Last December, the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) announced that changes to the Architect Registration Examination® (ARE®) process were coming this summer. NCARB sets the record straight on a few rumors and shares what these changes mean for candidates.
TRUE: NCARB is launching a new ARE service in 2013, called My Examination.
In late August 2013, NCARB will launch a new service within My NCARB for ARE candidates to access their examination information and schedule appointments. The new service—called My Examination—will be located within your online NCARB Record and will offer several new benefits, such as easy access to exam history, authorization to test information, rolling clock dates, score reports, and more.
FALSE: The exam content is changing in July 2013.
Test specifications for each division will remain the same. The only thing changing from a candidate perspective is the process for scheduling a test, receiving a score report, and accessing exam history data.
TRUE: Exam divisions can’t be scheduled during the blackout period.
In order to support this new service, there will be an estimated eight-week blackout period for candidates beginning July 1, 2013. During this time, exams cannot be administered or scheduled, and registration boards cannot create eligibilities for exam candidates. The blackout period is expected to end in late August.
FALSE: Prometric will no longer be administering the exam to candidates.
You will continue to take exams at Prometric test centers. When My Examination launches, you will schedule exam appointments through your NCARB Record, but the process will still be managed by Prometric.
TRUE: NCARB will automatically grant a 12-week extension to candidates’ rolling clocks due to the July 2013 blackout.
NCARB will grant an automatic 12-week extension to the rolling clock and is working with jurisdictions with their own rolling clock rules to ensure all candidates receive the same extension. Candidates will receive the full 12-week extension regardless of the length of the blackout period.
TRUE: The extension to the rolling clock does not apply to the 1 July 2014 deadline for divisions passed prior to 2006.
Candidates who have passed exam divisions prior to 2006 and have not completed the ARE will need to pass all remaining divisions by July 1, 2014 to prevent those divisions from expiring.
TRUE: The rolling clock extension is based on a candidate’s current expiration date.
If your rolling clock is scheduled to expire during or after the blackout, the rolling clock extension will be based on your current expiration date. For example, if your rolling clock is set to expire on July 20, 2013, you will receive a 12-week extension from that date. The new end date of your rolling clock will then be Oct. 20, 2013.
However, if your rolling clock is set to expire prior to the blackout, the extension does not apply, so it’s recommended that you schedule and take your exams before your rolling clock expiration date.
FALSE: The cost of the ARE is going to increase in 2013.
Fees to take the ARE will not increase in 2013 when My Examination launches—the cost of each division will remain the same. However, the fee to reschedule an exam will be based on the following tiered structure when My Examination launches:
- 0-3 days before appointment: Rescheduling not permitted
- 4-15 days before appointment: $80
- 16 or more days before the appointment: $60
FALSE: NCARB Record holders have to pay a fee to use the new My Examination service.
There will be no additional cost to active NCARB Record holders for access to My Examination; it will be included with the current cost of establishing and maintaining a Record. Inactive Record holders will be required to renew their Record. Non-Record holders will need to create an NCARB account and establish access.
TRUE: An NCARB Record is needed to take the ARE.
This has been a requirement for all new candidates since May 2008 and will now be a requirement for all candidates in order to access My Examination.
FALSE: NCARB makes a profit from the ARE.
NCARB does not make a profit from the exam and has held fees down since 2010. While it is not widely known, the cost of the ARE to candidates is subsidized by fees collected from other NCARB services (e.g., Record transmittals).
For more information, see the related FAQs on NCARB.org.
