Listen to podcast episodes breaking down exam topics and strategies for all divisions of the Architect Registration Exam. This category features free audio content covering test-taking techniques, division-specific tips, and insights from successful candidates. Episodes include discussions on complex concepts, common pitfalls, and effective preparation methods to help candidates develop confidence and knowledge for exam success.
Study motivation is the single biggest barrier for ARE candidates who have the books, the courses, and the study plan but can’t seem to open any of them. If exam stress and decision fatigue...
Join Michael and Emily for a free CDT® certification presentation on August 6, 2026. Learn how CDT certification fits into your ARE or NCIDQ prep, the full CSI® certification landscape, the Fall 2026 exam schedule,...
Fifty foot candles. That number shows up in every lighting specification you will ever read. But what is a foot candle, actually? How is it different from a lumen? And what does luminance have...
Historic preservation defines four distinct approaches to working on historic buildings, and most people confuse at least two of them. A design team once spent weeks building a restoration plan for a beautiful old...
There is an architect at your firm making $50 an hour. But the client gets billed $150 for that same hour. Where does that $100 gap go? And what happens to your firm financially...
Every wall assembly has to manage three things: bulk water, air leakage, and vapor diffusion. A vapor barrier, an air barrier, and a weather resistive barrier each handle one of those jobs, but most people...
Most people working in architecture have worked under an AIA B101 for years without ever actually reading it. The contract gets signed, it sits in a drawer somewhere, and the entire team works under...
Years ago, I spent an entire day in a wheelchair. Not because I needed one, but because my professor told me to. I could dimension every ADA door clearance on a floor plan, but...
A soft story building has a hidden weakness that earthquakes are designed to find. This post walks through the major seismic irregularities tested on the PPD and PDD exams, including soft stories, weak stories,...
The most critical material on your building is not the steel, the concrete, or the glass. It is the quarter-inch bead of sealant between them, and most building envelope failures happen right there at...
Understanding building area measurements is critical for architects, real estate professionals, and ARE candidates. This comprehensive guide explores the differences between gross area, rentable area, usable area, and net area (GRUN), explaining how these...
Project delivery methods define the contractual relationships between the owner, the architect, and the contractor on every construction project. This post breaks down all the major construction delivery methods, from Design-Bid-Build to CMAR to...
Understanding the types of insulation is one of the most tested topics on the ARE, and for good reason. Insulation affects everything from energy performance to moisture management to fire safety. This post breaks...
Understanding the different types of HVAC systems is one of those topics that separates architects who can coordinate with engineers from architects who just nod along in meetings. Whether you’re studying for the ARE...
There’s a lot of bad information out there about how to study for the architect exam. Most of it is costing people time, money, and years of their career. Get-rich-quick promises from exam prep companies,...
Understanding the different business entity types for architects is about as exciting as watching concrete cure, but it’s absolutely crucial for your architecture career. Whether you’re choosing between a sole proprietorship, LLC, PLLC, LLP,...
OFCI (owner furnished, contractor installed) is one of the most misunderstood procurement methods in construction. The OFCI meaning is straightforward on the surface, but it often delivers coordination headaches and liability questions that catch...
Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art explains why you keep sabotaging your architect exam prep and how to stop. This war of art summary breaks down Pressfield’s concept of Resistance, the invisible force behind...
Fire sprinkler systems are one of the most critical life safety systems in any building. This guide breaks down the four main types of sprinkler systems, how they work, when to use each one,...
Learn the difference between owner’s consultants and architect’s consultants, including where the liability falls, what coordination actually requires, and how to protect yourself on the ARE and in practice. This podcast is also available...