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The NCARB handbook provides an overview as well as several practice problems for each of the ARE 5.0 exam divisions. Using this handbook will begin to aid you in focusing your time in the knowledge areas where you need the most study.

Make sure to create a realistic schedule for your study times. Consider going through the ARE 5 Review Manual, as well as the NCARB handbook, to get a feeling for the scope of the divisions and how major topics are organized. Based on your review and a realistic evaluation of your strengths and weaknesses it will be easier to plan your studies.

Stop studying new material a day or two before the exam, because studies show that no amount of last minute cramming increases retention of information. Better yet, consider spending the evening before the exam relaxing and be sure to get plenty of sleep. A light review of some of the areas you’ve already studied, may be helpful on the morning of the exam.

Learn concepts first and then details later, because once a concept is understood, the accompanying details are much easier to remember and apply during the exam. An exam tip from David Kent Ballast, FAIA, and Steven E. O’Hara, PE, authors of ARE Exam Review is that as an example, it’s much more advantageous to understand the basic ideas and theories of waterproofing than it is to try and memorize all the specific waterproofing methods and their details. 

Consider reviewing architectural history before taking any of the divisions, because historical facts may turn up in any one of the divisions. It will benefit you to know major buildings and their architects, specifically structures that represent an architect’s philosophy, “firsts” or “turning points.” For example you may want to know Le Corbusier and the Villa Savoye, according to Ballast and O’Hara.

A week or two before you are scheduled to take a division, or when you feel you are nearly ready for the exam, complete a “dry run,” which means taking the practice exam in ARE 5 Practice Exam. Ballast and O’Hara recommend simulating the exam experience as closely as possible by not reading the problems ahead of time, and not looking at the solutions until you’ve finished. Set an alarm for the exam’s testing time. The target times for the divisions are: three-and-a-half hours for Division 1, four hours for Divisions 2 and 3, five hours for Divisions 4 and 5, and four hours for Division 6. Work through the entire practice exam with only your calculator, a pencil, and a few sheets of scratch paper. During the actual exam, an on-screen calculator will be provided. 

You must pass all six ARE divisions within a single five-year period, or “rolling clock,” which begins on the date of the first division you pass. Therefore, to a certain extent, how you schedule ARE divisions and the accompanying studying necessary for these divisions is up to you. You can schedule any division of the ARE at any time and may take the divisions in any order. 

You may choose to take the divisions one at a time, which spreads out preparation time and exam costs, or you may decide to take them all together in any combination. The choice is yours, but again keep the five-year time limit in mind, because if you have not completed a division within five years, the divisions you passed more than five years ago are no longer credited and must be retaken. The new five-year period then begins on the date you passed the earliest division within the most recent five years. 

To learn more about ARE 5.0 and what you can expect from the exam, be sure to check out our ARE Resource Center for more exam information, updates, and tips.