architect54

I think so.

When Justdrawinglines noted that December 30th was the last day to take a 3.1 Architectural Registration Exam (ARE), I didn’t quite understand why. And I’m still not 100% sure, Just is correct. I don’t want to spread information that’s wrong. So I went to the NCARB website to get an answer. I missed a chance to call, but I did find an Intern Development Program (IDP) video that lead me to believe the last day to take an exam and have a second attempt if you fail would be December 30th.

The IDP file is a slide presentation of the new 6-month reporting rule as it applies to interns. The important part of the presentation is to the end when the NCARB representatives explain when the 6-month reporting period starts and ends. It states the reporting period starts the day after your work period has transpired. Applying this to the Architectural Registration Exam means the 6 month waiting period starts the day after you complete your exam. So if you took your exam on December 31st, your 6 month period would start January 1st and end June 30th. Since the last day to take the exam would be June 30th, you would miss out on the last day to test in ARE 3.1.

If you were to take the exam on December 30th, your 6 month waiting period would start December 31st and end June 29th, leaving you the opportunity to test on June 30th. Like me, I think some of you out there didn’t realize this, so I’m posting a rationale to understand. In the office I couldn’t figure it out with my co-worker, but we’re not stressing the deadline. I’m taking ARE 4.0, so the deadline doesn’t matter. My co-worker is more concerned with a comfortable and confident exam preparation than with this deadline.

I know there is somebody out there studying this weekend for a last minute exam. Good Luck. You can do it!

It turns out my friend who is doing the 3.1 exam is not trying to stuff in eight exams before December 31st. What he has done is concentrate on the two graphics exams Site Planning and Building Technology. The latter exam influences 4 other exams, so this sounds like a good last minute strategy.

He has taken one of those two and is trying to do the other before December 31st. I think he’s got a good strategy. If he makes it before December 30th, he’ll get a second opportunity to cover these graphic exams. True, he’ll only get one chance for the other multiple choice exams, but he will have covered himself partially.

I have rescheduled my Site Planning and Design exam to early February. I have also scheduled the remaining 4 exams in the Architectural Registration Exam 4.0. I didn’t exactly execute the bundling order I discussed in earlier posts.

Here’s my schedule:

• Site Planning and Design – February
• Schematic Design – February
• Building Design and Construction Systems – March
• Structural Systems – June
• Building Systems – July

I used Prometric’s website to schedule the last four exams after work. For some reason the website would not allow me to reschedule Site Planning and Design, so I did that over the phone. I don’t remember why I thought I should pull Schematic Design further up in the order. Looking at my exam order I think I have left the more difficult exams for later.

I will be financing the remaining tests with a credit card balance transfer. I have a zero percent interest till October 2009 on balance transfers on another credit card, so I’m going to transfer this balance. This might be something to consider for some of you.