Stephanie I.
Participating in a YAA ARE Bootcamp was…
Participating in a YAA ARE Bootcamp was my kickoff to studying and successfully passing the PjM exam. I’ve been in practice more years than I care to admit but lacked a clear game-plan for how to start. The Pro Practice Bootcamp framework coupled with the PjM 101, Contracts 101 and Building Codes 101 courses in combination with the ARE Podcast and weekly coaching + meetups are without a doubt a great foundation to build from. End of the day you have to put in the hours, get the AHPP readings done for the exam objectives, do some practice exams and gobs of practice questions to solidify your knowledge. My decades of prior practice experience had built up to the realization that it was time to (finally) start taking my first licensing exam. Mike and the rest of the YAA team- Layla, Lorenzo, Emily and Destiny all are there ready to offer support and encouragement throughout your journey to licensure. I just wish I had found them years ago because I might already be licensed if I had!
Response from Young Architect AcademySep 18, 2026
Stephanie, congratulations on passing PjM! That's your first ARE exam and you crushed it. I love how you laid this out. The framework gets you started, but you said it yourself: you have to put in the hours, do the readings, and stack up the practice questions. Nobody can do that part for you, and you showed up and did the work. I'll make sure Layla, Lorenzo, Emily, and Destiny all see this. They'll appreciate you calling them out by name. It's been a pleasure having you in ARE Boot Camp. I'm excited for you to get into the recently updated CE and PcM content next. Keep that momentum going.