General word of advice as with any exam taking involving multiple/choice, T/F, and the likes.... ANSWER the questions that you know the answer to right away. Don't dwell on the questions you don't know the answer to or is just confusing. Go back to it later but don't burn up valuable minutes sitting there for 30 minutes on a question you don't know which you could have answered several questions. Another thing, psychometric tricks often used is often in some multiple choice to answer the most correct answer. There may be more than one correct answer but one is most correct and therefore is THE correct answer. Then there is also tricky wording. So passing the ARE requires strong attention to detail and reading comprehension skills to thoroughly grasp the question and filter extraneous information that is distracting info but simulates aspects of real life practice like sometimes with client conversations.
Note: When using licensing boards, it is best to focus your questions relating to the licensure process of that state. They won't be able to answer specifics about ARE or AXP other than like what's the licensing requirements for that state. Some states requires more or less AXP. Some states have alternative paths other than via an NAAB accredited architecture degree. They provide info about their respective requirements which is where NCARB may not be the best and most accurate source. NCARB's data of states is roughly accurate, the specific state may have more specific and more accurate answer. Remember, NCARB itself is not the licensing board. The individual state or territory or other licensing jurisdiction is. The actual jurisdictional licensing board is the ultimate source. However, your course may meander from obtaining licensure in one state and shift to another so you need to adjust... but that can be due to life circumstances including change in place where you work and subsequent moving to another location. Architecture is a profession that is becoming more mobile during the course of licensure. Nowadays, it is not unusual for architects to move from state to state from job to job during licensure and only settle on a specific state when they get licensed. In some ways, life of becoming a licensed architect like many licensed professions is sometimes like military life where you uproot from community to go to another community because you are now being 'deployed' (hired to another firm) to another location. So, its kind of the way life is in the late 20th and 21st century.
Important note about exam questions, how they are authored, and the reference to books. ARE and like any reputable exam whether for licensure or a professional certification, the standards of exam making policy is the questions or items as they may be called in the exams are defensible. In other words, there is recognized professional sources of recognized professional repute. They aren't just made up out of some exam item writer's rear. You won't find the exact questions word for word in any of the books. You would be able to solve or answer the question from the information you find in these reference books if you study them, learn them, and remember what you studied. Having played a role in he AIBD/NCBDC's CPBD certification exam during a major update development, similar principles applied to the exam items and that one can answer the exam item from learning the content from these reference books.
General word of advice as with any exam taking involving multiple/choice, T/F, and the likes.... ANSWER the questions that you know the answer to right away. Don't dwell on the questions you don't know the answer to or is just confusing. Go back to it later but don't burn up valuable minutes sitting there for 30 minutes on a question you don't know which you could have answered several questions. Another thing, psychometric tricks often used is often in some multiple choice to answer the most correct answer. There may be more than one correct answer but one is most correct and therefore is THE correct answer. Then there is also tricky wording. So passing the ARE requires strong attention to detail and reading comprehension skills to thoroughly grasp the question and filter extraneous information that is distracting info but simulates aspects of real life practice like sometimes with client conversations.
Note: When using licensing boards, it is best to focus your questions relating to the licensure process of that state. They won't be able to answer specifics about ARE or AXP other than like what's the licensing requirements for that state. Some states requires more or less AXP. Some states have alternative paths other than via an NAAB accredited architecture degree. They provide info about their respective requirements which is where NCARB may not be the best and most accurate source. NCARB's data of states is roughly accurate, the specific state may have more specific and more accurate answer. Remember, NCARB itself is not the licensing board. The individual state or territory or other licensing jurisdiction is. The actual jurisdictional licensing board is the ultimate source. However, your course may meander from obtaining licensure in one state and shift to another so you need to adjust... but that can be due to life circumstances including change in place where you work and subsequent moving to another location. Architecture is a profession that is becoming more mobile during the course of licensure. Nowadays, it is not unusual for architects to move from state to state from job to job during licensure and only settle on a specific state when they get licensed. In some ways, life of becoming a licensed architect like many licensed professions is sometimes like military life where you uproot from community to go to another community because you are now being 'deployed' (hired to another firm) to another location. So, its kind of the way life is in the late 20th and 21st century.
Important note about exam questions, how they are authored, and the reference to books. ARE and like any reputable exam whether for licensure or a professional certification, the standards of exam making policy is the questions or items as they may be called in the exams are defensible. In other words, there is recognized professional sources of recognized professional repute. They aren't just made up out of some exam item writer's rear. You won't find the exact questions word for word in any of the books. You would be able to solve or answer the question from the information you find in these reference books if you study them, learn them, and remember what you studied.
Having played a role in he AIBD/NCBDC's CPBD certification exam during a major update development, similar principles applied to the exam items and that one can answer the exam item from learning the content from these reference books.