Failing 6 times before passing 2 AREs in a day: with a learning disability

Rajan Karmacharya
Jul 2
6 min read

I failed 6 times before I passed all of them. That is the most important part of this story.

Not that I passed two exams in one day. Not that I finished all six divisions in about six months. Not to mention that I did it with dyslexia. The important part is that I failed miserably first. And yet, I kept going.

For many immigrant architects, the path to licensure is not easy. You may already have years of experience. You may have designed buildings, managed projects, coordinated with consultants, solved construction problems, and worked long nights to meet deadlines. Then you come to the U.S., and suddenly you are a designer again. You have to prove yourself all over again. That can be frustrating, and you may even feel that way. But it is also The Path. For me, the AREs were not just a test of knowledge; it was a test of patience, humility, and persistence. I spent about six months actively preparing and studying nearly 900 hours. I failed, changed my strategy, and tried again. And this is what I learned.

Round 1: I Tried to Rush It

At first, I thought I could finish the ARE quickly. I had worked in the field of architecture for years. I understood drawings, coordination, construction documents, and project delivery. So I assumed the exams would be hard, but manageable. My plan was simple: study intensely for ten weeks, revise everything, read the required books, listen to lectures, take detailed notes, and then spend one week doing practice tests. It felt productive.

But feeling productive is not the same as learning. When the results came back, I had failed five exams. I passed only one: PDD (Project Development & Documentation). That was hard to accept. Failing one exam is painful; failing five is different. It made me question myself. Maybe I am not ready. Maybe I am not good enough. Maybe my experience does not count here. Maybe this system is not built for someone like me.

My dyslexia made it harder. The ARE has long questions, dense case studies, and a lot of reading under pressure. I was not only trying to understand the content. I was also trying to process the words quickly enough. After those failures, I realized something. I had not failed because I was not capable. I had failed because I was studying the wrong way.

After failing five exams, I did one thing that helped me more than I expected:

I rescheduled them right away. NCARB required me to wait about two months before retaking them, so I scheduled each failed exam for the earliest date I could. I did not do this because I felt confident; I did it because I was afraid, and I knew that if I waited too long, the fear would grow. This is one of the hidden dangers of failure. The longer you wait, the larger it becomes in your mind. So I kept my momentum going. That was the first real lesson.

When you fail, do not disappear. Do not let the exam become a monster. Look at it directly. Learn from it. Then schedule the next attempt. Failure is not the opposite of progress. Failure can be progress if you use it correctly.

Round 2: I Changed the Method

In the second round, I stopped asking, “How many hours can I study?” I started asking, “How do I actually learn?” That changed everything. I realized I had spent too much time on passive learning. Reading feels like studying. Highlighting feels like studying. Listening to lectures feels like studying. But the ARE does not reward recognition. It rewards recall and judgment. You have to make decisions. You have to read a situation, understand the problem, and choose the best answer. So I changed my strategy.

I spent one week rebuilding my notes. I made them simpler. I added diagrams. I used visual patterns because they helped me remember ideas better than long paragraphs. Then I spent seven weeks doing active recall. Flashcards, quizzes, practice tests, timed questions, reviewing wrong answers, and explaining concepts back to myself. This was uncomfortable at first. Active recall exposes what you do not know. Reading hides it. But that is why it works.

The second round was completely different. I passed four exams. I failed only one: PA (Programming & Analysis). I also passed two exams within 24 hours. That was the same person who had failed five exams earlier. The difference was not intelligence; the difference was the strategy.

Round 3: Finishing Was Mental

After the second round, I had one exam left: PA. Then life happened, and I had to take a two-month break. Breaks are difficult because momentum fades. When you return, the exam feels big again. Doubt comes back. But I had already learned the main lesson. Do not wait until you feel ready. Build a system that makes you ready. For the final round, I spent one week reviewing and improving my notes. I added more diagrams. I focused on weak areas. Then I spent three and a half weeks doing active recall again. Flashcards, quizzes, practice exams, and long sessions to rebuild stamina. Then I took PA again, and I passed. That was the end of the ARE. Six divisions. About six months of active preparation, around 900 study hours. Several failures with a learning disability. But finally, licensure was within reach.

What I Learned

The ARE taught me that hard work is not enough. That sounds strange, because hard work matters. But hard work in the wrong direction can waste a lot of time. What matters is honest feedback. If your strategy is not working, change it. Do not protect your method. Protect your goal. I learned three big lessons.

Consistency Beats Intensity - At first, I tried to win by studying harder. Long hours, heavy reading, aggressive timelines. But the ARE is not a sprint, it is closer to a marathon. You do not build endurance in one day. You build it by showing up again and again. A few focused hours every day worked better than occasional long study sessions. Consistency creates momentum. Momentum creates confidence. Confidence makes it easier to continue.
Failure Is Data - Failing five exams felt terrible, but those failures gave me information. They showed me that passive studying was not enough. That I needed more practice questions and that I needed to build test stamina. They showed me that diagrams helped me understand better and that my brain needed a different system. A failed exam is not just a score report; it is feedback. Read it, learn from it, adjust. Then try again.
Active Recall Works - The biggest change in my preparation was active recall. Do not just read the material; make yourself remember it. Use flashcards. Take quizzes. Do practice exams. Explain concepts out loud. Review every wrong answer carefully. The ARE is not asking, “Have you seen this before? ”It is asking, “Can you use this knowledge in a professional scenario?” That requires practice and active recall trains that skill.

For Aspiring Immigrant Architects

If you are an immigrant architect preparing for the ARE, you may be carrying more than others see. You may be working full-time, supporting a family, learning a new professional system, or adjusting to new codes, contracts, and terminologies. You may be rebuilding confidence in a country where your past experience is not always fully acknowledged. That is hard, but it is not impossible. Do not compare your path to someone else’s. Some people pass quickly. Some take years. Some fail first. Some pass quietly after many attempts. Your path does not need to look perfect; it just needs to keep moving.

My Advice

Pace yourself. Do not try to finish everything too fast. Give yourself enough time to learn and practice.
Study consistently. A small daily effort is better than panic studying.
Use active recall. Do not only read. Test yourself constantly.
Learn from failure. A failed exam is not the end. It is a signal.
Change your strategy. If something is not working, do not keep repeating it.
Try a new method. Use visuals if they help. Diagrams, charts, workflows, and sketches can make complex ideas easier to remember.
Keep going. This is the most important one.

The Real Story

Passing two exams in a day sounds like the headline. But the real story is failing five and not quitting. That is the part I am proud of. The ARE did not teach me that I was smart. It taught me that I could adapt. It taught me that failure is survivable. It taught me that a bad result is not a final identity. You can fail and still finish. You can struggle and still succeed. You can move slowly and still arrive. You can be an immigrant architect, with all the weight that comes with that, and still become licensed.

Perseverantia Vincit!