I just realized the other day that it has almost been 2 months since I last updated this blog. Who would have thought that I would be able to keep a normal writing schedule while I was working 50 hour weeks, but once I became unemployed I would struggle to write something ever few weeks, let alone months? So what have I been up to? Well, I have been writing an architecture criticism column for DC Metrocentric (check out the ArchiCritic category) and while at first it was every week that seemed to be nigh impossible to keep up. Now I have settled into a new post every other week, which is totally doable. I just wish that I didn’t wait until the last minute every time to write my article. The next big piece of news is that tomorrow is my last ARE exam, at least of this go-around. So far I have taken 6 exams and passed three. I am waiting on my scores for the rest. Tomorrow is Schematic Design. If the exam is anything like the practice problems I should be OK. Hopefully, with this one down, that means all I have to do is wait [...]
So I’ve been sworn to secrecy that I cannot divulge any information about the licensing exam section I took yesterday. But I can discuss my preparation, my opinions and the testing center. I’ve spent the last few weeks splitting my time between looking for work and studying for the Construction Documents and Services ARE section. My studying consisted of the NOVA AIA study sessions, Kaplan prep books, and the NCARB study materials available on their website. As I was told at the AIA NOVA roundtable, the NCARB study questions were the most helpful, they focused more on content and less on tricky grammar hang-ups which seemed to be similar to what I experienced. The Kaplan book was really helpful as a kind of general overview and primer for the exam, but its questions were very much the opposite of the NCARB questions and were more helpful as a general kind of review of each chapter. The study session I attended focused on the AIA documents and while duplicated a lot of the information I read in the book, was very helpful because it was organized in a much easier to understand way. As far as the vignette was concerned I [...]
I am now scheduled to take the Construction Documents and Services exam on Thursday March 26, 2009 at 5pm. Now that I have a firm calendar date, this should put the heat on my studying.