[Lola N]

Sorry, Karen — that was kind of snarky!  I apologize.  It’s just so expensive that it’s extremely stressful, especially being out of work this long.  I really want to become licensed!  I planned this pregnancy knowing I had time to take E in late 2012.  Now, I’ll be restudying for D when I’m going to be incredibly busy, AND paying for it again, but apparently even more this time. 

That said, I look forward to the computerized stuff.  I won’t have to spend money on the whole San Francisco business and can do it nearby?  Fantastic!  The speed of one’s hand drafting won’t affect whether we pass or fail, since the timeframe is the biggest challenge?  Great!  I just wish there weren’t so many cons to the transition….  Sigh.  I just can’t spend the money on failure when I’m going to be peeing every twenty minutes, getting leg cramps while sitting there, risking a migraine (which are increasingly common now that I’m pregnant, and I can’t take ANYTHING for them), etc. 

A godawful pickle, and all I wanted was to be licensed.  Willing to spend tons of time and money.  Just not willing to RE-spend the time and money.  Bleah

 

[Lola N]

I just can’t see failure as a badge of honor like you do — maybe if it was free….?  I really wonder how much the exam cost back when you took it (and how much hotels cost in Arizona).  To go on minimal sleep and frayed nerves with a new baby, I would be wasting:

$380 exam

$75 reg fee

$150 minimum for a San Francisco hotel room

$100 gas round-trip

Grand Total: $ 705

 

More transition time DOES make sense.

[Lola N]

It sounds like those who’ve contacted CLARB directly are all met with the same rote response: “you should be able to pass a section in two administrations,” which doesn’t take into account real life.  I’ll call my state board tomorrow, but I’m not sure what power they’ll have. 

[Lola N]

Hi all,

I’ve already posted about my situation on the facebook discussion wall, so I apologize if you’re reading it again, but I’m wondering if anyone on this forum will have insight. 

I’ve passed A, B, C, and D.  I took E once and didn’t pass.  I still have four years, I believe, to pass, and there haven’t been any jobs in my area (Sacramento) since before ’08.  Thought this would be a good time to start a family.  Now that I’m pregnant, I’m told that I’ll have to pass E either this December when I’ll be 7 months pregnant, or else in June, after I’ve been sleeping in three-hour increments with a new baby for months.  Neither of these dates are going to work for me — I can’t afford to take it without being in decent mental and physical shape. 

For those who’ve posted that everyone needs to stop whining and just focus on passing in the next two administrations, what about those of us who are in the middle of starting families?  There’s absolutely no way I can take E in the next two sessions.  I’ll have to pay for D again ($350 plus another $75 reg fee — I’m really sick of those), AND study for one more exam while I have a new baby on my hands.  Not why I planned it this way.  I was told I had one exam left.  There’s not enough time, energy, or money in my future to study and pay for something I’ve already passed. 

 

I don’t think that CLARB is out to get me at all.  I’m intrigued by a new type of Section E test in the works.  There was a lot of stress involved in the test because of trying to trace, erase, start over, etc. in a very tight time frame.  This might be a change for the better, and I’m interested.  But I sincerely hope they can try to do something like, say, modify the new exam 4 for those of us who’ve already passed and paid for D to only include E questions.  Same for those who’ve passed D but not C for exam 3. 

 

Ugh.  Feel like I’m being kicked while I’m down (and nauseated and otherwise miserable).  About $3,000 already spent on this — I can’t just give up.  Thoughts?

[Lola N]

Everyone —

Thanks so much for the replies!  Now I need to get started…

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