NCARB’s Architect Spotlight blog series highlights the licensure journeys of a variety of professionals—from architects with a non-traditional education background, to those with a gap during their path to licensure, to international applicants navigating the U.S. licensure process. These individuals have shared inspiring stories and plenty of advice for today’s licensure candidates and emerging professionals.
Advice for Candidates Gaining Experience
Garrett Stritzel, AIA, on pursuing experience that you’re passionate about: “Pair your academic studies with real-world experience as early as you can; working while in school gave me context for what I was learning and helped me connect theory to practice. I’d also encourage you to find an area of the profession that excites you and make it your own. Whatever your focus, ground your design process in listening—to your colleagues, your mentors, and especially the communities you serve.”
Erik Peterson, AIA, NCARB, on finding a good mentor at work: “Find a great mentor who sees you as more than just an apprentice—they might be a supervisor or a more experienced co-worker. I make sure mentees are working with me or other architects, earning valuable experience, and not just cleaning the sample library.”
Andrew Tillman, AIAS, Assoc. AIA, and current licensure candidate, on working toward licensure while in school: “My biggest advice for students is to start early. There are many opportunities to begin logging your AXP hours. Gaining experience while in school not only sets you up for success post-grad, it also helps you succeed in class by providing extra experience and context to your studies. I strongly recommend finding a firm that values licensure and supports you every step of the way.”
Advice for Candidates Taking the ARE
Janine Stewart on when to schedule divisions of the Architect Registration Examination® (ARE®): “One of the most important things for me was booking the exam before I started studying. I personally need a date to work backward from to plan my preparation, and having that deadline helped me stay focused. Depending on the exam, I typically gave myself six to 10 weeks to study so I could get through all the material, leave time for practice testing, and feel confident going in.”
Bailee Cota, AIA, LEED Green Assoc., on NCARB’s free practice exams: “Leaning on NCARB’s practice exams was essential for me—they are extremely representative of the actual test structure and content. I reviewed them the night before every exam, and that confidence boost made a tangible difference.”
I built a realistic study schedule, prioritized consistency over intensity, and leaned on peers navigating the same process.
Devora Schwartz, AIA, NCARB, on overcoming challenges while testing: “I failed two exams along the way. That was humbling. It’s easy to internalize a setback as a reflection of your ability, but I made a conscious decision not to view those results as failure or allow them to derail my momentum. Instead, I treated them as feedback. I adjusted my study strategy, identified weak areas, and approached the retakes with more clarity and focus. I built a realistic study schedule, prioritized consistency over intensity, and leaned on peers navigating the same process.”
Advice for International Applicants
Quyen Ly, AIA, NCARB, on taking the exam as an English as a Second Language (ESL) speaker: “My advice to other candidates, especially ESL speakers, is to start early, stay consistent, and use the tools available to you. As a second-language English speaker, the process was definitely more challenging. There were so many new terms and concepts I had never encountered before, which made studying slower. Thankfully, NCARB offers extra time accommodations for ESL candidates, which allowed me to carefully reread questions and ensure I understood everything.”
The path may be challenging, but your resilience will become a powerful leadership asset.
Gozde Yildirim, AIA, NCARB, on using your international background as a strength: “First, embrace your unique perspective: Your international background is a strength, not a limitation. Build a local support network and connect with mentors who understand and relate to your journey. Take time to learn local codes, culture, and professional practices, while staying confident in your abilities. Don’t let language barriers hold you back. Instead, use them as a chance to improve your communication skills and grow your cultural fluency. Most importantly, be patient and persistent. The path may be challenging, but your resilience will become a powerful leadership asset.”
Check out NCARB’s Architect Spotlight series to find more advice and inspiration to guide your path to licensure.
