For those of you who follow our blog, you might have seen my post explaining the process of licensure for an architect. Or the one where I passed Site Planning and Design. Well those were about 3 years ago and there is a 5 year limit on the exams. So if I didn't pass all of the exams by the 5 year mark, I would have to retake any that were over 5 years old. If any of you know me, you know that that is not an option for me. Ideally I would have picked one exam off after another. But with teaching on the side, rowing, and just wanting to have a life, meant the 5 year limit was approaching and I still had (6) exams to go!
Luckily I came across a program through the AIA San Francisco called the ARE Pact. It is where you register for the program with a fee of $1,000. With the enrollment, you are placed within a study group of 10 and you gain access to free ARE lectures and study materials. If you take all the exams within 1 year you are refunded your $1,000. I know myself enough that if I was able to round up $1,000 to partake in this program, I would make sure I would get that thousand bucks back!
Well that is what I have been doing this last year. I didn’t row, cut back on my teaching, and barely had a life! But with perseverance and determination I did complete all the exams and am happy to report that I passed all of them as well. I went 7 for 7 and am officially done with the ARE (Architectural Registration Exams)! Thank you ARE Pact & Michelle Railsback for making this program happen!
But I can’t call myself an architect yet…I still have to take the CSE (California Supplemental Exam)…And the process continues : )