IS PASSING AREs THAT EASY???

[designtheme]

Why do some people pass the AREs so easily than the others?
I'm coming across people who're taking their chances and passing it in the first go with 1-2 weeks of studying.
It is frustrating to hear that when I work harder for the exams.
Does anyone have an insight on taking exams without preparation and getting lucky?

[are15]

Well 1-2 weeks IS prep. I think some people are just better test takers than others. You really have to get in the mindset of whoever wrote these exams to do well on them. Know when they're trying to "trick" you. Especially on those, "out of the following 4 correct answers which is MOST correct?" You really gotta think like the test writers.

I passed 6/7 on the first try and the one I failed (PPP) on the second go around. I gave myself about 6-8 weeks in between exams. The first 4 weeks I casually read through the materials and took the practice exams. In the 2 weeks leading up to the exam I'd re-read/study/practice the sections I did poorest on in the practice exams. Not saying that method will work for everyone but worked for me. I have friends who have failed multiple times who aren't stupid people. I think they're just not good test takers.

[corbismyhomeboy]

I think in some cases, experience can be a big factor. I passed CDS on the first try with maybe a week of studying. Of my 3 years of experience, almost all of it is in strictly in CA on very large and complex projects that took up 40-50 hours of my work week. However, that does mean that I had to study more for SPD because I had very minor experience in site design and absolutely none in zoning. (My firm does little to no new build work. And our clients typically contract out their site work to landscape architects under separate contracts or they do it all in house.)

Don't get frustrated by comparing your progress to others. There is going to be material you are more familiar with and less familiar with; it's just a part of making sure you have a solid knowledge base by the end with both exams and experience.

[thd7t]

How long have you been in the field? There's a pretty broad range of experience on these boards and it makes a huge difference. Speaking as someone who has 10-15 years of experience, I've found the exams pretty straightforward. A lot of the studying is to understand what the exam will focus on and ensuring that I have the right concepts and mindset. Earlier in my career, it would have been a much greater struggle.

[tmston2]

Imho, the wording of the exams can be a challenge if English is not your first language as well

[designtheme]

I got about 3 years of experience and my colleges/classmates in the similar boat...some of the them are breezing through the exams.
I guess I really need to research how to be a good test taker. I do get exam jitters, and I need to figure out a way so my brain works faster than usual in terms of processing the given question. 1 min per question is normal, but I'm too analytical so it takes me some more time..

[cloudyy]

Some people are better test takers than others, some people have more work experience than others, some people get more poorly-worded questions on their exams than others...the list goes on...

[gbalaka]

It also comes down to the pool of questions that you get on exam day. I've had exams with a ton of WTF questions and others with very straightforward questions. There's really no way to improve your luck. All i can say is that with each failure of an exam, I know what to study "more" of for the next time, plus I make sure to look up those WTF questions...at least what i can remember......kind of funny, but in the long run, those are the questions and answers i end up being the most familiar with.

There hasn't been a single exam I've walked out of where i said "oh wow, that was easy!". I always think i fail each one. Just took BS last week and i'm anticipating to receive a fail tomorrow morning. But who knows! So far, i've passed 5 Divisions (failed SPD once).

[Coach]

Some people...
Over study
Have better experience
Study the wrong stuff
Have better memories
Have bad comprehension skills
Are smarter
etc


The test may be standardized,
but test takers aren't.

[vrcat25]

One thing to factor in is that the tests aren't equal in difficulty. A prime example is the vignette for PPP. Some people get your run of the mill type vignette and may pass. Others get a WTF vignette that's nothing like the ncarb example and fail. I usually nail the vignette's, but think there's just way too many subjective questions that have no rhyme or reason so hopefully, you get a test without so many ambiguous questions. All i've ever done to pass the tests i did was the bare minimum (Caroline's notes/Jenny's notes) and reading a few chapters in the ARE review manual. Most importantly, get "ARE sample problems and practice test" for the division you are studying for. At the end of the day, good luck getting a test without so many WTF questions or a WTF vignette, lol.

[sb84]

Ive learned not to compare myself to others with these exams. I had a ton of in field experience and office experience going into the exams. I took and failed 3 in a row. I figured out i wasnt studying properly. I was only reading kaplan and ballast. Mix it up a bit. Find a different place to study maybe? I have 2 small children and realized that it was impossible to study at home, even after they went to bed. I changed my study patterns and now go to teh library from 6-730 (8ish) every weekday, and for 3 hours on sat/sunday. This little change in my studying allowed me to concentrate more and i have since passed 4 out of 6, with my 2 fails coming only on vignettes for SPD and PPP. I have since retaken and passed these exams. Keep focussed and only concentrate on you!.. Good luck