stager386 Posted August 29, 2022 Share Posted August 29, 2022 I use CA Premier and I have been thinking for a long time about getting certified. I already have an established Interior Design business, and offer CAD services. I am revamping my marketing strategies and hope that a certification will help. I am assuming that I know a fraction of what CA can do. And I know I've used many workarounds for a long time. So I'd like to know if anyone who has taken the test recently has any advice on how to best prepare. Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug_N Posted August 29, 2022 Share Posted August 29, 2022 Having a CA certificate is certainly an accomplishment, but that certification is not a requirement for anything in the construction or architectural markets. It would help if you were teaching CA to others, that is for sure. I just can't see how that would help you in marketing your business. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stager386 Posted August 29, 2022 Author Share Posted August 29, 2022 Hi and thanks for the feedback. I think having any kind of advanced training will make my services more valuable, and being able to show the certification symbol will help. Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gawdzira Posted August 29, 2022 Share Posted August 29, 2022 I think the advanced training may help you. Having a certificate for a drafting program would mean nothing to my clients. Having a well designed website or IG, TikTok or Facebook marketing strategy would. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottharris Posted August 30, 2022 Share Posted August 30, 2022 Kate, as an interior designer, have you considered taking the Chief Architect Kitchen, Bath & Interiors course? It’s available on-line beginning Oct. 26 or on demand at any time. It may be a good starting point. The certification exam is all encompassing – framing, foundations, roofs, site plans, interiors. Some of those categories may or may not be relevant to an interior designer. The Kitchen & Bath course will give you best practices and productivity tips. Afterward, you can then consider if the certification exam is right for you. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeLayDesign Posted August 31, 2022 Share Posted August 31, 2022 On 8/29/2022 at 9:24 AM, stager386 said: I use CA Premier and I have been thinking for a long time about getting certified. I already have an established Interior Design business, and offer CAD services. I am revamping my marketing strategies and hope that a certification will help. I am assuming that I know a fraction of what CA can do. And I know I've used many workarounds for a long time. So I'd like to know if anyone who has taken the test recently has any advice on how to best prepare. Thank you! Hi @stager386 You and I are living similar lives. I had the same though and recently took the CA certification. If you have your SSA it's really not that expensive, and you get a retake if you 'fail'. The 'exam' was relatively straight forward too, but they need an update in my opinion. I took my exam a few months ago with X13, but I'm fairly certain the plan I needed to duplicate were from X5 or older. Either way - it can't hurt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stager386 Posted August 31, 2022 Author Share Posted August 31, 2022 On 8/29/2022 at 3:29 PM, Gawdzira said: I think the advanced training may help you. Having a certificate for a drafting program would mean nothing to my clients. Having a well designed website or IG, TikTok or Facebook marketing strategy would. I am actually revamping my website as we speak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stager386 Posted August 31, 2022 Author Share Posted August 31, 2022 11 hours ago, DeLayDesign said: Hi @stager386 You and I are living similar lives. I had the same though and recently took the CA certification. If you have your SSA it's really not that expensive, and you get a retake if you 'fail'. The 'exam' was relatively straight forward too, but they need an update in my opinion. I took my exam a few months ago with X13, but I'm fairly certain the plan I needed to duplicate were from X5 or older. Either way - it can't hurt. Oh wow, why would they be using such an old plan? My only hesitation to taking the exam is that I have been using CA for so long that I've developed a bunch of workarounds....bad habits I know. I've used the personal training services and always come away with "wow, I should have been doing it like that all this time". So I question whether or not I'm even close to being prepared to pass it. I have Premier X14 and as it gets better, I am not so sure I've kept up with it. Any tips as to how to best prepare for it? Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stager386 Posted August 31, 2022 Author Share Posted August 31, 2022 19 hours ago, scottharris said: Kate, as an interior designer, have you considered taking the Chief Architect Kitchen, Bath & Interiors course? It’s available on-line beginning Oct. 26 or on demand at any time. It may be a good starting point. The certification exam is all encompassing – framing, foundations, roofs, site plans, interiors. Some of those categories may or may not be relevant to an interior designer. The Kitchen & Bath course will give you best practices and productivity tips. Afterward, you can then consider if the certification exam is right for you. Excellent suggestion. Wish there was a certification specifically for Kitchen and Bath and Interiors. I believe that designation visible on my website does impact my credibility. Regardless, that course would make me better at what I do. I actually do need to know more about framing/foundations/roofs for work on renovations and additions. Thanks for the feedback!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug_N Posted August 31, 2022 Share Posted August 31, 2022 Nice website! Just getting this before the eyes of the clients will do lots for you. Well done. I looked at this on Aug 31, is that the updated site? In any case, well done indeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stager386 Posted August 31, 2022 Author Share Posted August 31, 2022 Thanks but no, that's the old one. Services have changed and I am going to simplify it visually. But appreciate the feedback! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lbuttery Posted August 31, 2022 Share Posted August 31, 2022 sprinkle the words "software by Chief Architect" around on your website and other online marketing materials legally you can't advertise that you are an architect unless you are licensed yet, having those words will get notice by the google search engines etc I made it very clear that I was NOT an architect but a designer but those words are very helpful anyways Lew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stager386 Posted August 31, 2022 Author Share Posted August 31, 2022 1 minute ago, lbuttery said: sprinkle the words "software by Chief Architect" around on your website and other online marketing materials legally you can't advertise that you are an architect unless you are licensed yet, having those words will get notice by the google search engines etc I made it very clear that I was NOT an architect but a designer but those words are very helpful anyways Lew Non-design people don't know what Chief Architect is, as a brand. But I do state in all my 3d designs that these are "design plans" for visual purposes only, and they are not construction documents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeLayDesign Posted August 31, 2022 Share Posted August 31, 2022 6 hours ago, stager386 said: Oh wow, why would they be using such an old plan? My only hesitation to taking the exam is that I have been using CA for so long that I've developed a bunch of workarounds....bad habits I know. I've used the personal training services and always come away with "wow, I should have been doing it like that all this time". So I question whether or not I'm even close to being prepared to pass it. I have Premier X14 and as it gets better, I am not so sure I've kept up with it. Any tips as to how to best prepare for it? Thank you! If you've used every avenue of the software for at least a few years, You probably don't need to do much studying. They did throw something at me that I don't often use which is plat line specifications. Normally I import a PDF of the Plat, scale it, then trace the perimeter... so I had to teach my self pretty quickly how it's done while nearing the end of my 4 hours they give you for the exam. Overall. It wasn't too difficult, but be sure to read and reread what they are asking you for. Some of it wasn't written very clearly. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lbuttery Posted September 1, 2022 Share Posted September 1, 2022 Non-design people don't know what Chief Architect is, as a brand. using the words "software by Chief Architect" is not for the public as you stated they don't care sprinkling it around on the website is for the google SEO (search engine optimization) to find so when a client searches for an architect or designer they will find your website as I stated make it clear that you are a designer and not an architect I have referred clients to architects if that is what they really need many times all they need is a designer Lew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stager386 Posted September 2, 2022 Author Share Posted September 2, 2022 On 8/31/2022 at 4:06 PM, DeLayDesign said: If you've used every avenue of the software for at least a few years, You probably don't need to do much studying. They did throw something at me that I don't often use which is plat line specifications. Normally I import a PDF of the Plat, scale it, then trace the perimeter... so I had to teach my self pretty quickly how it's done while nearing the end of my 4 hours they give you for the exam. Overall. It wasn't too difficult, but be sure to read and reread what they are asking you for. Some of it wasn't written very clearly. Thank you!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now