architect54

Everything happens for a reason. Turns out I received my Schematic Design (SD) test results during the week. I got two letters, a bill and another letter in a plain non-descriptive envelope with a very plain font, return addressed from New York State Department of Education. Had I paid closer attention I would have realized those were test results! I put both letters down on the table and didn’t pay them any mind. “That bill I automatically pay online and that’s junk mail,” I thought.

Saturday my Dad’s over and my Mom’s over and she’s looking at this letter on the table. She says, “Aren’t these your test results?” I look at the letter and had to say to myself, “Holy …”

Well everything happens for a reason. A family moment, I thought. I opened it and fail. Yup! That’s correct. I did not pass. Fully expecting to pass, it did not occur. The test with the highest pass rate has beat me twice. Guess where I had my major deficiency? Building layout! That’s right. I don’t know what I did wrong, but I know I didn’t practice the building layout enough. I didn’t think I needed to. Well guess what.

There was no mention of interior layout, so I got that right. So 6 months wait now. I’ve got plenty to do in the meantime. I had to laugh when I saw the result. Plus I had to chuck this one off. I refuse to believe this is a difficult exam. Last time it was the interior layout, this time the building layout. I’ll get them both next time.

My Dad took a look at the results. Something that he probably understood clearly for the first time and that struck me more than before is the remaining time chart at the bottom of the page. With 3 years, 5 months left to complete the remaining exams, time is ticking. All of a sudden failing is starting to seem like a big thing!

I left the Schematic Design architectural registration exam fairly confident. As I posted before, my biggest concern regarded the building layout. One room aspect was poor, it may have been too much of an L-shape. (According to my studies, the room that is too far away, actually isn’t too far away. It still concerns me, but not as much as the other room’s aspect.)

Occasionally I find myself thinking, “Did I miss something? Something else that equates to a minor or major deficiency?” I’ll take it in stride, if that occurs. Overall, I fully expect a pass letter in the mail. So when I shoot those questions at myself, I stay calm and try not to worry.

The feeling is a bit disturbing though. That for every error you can see, there are two or three errors you can’t. It comes with many exams. With the right study aides and enough practice, I think, Schematic Design is one of the exams someone can leave more confident knowing which side of pass or fail their results should belong. Remember too, this is the exam with the highest pass rate.

Well I expect my results are on the pass side. I could not see any other points, errors, or omissions, that warranted my concern. I hope I’m not being too hard on myself, but my worries this time seem an indication that practicing more would have helped. Like I said, I fully expect a Schematic Design pass letter in the mail. I’ll find out soon enough, “Did I miss something?”

Peer support is a touchy subject when it comes to the architectural registration exam (ARE). I encourage you to encourage others. If you and other people are going for their licenses, it will be best to encourage and support others. Share your resources and do your best to complement others within the limitations of your progress and know how.

Peer support is often influenced by office culture. You have to measure the extent to which you will help and reach out to others. Consider this a two-way street. If you’re able to build feedback and encouragement or develop some kind of positive return on your interaction, then foster the office relationship in that direction. If not, let that aspect of the relationship fade and don’t mention the architectural registration exam again.

Sometimes workers manage to build themselves into teams with the purpose of tackling the exam. Sometimes workers build a faint competitive component that can be particularly cumbersome in today’s economic environment (with layoffs and downsizing). If you are able to give and receive nothing in return, than keep on giving. If you feel you deserve more support from your interactions and you’re not getting it, then try another method, or clam up and concentrate on the exam using the best means available to you.