On the path to architect licensure: Passing My Final ARE Exam (PPD). After fifteen months, multiple ARE exams, one failed CE attempt and two failed PPD attempts, I never have to worry about studying for the AREs again!
On May 23, I retook the PPD ARE exam, two months after my last failed attempt and one week before my little sister was getting married, and I passed. It was my sixth and final ARE exam, officially ending one of the most challenging parts of becoming an architect.
The thing is, I did not do anything differently from the last time I took it. I studied the same material I studied the last time, but with a lot less intensity. I felt like there was not anything more that I could study. My goal was simply to study enough that I did not forget everything I had already learned. This meant the amount of time I studied each day went from around two and a half hours to about thirty minutes.
I started studying again the week after I got back from my South Africa trip on April 17 and studied until the day of the test on May 23. Unlike the previous two times I studied, this time I missed a few days here and there over the course of the two months. All in all, I studied around thirty hours, or about forty nine minutes per day. That is a big difference from the two and a half hours per day I was studying before.
Passing the PPD Exam
Ultimately, it came down to the test. Some exams are easier than others.
From the first few questions, I felt confident that I was going to pass. As I worked through the exam, that feeling stayed with me. It was vastly different from my last attempt when, within the first twenty questions, there were already several that I was unsure about.
The worst part is that some of the questions were exactly the same. You never know which questions you got right or wrong, so it is possible I answered those repeat questions the same way both times or changed my answers without ever knowing whether they were correct.
Changes to the ARE Case Studies
One change that happened to the exam was the case studies. Not necessarily the questions themselves, but the format.
On previous exams, the last twelve to fifteen questions were split between two case studies. A case study is a scenario-based set of questions that is meant to test real world competency by having you review project documents such as floor plans, code excerpts, contracts, and other project information.
Finding the answers among all of those documents was not easy. It often felt like the exam was testing your ability to search through hundreds of pages in not enough time rather than your ability to answer the questions.
If you divide the four hours you have for the exam by the number of questions, it comes out to about two and a half minutes per question. That does not account for the time spent searching through the case study documents, which meant you really needed to leave yourself anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half for those final fifteen questions.
The new format has streamlined the case studies. Instead of two case studies with tons of documents, there are now four smaller case studies with only two or three questions each. Even better, you are only given the documents needed to answer those specific questions.
I flew through the case studies on my most recent attempt.
The second time I took the exam, I used all four hours and did not feel confident when I hit the End Exam button. I was not very surprised when FAIL popped up on the screen.
This time, even after reviewing my flagged questions, I still had about two hours left when I finished my ARE exam.
Passing My Final ARE Exam
I hit the “End Exam” button, my heart raced, and PASS popped up on the screen. I could not believe it.
I was done.
I cried tears of joy in the bathroom on my way out of the building.
Seventeen months after I first decided to start studying in January 2025, I had passed all six ARE exams.
Even with a break during the summer and fall, I spent a total of about nine months studying. Now I never have to worry about the AREs again.
An immense burden and pressure has been lifted off of me. I cannot even begin to describe the feeling.
I can enjoy my summer and my life without having to worry about studying or wondering when I will finally pass my last exam.
Fun Statistics
- Total study time: Approximately 561 hours (probably more)
- Total money spent: $3,311
- Total exam attempts: 9
- ARE exams passed: 6
- Failed attempts: 3
- Total study days: 193
- Average study time on study days: 2.9 hours per day
- Overall journey: 15 months, from beginning to passing the final exam (including a several month break during the summer and fall)
Looking back, I spent approximately 561 hours studying, $3,311 on exams and study materials, and took the ARE nine times. On the days I studied, I averaged nearly three hours a day. It was a huge investment of my time and money, but I’m glad I stuck with it. There was a point after failing PPD a second time where I questioned if I was ever going to pass it, but I was determined to. Passing my final ARE exam feels like a weight has finally been lifted. Now all that’s left is finishing my remaining experience hours before becoming a licensed architect.
If you’re preparing for the AREs, you can also read about the rest of my architecture licensure journey:
On the Path to Architect Licensure: THE AREs
On the Path to Architect Licensure: Taking the AREs
On the Path to Architect Licensure: Taking the AREs, Again
So very very proud of you!! Your amazing!!! LOVE YA, Gram