Practice exam has questions on items that were never covered in the lectures

construction & evaluation
1

I don’t understand how we’re supposed to prepare for specific questions relating to material properties or construction practices if it’s never mentioned in the lectures or study material that we should be aware of them. I don’t know if these are intended to be the throwaway questions, but it makes the lectures feel very incomplete compared to the content the exam expects us to know.

1 Like
2

Hi @william,

Welcome to the ARE Community! We are happy to have you here and thank you for your question.

At Black Spectacles, we strive to align our study materials directly with the ARE 5.0 Guidelines. The amount of content each division has may feel overwhelming, but you do not need to become an expert in any one topic; you really just need to have a foundational knowledge of the objectives identified for the division. This is why structure our lecture videos to align directly with these NCARB objectives, so that you know what base level knowledge will be covered on the exam.

Our practice quizzes, flashcards, and practice exams are intended to supplement the content you’ve learned in the videos, diving further into more detail and scenarios to mimic what you might see on the ARE. There may be new terminology or adjacent topics introduced in these other materials, but they will all relate back to the NCARB objectives (and therefore, the foundational content presented in the videos). Take note of the references indicated in the answer explanations for practice questions, as those are provided so that you can dive deeper into the topics if you are wanting further clarification.

Keep in mind that you do not need to score 100% to pass the ARE. You need somewhere between 58-71%, depending on the division and exam form you receive. With that said, if you miss some questions on the exam (likely those really tricky ones that feel out of left field), you still have a good chance of passing.

Hope this helps. Best of luck on your upcoming exam!

Kiara Galicinao, AIA, NCARB
Black Spectacles

3

@william Check out this previous thread for some additional insight on CE and advice on how to tackle the technical content on the exam.

4

Hello Kiara,

From what this post is telling me, ostensibly, we aren’t mean’t to be familiar with everything going into the CE exam and that the best we can do is guess on 1/3 of the exam. This is disspointing to know because the practice material is so expensive as-is. Technical questions have pretty consistent throughout the CE practice exams and it seems like the only way to approach them is either one knows or doesn’t know the information off the top of their head.

5

Hi @william,

I understand your frustration and that is what makes these exams so challenging. The ARE is comprised of six standalone exams, however, they truly all build upon each other (just as design phases in the real world do); so while you are studying for CE solely, you may encounter a technical question about a construction detail that isn’t specifically covered in CE, but builds upon the construction documents phase in PDD because it is now being built in the construction phase.

Have you studied for PPD or PDD yet? There is not a “correct” order to take the exams in, and you’re probably heard of the common approach to take PcM, PjM, and CE together. However, having studied for (and/or taken) PPD/PDD ahead of CE could be beneficial as well, especially if you don’t have a ton of work experience with the more technical areas.

While we do not have specific videos in our CE series about the technical topics, we do address that CE also has technical content and suggest that members review relevant PA/PPD/PDD content so that you are adequately prepared. Specifically, our CE Section 2 Intro video mentions that some questions in this section might require knowledge covered in PPD or PDD.

We are definitely not implying that you should either just know or not know the information off the top of your head. Rather, if you encounter a question about an unfamiliar topic on a practice exam, you should definitely use that as a learning opportunity! It is not an efficient use of your time to become an expert in every single area for any single exam, but being familiar with these select topics would enhance your understanding and increase your chances of getting those questions correct on the real exam.

Kiara Galicinao, AIA, NCARB
Black Spectacles