Knowing You Earned It
By Kim Johnson
Licensed 2021

Dedication, determination, hard work. Those are the keys I have always told myself would get me to the goals I desired. If I fought hard enough, pushed myself enough, I would get there. 

I finished grad school in 2016 with a double Masters in Architecture and Civil Engineering and I felt the fire that had me ready to take over the world. I told myself that as soon as I could begin, I would immediately start studying and taking my exams. 

I initially planned to finish all exams within a years’ time. I was living in the suburbs and felt that with the lack of distraction this was an easy feat. For the 8 years prior, I was able to maintain good grades while working two jobs and participating in other academic activities and social groups. I was able to balance all those things while in school, so I saw no reason why I couldn’t pass these exams while only having to work one job, living in the suburbs of Chicago, participating in only 3 organizations. I could do this. 

I took my first exam, Construction Documents and Services, in 4.0 in late 2016 and it was a pass. I studied 5 weeks, two to three hours a day, and four to five hours on the weekend. I would read a chapter, take a quiz, and at the end of every week, take a practice exam. It worked. So I determined this was my study routine and this would get me to the finish line. 

Next came Site Planning & Design. Pass. At this point, I heard that 5.0 was transitioning in, and I had the choice of either continuing on in 4.0, or splitting between 4.0 and 5.0, and essentially only have to take 5 exams total. I liked how I was going and said, yup, I will do that. So I scheduled Programing, Planning & Practice to end the 2016 year, with plans to take the two 5.0 exams in 2017 and be done. 

Unfortunately, I failed PPP. My first one. I knew exactly what I had done wrong, so picking myself up from that was no problem. I quickly scheduled the redo. Took it and passed and officially began my 5.0 transition, scheduling my first exam Project Planning & Design after giving myself the 5 week plan I had done before. 

I learned quickly that the way I had studied before did not work. The format was quite different. I was using the old scheme for a new test and it did not work. In addition, my experience did not supplement or make up for the lack of proper study material to really understand and effectively answer the questions at that time. I had to change my study format completely. I went from reading books, to studying graphics, drawing and writing down text to better understand and try to find someone who had figured out how to write the study questions similar to the exam. 

I took PPD 5 times before finally passing in 2019. Between moving to a new firm, buying a house, mourning major family losses, and trying oh so hard to understand the new format of the exam, I finally passed. As for Project Development & Documentation, the other 5.0 exam I was taking at the same time as PPD, it took me 7 tries to finally pass in 2021. The thing that changed it for that exam, was doing a whole 180 on my study methods and simply reassure myself that I would pass, that I knew the information and could do it, and allowing myself to relax, hang out with friends and family, not punish myself with studying when I did not reach the milestone I set for myself, and being kind to myself and not freak myself out. 

To date, passing the ARE exams has been one of the most difficult feats. It took much longer than I ever expected, and it has taught me the meaning of earning this title. There were times I wanted to quit; taking the same exam over and over again can be so disheartening, especially when you do not even know what mistake was made to correct. It can feel like you are wandering aimlessly with no direction or hope but we have to change that narrative and give ourselves the hope we need. That is how I got out of my failures. Allowing myself to adapt as things changed around me, dusting myself off and telling myself I have all the tools to succeed and I just need to believe in them and be gracious to myself is what got me to the finish line (along with the encouragement and support of my loved ones). 

In the end, I know I EARNED my license fair and square, and that through it all, I was able to successfully reach this goal. If I can fail so many times here and manage to get up, there is nothing that can keep me down for long.

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