Has anyone taken this? I am a NY licensed architect and would like to know what the exam is like and what to expect and how to prepare for it.
Thanks!
chigurh
Aug 29, 15 4:45 pm
took it...brain dumped it...all I really remember was you review some super generic project docs - site plan - plans, sections, notes; then take a multiple choice exam pertaining to California specific agency approvals and compliance. DSA, costal commission, environmental agencies, EPA, air quality management...California stuff not covered in the regular ARE exams. I remember it being pretty easy, took the exam in some weird computer center in Rosemead or something..not your regular prometric center...good luck.
x-jla
Aug 29, 15 11:11 pm
^glad the public is now safe...
chigurh
Aug 30, 15 10:29 am
oh yea...because memorizing some obscure code sections make the public more safe...
x-jla
Aug 30, 15 12:33 pm
sounds like a clever way to suck more fees...gotta love california big govt.
citizen
Aug 30, 15 4:55 pm
I just dropped my renewal in the mailbox five minutes ago.
As hard as it is getting your license... never let it lapse.
TIQM
Aug 31, 15 7:23 pm
I let mine lapse...which was a major blunder on my part. To get it back, I had to re-take the California Supplemental exam, which was an oral exam at the time. Really difficult, and intimidating, with a very low pass rate. I passed, thank goodness.
Listen to citizen. never let it lapse.
Studio_Blueprint
Jul 13, 19 4:48 pm
I passed all the ARE tests by 2008. Which was 14 years after graduating with my BArch. It took 4 more years to pass the CSE. When I first took it in 2010 it was still the oral format which was extremely intimidating for me. I only scored like 33 out of 300 with a pass rate needed to be at least 150 out of 300. I learned that it was soon switched to a computer format so I bought the Doucette Material and went over it again, and again, and again making detailed notes of all the materials. I printed out the flash cards from Doucette and again reviewed them dozens of times. I gave myself 6 months of studying until test day. It was a tough test and many of the questions made no real sense to me, so I just guessed. I did pass it, though. I studied for 500 hours using Doucette's material and pulled 24 all-nighters. It was tough but I learned right after the exam that "Congratulations you have passed the CSE." I was elated but also extremely worn out from all the studying. My advice: Order the Doucette material and go through it time and time and time again. You should pass no problems but it will require a lot of work to get there. Good luck and have a good journey!!!
BulgarBlogger
Jul 14, 19 2:12 am
I passed this exam a while ago.
natematt
Jul 15, 19 11:47 am
I feel like you’re joking @studio_blueprint.... but I can’t really tell for sure
atelier nobody
Jul 15, 19 3:54 pm
It's spam. Person's history has exactly one post (this one); post claims to be a personal story, but actually plugs a product; in a reply to a 3-year-old thread.
dparbhoo
Dec 6, 21 12:38 am
I made a YouTube video explaining all of the best resources to study for the CSE as well as my study schedule. Check it out here and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss any future videos!
Koww
Dec 7, 21 1:26 am
...
brmndrgrnd
Aug 2, 24 2:40 pm
Recently took it; did not pass. It's an extremely hard test, largely because the questions can be interpreted in multiple ways, and they are multiple choice. I also thought I was doing very well, though I left quite a lot of time on the clock (which maybe would have served me better to have marked more questions to review later). What I did know, I knew, and when those questions came up, I knew they were right. So, it was surprising the number I did not get right. I would say the best approach is to understand the concepts of the knowledge statements and try to have a big picture view. Good luck.
Has anyone taken this? I am a NY licensed architect and would like to know what the exam is like and what to expect and how to prepare for it.
Thanks!
took it...brain dumped it...all I really remember was you review some super generic project docs - site plan - plans, sections, notes; then take a multiple choice exam pertaining to California specific agency approvals and compliance. DSA, costal commission, environmental agencies, EPA, air quality management...California stuff not covered in the regular ARE exams. I remember it being pretty easy, took the exam in some weird computer center in Rosemead or something..not your regular prometric center...good luck.
^glad the public is now safe...
oh yea...because memorizing some obscure code sections make the public more safe...
sounds like a clever way to suck more fees...gotta love california big govt.
I just dropped my renewal in the mailbox five minutes ago.
As hard as it is getting your license... never let it lapse.
I let mine lapse...which was a major blunder on my part. To get it back, I had to re-take the California Supplemental exam, which was an oral exam at the time. Really difficult, and intimidating, with a very low pass rate. I passed, thank goodness.
Listen to citizen. never let it lapse.
I passed all the ARE tests by 2008. Which was 14 years after graduating with my BArch. It took 4 more years to pass the CSE. When I first took it in 2010 it was still the oral format which was extremely intimidating for me. I only scored like 33 out of 300 with a pass rate needed to be at least 150 out of 300. I learned that it was soon switched to a computer format so I bought the Doucette Material and went over it again, and again, and again making detailed notes of all the materials. I printed out the flash cards from Doucette and again reviewed them dozens of times. I gave myself 6 months of studying until test day. It was a tough test and many of the questions made no real sense to me, so I just guessed. I did pass it, though. I studied for 500 hours using Doucette's material and pulled 24 all-nighters. It was tough but I learned right after the exam that "Congratulations you have passed the CSE." I was elated but also extremely worn out from all the studying. My advice: Order the Doucette material and go through it time and time and time again. You should pass no problems but it will require a lot of work to get there. Good luck and have a good journey!!!
I passed this exam a while ago.
I feel like you’re joking @studio_blueprint.... but I can’t really tell for sure
It's spam. Person's history has exactly one post (this one); post claims to be a personal story, but actually plugs a product; in a reply to a 3-year-old thread.
I made a YouTube video explaining all of the best resources to study for the CSE as well as my study schedule. Check it out here and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss any future videos!
...
Recently took it; did not pass. It's an extremely hard test, largely because the questions can be interpreted in multiple ways, and they are multiple choice. I also thought I was doing very well, though I left quite a lot of time on the clock (which maybe would have served me better to have marked more questions to review later). What I did know, I knew, and when those questions came up, I knew they were right. So, it was surprising the number I did not get right. I would say the best approach is to understand the concepts of the knowledge statements and try to have a big picture view. Good luck.