Young Architect Academy Arvostelua 

An Investment That Made the Difference

I recently earned my CSI Construction Documents Technologist (CDT) certification, and I can honestly say that Young Architect Academy’s CDT 101 course played a significant role in helping me get there.

The CSI Project Delivery Practice Guide is an incredibly valuable resource, but it is also extensive and, at times, intimidating. YA’s Michael and Emily have a real talent for taking that information and breaking it down into concepts that are easier to understand, remember, and—most importantly—apply in the real world.

What I appreciated most was that the course went beyond simply preparing you to pass a test. It helped me understand why the information matters and how the various pieces of the construction process connect. That real-world perspective made a huge difference in how I approached the exam.

As someone who comes from a construction project coordination background rather than architecture, I especially appreciated having the material translated into practical terms. My one suggestion would be for YA to continue expanding its perspective beyond the architect's role. CDT candidates come from many areas of the industry—project administrators, contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, engineers, and other construction professionals—and examples that intentionally reflect those different perspectives would make an already excellent course even more valuable.

The CDT exam is not easy, and I would not have wanted to tackle it without a structured resource like CDT 101. YA gave me the confidence, context, and foundation I needed to walk into that exam prepared—and I walked out a CDT-certified professional.

My (other) recommendation for YA courses would be more on Commissioning. Commissioning is a rapidly growing, quality-focused discipline in the U.S., driven by increasingly stringent energy codes, complex digital controls, decarbonization goals, and the industry's continued shift from isolated contractor handoffs toward integrated, verified, operational buildings. It would be WONDERFUL if they produced some courses covering this ever-expanding discipline!

If you're considering pursuing your CDT, I absolutely recommend making the investment in Young Architect Academy's CDT 101. It was one of the best decisions I made during my certification journey.

Thank you, Michael and Emily, for making a challenging process much more approachable and helping me reach this goal!

This podcast is very informative and easy to understand with clear diagram and key notes PDF file ready to download.

Listening to the podcast makes it much easier to understand the topic because it explains the details clearly and gives more information.

I like having a such a large library of study materials that makes learning more accessible and natural

The combination of exam-related coursework plus the multitude of practice questions has helped give me the knowledge to pass the ARE exams.

I love all the information I get for my ARE exams

great info delivered in succinct way. helpful in understanding concepts

The learning videos and exams are very helpful.

The Young Architect podcasts are great!! I’m so glad I found them when I was looking for additional resources during my struggle with the PA exam. I’m sure it wasn’t just the podcasts, but they definitely helped me finally pass that exam! I love the way they explain things. They categorize items, organize topics, and explain concepts in a way that makes it a lot easier to understand and remember them. On top of that, they give you the cheat sheet with notes that you can download and take them everywhere with you to review. And all that for free! I would recommend it to everyone studying for the ARE.

LEYLA IS A GREAT.
HER HAS HIGH LEVEL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS.

I have gained a new interest in honing my skills and aiming for excellence in the field (although I’ve been involved with it for years). YA’s clarity in delivery, the fun associated graphics and the sense of community … knowing that real people (Michael and the team) are involved and passionate about the mission makes me feel as though I’ve hit a goldmine! Lol

After many years of procrastinating I found the YAA podcast and from there learned about the YAA Bootcamp coaching program. Despite being in practice over 25 years I had no idea where to start my ARE journey. Michael Risica & the entire team at YAA have been fantastic to work with. I always knew there was a disconnect between college and the working profession especially as I’ve been almost exclusively focused on residential practice. After taking the 10 week bootcamp I have a solid curriculum to follow and a community of other professionals who are all studying for their exams. I’m less worried about passing now and focused instead on the journey- after all failure is part of the process and you can’t really fail an exam you can retake- it’s really just an expensive practice test right?

Best resource for ARE prep that doesn’t break the bank. It’s refreshing to see a study guide that helps grow the community and create more architects!

If you’re looking to learn about architecture from passionate people who truly love the subject (and are especially good at explaining it) you’ll love Young Architect. Their passion really shines through, and it’s not just the content itself, but how thoughtfully it’s organized with plenty of metaphors that simplify complex topics and make them really stick. The PDF summaries are a huge time saver and really are the cherry on top. I always look forward to each new podcast release!

You have really knocked it out of the park with your platform! The support from your team, the written materials, the podcasts, the structure and the teamwork is all right there in one program. Thank you for creating such an amazing place to learn and nail all of the concepts to pass these difficult exams!

I have been enjoying the Young Architect Academy, their podcasts, and recently the CDT Webinar that they had. They give you insight on information that helps you continue learning. You learn from each session and never are lost. It helps to have a conversation about important topics in the design field being discussed in a community. I give them five stars for their hard work. Thank you. Terren

Working full-time in a small firm where no one else is purchasing licensure has been a bit hard for me to study for ARE and keep motivated. I try to squeeze every minute to learn and listen to study material including YAA podcast has been very helpful and has been part of my daily routine (commute to work, lunch break etc.) . When I get a time to sit down and study, I always go thru their 2-page printout summary to make my own notes. Plus I was also fortunate to learn about the bootcamp program and found a group of people, especially two other study partners who are in the same shoes with me. We keep each other accountable and share knowledge today. All of us feel optimistic on tackling the remaining tests to finish the ARE (one of us just did) and be a licensed architect very soon.

Really great resource for review - I like to download the podcast summary pdf's and follow along, taking notes. The summaries do a great job of including everything covered in the podcasts. Each topic is well-defined and can be listened to based on whichever exam sections you may be working towards. Then, ahead of your exam, these summaries can be quick-referenced for a refresher. Thanks!

YAA has been very helpful in giving me a clear structure and direction for studying for the ARE. There is an overwhelming amount of material out there, so having the content narrowed down and organized makes a huge difference and saves a lot of time.

I participated in the ARE Boot Camp, and it definitely helped me see the material more clearly and understand where to focus my efforts. Everyone has their own pace when studying, but having that guidance makes the process much more efficient.

I would absolutely recommend YA Academy to anyone preparing for the ARE. Thank to all the YAA Team!

The variety of the topics is HUGE! The podcasts are organized and entertaining but what makes all the difference is the notes in the description. First, download them and read through them with the video. I use them as flashcards and the information sticks with me. I review them during those last couple of days before a NCARB exam. 100% recommend this to everyone that is testing. I went through the bootcamp they offer too and I would do it again.