Jeff Bezos tells a great story about the smartest guy he knew at Princeton. He and a classmate were working on a really tough math equation and getting nowhere. They spent 3 hours on the problem and gave up. So they brought it to the smartest guy in their program, who looked at it for …
Author Archives: Trevor Klee
Difficult math is about recognizing patterns: lessons from Jeff Bezos
Jeff Bezos tells a great story about the smartest guy he knew at Princeton. He and a classmate were working on a really tough partial differential equation and getting nowhere. They spent 3 hours on the problem and gave up. So they brought it to the smartest guy in their program, who looked at it …
Continue reading “Difficult math is about recognizing patterns: lessons from Jeff Bezos”
The best ARE 5.0 flashcards
You’ve got a few options for the best ARE 5.0 flashcards. Let’s take a look. Guide for the Overwhelmed, ARE 5.0 Flashcards My flashcards! Written by me, designed to convey information clearly and succinctly. Pros: the information you need to memorize, succinct, includes diagrams Cons: digital only, costs about $70 all-in (but can be purchased …
The top ARE 5.0 study materials: books, courses, and practice exams
It’s entirely possible to study for the ARE 5.0 with just the references in the Handbook. But, that method can be not only time consuming, but really expensive. A better way is to pick some good study materials. But which one? That’s what I’m here to answer! Best ARE 5.0 Study Guides: the Guide for …
Continue reading “The top ARE 5.0 study materials: books, courses, and practice exams”
Overwhelmed with ARE studying? Here’s your free ARE 5.0 study plan to pass all 6 exams.
If you’re like most ARE studiers, you’re probably feeling pretty overwhelmed. These exams are long and hard. They test entirely disparate topics (drainage! masonry! insurance!), sometimes back-to-back. So what are you going to do? Give up? No! You’re going to pass this thing. Here are your steps. (By the way, I know you’re busy. You …
How I passed ARE Exam 6, Construction and Evaluation, with no construction experience
Summary This is a report from Clarissa Hoskison from the ARE 5.0 Community. She studied for ARE Exam 6 for 4.5 weeks, studying 2-3 hours a day during the weekday, and 4-6 hours a day during the weekend. She took a practice exam every weekend day. Her preferred materials were Hammer and Hand, Building Construction …
How I passed the ARE Exam 6, Construction and Evaluation, in 8 steps
Summary This is a report by Huy Nguyen in the ARE 5.0 Community. Huy spent about 50 hours over 11 days studying for this exam. He warns that, although people with construction experience may find this exam easy, he did not. Here are his steps to studying: Read the handbook Read contracts B101 and A201 …
Continue reading “How I passed the ARE Exam 6, Construction and Evaluation, in 8 steps”
How to study for the ARE Exam 6, Construction and Evaluation
Intro to the ARE Exam 6 If I had to describe the ARE Exam 6, I’d describe it as a relatively easy exam. It’s relatively easy because most things are a repeat from previous exams. If you’re good on exams 1, 2, and 5, you shouldn’t need to study too much more for this one. …
Continue reading “How to study for the ARE Exam 6, Construction and Evaluation”
How I passed ARE Exam 5, Project Planning and Design, after failing the first time
Summary This is a report from Michelle Gonzales from the ARE 5.0 Community. She failed the exam the first time, then waited 3 months before taking it again. She recommends using Building Construction Illustrated, Architectural Graphic Standards, National Park Preservation Briefs. She also highly recommends flashcards (like 21st Night!). There’s also a long list of …
How I passed ARE Exam 5, Project Development and Documentation, on my first attempt
Summary This is a report from Esther Campbell on the ARE 5.0 Community. First, she warns that the exams seem to vary drastically from person to person, so she’s not sure how helpful any specific topics are for any specific exam. However, she still recommends studying specific topics (like those I put in my study …