but have not buckled down yet. all feedback appreciated. tia.
this process is different for everyone, but i would not recommend taking time and resources away from yourself/your family for test prep.
try to assess what kind of study skills have worked best for you in the past. if you are the type who 'tests well' and has a good record of efficient solo study, then spend an hour or so each day (over lunch or in the evenings or on the train) with a borrowed test prep book and save the weekends (and the money) for the kids. schedule a test every 1-2 mos...you can definitely pass the tests this way.
i do know some people who have really struggled to pass, though, and multiple retakes end up being more expensive/time consuming in the end. so if you suspect this may be you, then buckle down and do it.
oh, i see that you want to get this done in less than 7 or so mos...toward the end i was taking a test every 2 weeks, with no test prep other than books, and that worked pretty well for me...
thanks for your response.
i used to be a good test taker, and am farily confident that i could pass on my own, with focused study...over 3 years. i hope to avoid the take-and-retake theme, both because of time and expense. i also love the idea of having the tests done by my <35th-yikes> birthday in july :)
maybe i will shoot for one test before the class starts and see how it goes. thanks again :)
Get those kids to bed by 9 the latest and study till midnight! Father of two here and I start my exams next month!
Ive taken 3 exams ..passed 2 and failed 1 ...Its been taking me 3 mos./exam ..2 mos of study and 1 month to regroup
I honestly dont see how anyone can do it taking 1 class/week and 1 test/week ...seems pretty crazy to me
I would ABSOLUTELY do this. The exams are pretty different from the test prep material, including the practice exams. You'll get a feel for how they're set up / what themes they focus on (there are definite thematic focal points across the exams) which in turn really helps you target your studying for the following tests.
The good news is, they're not *that* hard. The bad news is, they're not super easy to just study for, from a book*. In my personal view, despite what I'd heard others say, I found they really do draw from experiential knowledge, and so they seem to be more suited to a candidate with a lot of field / CA experience. So given your age, perhaps that will make it a bit smoother for you?
*I've come away from most of the exams feeling like even if I'd studied the books for months I wouldn't have been any better prepared than I was. I don't think it's possibly to completely study for these tests - at a certain point a) you just have to know the concepts, experientially and b) you hit a saturation point of studying. So personally I wouldn't spend a lot of money on test prep right off the bat - I would spend that money on your first exam, see how it feels to you personally, and then adjust from there.
gonadsxe--my kids are in bed by 7... i typically work at night, but will have to shift some hours to studying.
mantaray--thanks for all of the thoughts and advice. i am old (sniff, sniff), and have good experience. i think this will help. i have heard that the exams aren't hard, let's hope it that is the case.
No problem. In a weird way I have actually enjoyed taking these exams and hope you will too. They really aren't the worst thing in the world. Don't believe what you read on the ARE Forum - in fact, I would ignore the forum almost* completely. It seems like most of the people posting on there are probably new to the field, which is great, but they tend to have a lot of questions that more experienced people simply don't, and their stress level can end up unnecessarily raising your own anxiety.
The only other advice I'd add - which is ESSENTIAL - is that you MUST follow Professor Dorf's book on the vignettes. This is all I have used to study from for the vignettes and if you only follow his advice TO THE LETTER, they are a cinch. Conversely, I literally don't know how people pass some of those vignettes without going through his book.
*There are some gems of material in the ftp portion of the site, including a great study cheat sheet on ADAG dimensions. And some great advice - if you don't mind searching through a lot of worrying to get to it - regarding what to study for on each exam.
mantaray is exactly right on. Even though I took the exams a long time ago (10 years?) the study prep for the vignettes was crucial and aligned closely with what to expect on the tests. The other material was hit-or-miss whether I just knew it from experience or studied (crammed) it from a book beforehand.
And her most important point: spend the money on taking one exam. That will prepare you leaps and bounds - the scariest part is the unknown, and being familiar with the testing center, the rules, the format of the exam, the language, the time constraints etc. will help you relax and pass them.
They're really not that hard - the process is difficult, and frustrating, but not as hard as we all tend to fear. Good luck!
I attended the Funkaar Studios seminars for the ARE 3.1 graphic portions of the exam. I also used the Dorf vignette study guides. I took the graphic portions of the exam in two week intervals and the written portions monthly.
The Funkaar Studios graphic seminars were fast-paced and very helpful for tips & tricks with NCARB's goofy little computer program and things to pay attention to. Dorf's material were great for practicing at home. The exams weren't that hard, I just had to be mindful of what I was drawing, double check my work and be confident with the computer program.
For the rest of the exams I reviewed the Ballast & Kaplan materials which were available in our office library. The seminars gave me confidence in the areas that I felt I needed a boost, but taking all of the seminars would have been a waste of time and money for me.
I agree with mantaray's advice regarding the ARE Forum, and Donna Sink has great advice about becoming familiar with the testing centers, rules, etc.
I'm studying for AREs now and started a self-quiz blog to reinforce what I'm reading. I'm hoping it's a way to complement my own studying and possibly be a spot review/refresher for others. I'd welcome any suggestions on the material! BTW I'm not copying test questions from existing study guides or flashcards, so the questions don't really follow the familiar ARE format. However, I think that can be a useful way to test actual content and not test-taking skill.
http://are-review.blogspot.com/
My 2 cents. I just finished test #6. I had the luxury to study full time this summer. I quit my office job around May and had a goal to finish all 7 by early Aug (when i knew i was going back to grad school). So thats about one test every one to two weeks. I made it through 5 in that period (and luckily passed) and took the 6th this past holiday break 4 months later. I actually would recommend taking them back to back. It takes an exam or two to get used to how they ask the questions and they become easier somehow (maybe i just got used to it and was in the rhythm). you can really just deduce many of the MC answers b/c many questions that come up are not in the prep material. It made it harder to go back after 4 months.
i used ballast, kaplan Q+As, Archiflash, and Dorf's Solutions for the vignettes.
good luck
after also taking six tests, i would say it's debatable how much study time you actually need. every test i leave felt like a total gamble and somehow i ended up passing. most of the questions are a judgment call, as others have said above. there's definitely something to be said for studying/test prep as a way to boost your confidence though.
building.simply,
That is great and generous help! My only suggest would be to see if you can get the pop-ups to appear permanently while you hover your pointer over the answer. For some reason, my pop-up disappears after about 5 seconds even without moving my mouse off the answer. I have to "rehover" to read and comprehend all of the answer. Otherwise, I, for one, appreciate it.
thanks beekay31. yes - agree with the short pop-up. i'm not savvy yet with the code, but i hope to remedy the length. hopefully it's a fun diversion from the mostly dry study materials.
I completely agree with wrecking ball. You put better what I was trying to say above.
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