Two candidates can know roughly the same material and walk out with very different results. The difference is rarely a secret fact one of them memorized. It is almost always how they prepared, how they read the questions, and how they managed themselves on the day. Knowledge gets you to the door. Habits decide whether you walk through it.
Here are the ten mistakes we see most often, each paired with the fix.
1. Ignoring the official Study Plan
Candidates who study from a random stack of books cover the wrong things and miss the things that matter. The Study Plan tells you exactly what is fair game and points you to the supporting resources. Start there, every time, and let it drive your schedule. If you want a structure to wrap around it, see our 12-week study plan guide.
2. Trying to memorize instead of understand
The ExAC tests judgment. If you memorize facts without understanding the architect's role behind them, you will freeze the moment a question is phrased differently than you expected. Aim to understand why something is done, not just that it is done.
3. Underestimating the checkbox questions
The "select all that apply" questions give no partial credit, so one wrong box can cost the entire question. Slow down on these and evaluate each option independently as true or false, rather than hunting for a single best answer. This is one of the most common places candidates quietly leak points.
4. Poor time management
Plenty of capable candidates run out of time. Know your pace going in, flag the hard questions and move on, and never leave easy points on the table because you got stuck on something difficult earlier. The clock is part of the exam, so practise against it.
5. Skipping practice exams
Reading is not the same as performing. If your first timed, full-length attempt is the real exam, you are testing your stamina and pacing for the very first time when it counts. Build at least one full rehearsal into your final two weeks.
When you are unsure between two answers, choose the one that is most professionally responsible and protective of the public. The ExAC almost always rewards the safe, defensible, by-the-book choice over the clever shortcut.
6. Cramming codes from memory
You do not need to recite the National Building Code. You need to navigate it and reason from it. Practising lookups and understanding the structure beats memorizing clauses every time. Our guide to the NBC 2020 walks through how to study code the efficient way.
7. Neglecting contracts and roles
Sections 3 and 4 lean heavily on who is responsible for what among the owner, architect, contractor, and consultants. Many candidates over-study design and under-study contracts, then get surprised by how much the later sections care about CCDC documents and the RAIC agreements.
8. Studying alone the whole way
Explaining a concept to someone else exposes the gaps you cannot see on your own. A study group, or even one committed partner, sharpens weak spots quickly and keeps you accountable through the slow weeks.
9. Cramming the night before
Sleep beats one more chapter. Fatigue degrades exactly the judgment and pacing the exam measures, so a tired brain undoes the very preparation you stayed up to do. Stop the night before, rest, and arrive sharp.
10. Treating a failed section as a verdict
Sections are scored independently and retakes are routine. A missed section is feedback about one or two competency areas, not a statement about whether you will become an architect. If it happens, diagnose the weak area, focus your next round there, and go back in with a plan. For the full picture on scoring and retakes, see our overview of what the ExAC is.
Key takeaways
- Anchor everything to the Study Plan, and study for judgment rather than recall.
- Respect the checkbox questions and manage your pace deliberately.
- When in doubt, pick the safe, public-protective, by-the-book answer.
- Rest before the exam, and treat any retake as ordinary feedback, not a verdict.