Archinect - News

NCARB shares feedback on rolling clock policy phase-out and the ARE 5.0

2024-05-07T12:22:00-04:00

Since phasing out several exam policies in last year's update to the ARE, the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) has shared positive news about implementing the retirement of its former five-year Rolling Clock Policy.

The change mandates that scores from all previously expired divisions be added to the ARE 5.0. With the reinstated ARE 4.0 results, over 6,658 credits have been added for ARE 5.0 version learners. Of the 7–8 years inactive group affected, about 20% have restarted their licensure. The organization says 70 candidates have now completed their exams and that it has benefitted women and candidates from minority backgrounds at a higher rate.

NCARB President Jon Baker stated that the new policy emphasizes their commitment to removing the barriers to licensure while still upholding exam integrity and increasing equity.

However, only 52 of the 55 NCARB ju...

NCARB updates ARE 5.0 Guidelines

2024-03-01T08:00:00-05:00

The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) has shared an update to its official ARE guidelines effective this week (February 27).

The updated ARE 5.0 Guidelines include changes to exam security policies and the ARE 5.0 Reference Guide. The revision also covers new building code references and the retirement of quantitative-fill-in-the-blank (QFIB) items that were announced previously in December.

A new set of exam data forensics protocols has been introduced to enhance existing data analysis. NCARB notes this will impact the timing of test scores results being released. Official score reports will now take between seven and ten days to process. Exam security and candidate misconduct policies have been updated as well.

Importantly, all code-related items on the ARE 5.0 will now reference the 2021 International Code Council (ICC) family of codes and related standards...

NCARB to launch remote ARE testing on November 16th

2020-09-01T16:49:00-04:00

As the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact how aspiring architects earn their licensing credentials, the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) has announced that it will begin remote examinations for the Architect Registration Exam (ARE) on November 16th, 2020.

The shift will allow a growing backlog of ARE candidates who have been unable to complete their examinations to work toward those goals despite the persistence of testing center closures across many states. While additional guidance for test takers is due to be released by NCARB in mid-September, NCARB explains that "content and division structure will not change" for the exams, though the specific format, number of questions, and other aspects may change to accommodate online exam proctoring.

Previously on Archinect: NCARB adds six months to exam clock, plans for remote examinations.

"However, several elements of the exam’s delivery will be updated to enhance ARE security, make the ARE more...

NCARB delays licensing exams through end of May

2020-04-27T11:44:00-04:00

Prometric, the test administration company responsible for hosting NCARB's Architect Registration Examination (ARE), has decided to keep all test centers in North America closed until May 31, 2020. According to NCARB, when the test centers do reopen they will operate at 50 percent capacity to maintain social distancing for test takers. Additionally, if a test center becomes booked beyond the 50 percent capacity limit, Prometric will randomly select candidates to reschedule.

Due to the closures and test cancellations, NCARB has offered rescheduling at no-cost and has added an additional six months to test taker's rolling clocks. The organization will be hosting a live Webinar this Thursday, April 30th, to answer questions regarding the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on the ARE.

Becoming an Architect

2015-09-28T10:00:00-04:00

This post is brought to you by PPI.

A 2014 Survey of Architectural Registration Boards reported the highest number of aspiring architects to date. More than 37,000 aspiring architects were testing and/or reporting hours. The 3,543 candidates who completed the Intern Development Program (IDP) are ready to start taking the Architect Registration Examination® (ARE®). Last year, 3,719 exam candidates completed the ARE, which was the highest number of completions for all sections since 2008.

Worried About the ARE?

PPI publishes a comprehensive exam review series for the ARE, authored by David Kent Ballast, FAIA. Click here to learn more about this best-selling author and how his books can help you prepare to pass your exam. PPI is committed to helping architects and engineers pass their licensing exams. Visit ppi2pass.com to learn how you can get started today.

In 2016, the ARE exam format is changing to align the ARE with current practice management, project management, and project design ...

The Seven Non-Deadly Architect Registration Exam (ARE) Divisions

2015-03-23T11:00:00-04:00

This post is brought to you by PPI.

The Architect Registration Examination (ARE) is a professional licensure examination. It has been adopted by all 50 United States as well as the U.S. territories. The ARE is administered by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) to help protect public health, safety, and welfare in various aspects of architecture. Currently, the ARE is made up of seven exam divisions.

To call yourself an architect, you need a degree in architecture, validated work experience, and you need to pass all seven ARE divisions.

What Does This Mean to You?

It may mean that though you studied architecture, and are currently working in the field of architecture, you’re working as a designer—not an architect.

If you’re interested in furthering your career as an architect, here are four steps that will help you get started:

understand your state board’s eligibility requirements (click here)
research the ARE divisions and determine the best order for you ...

NCARB Launches ARE 4.0 Community

2015-02-19T12:35:00-05:00

At the heart of the community, you’ll find video tutorials on all seven divisions. Learn how the vignettes are scored, test your knowledge with sample questions, and expand your study library with suggested resources. Right now, roughly 28,000 candidates are preparing for the exam. The community is a great place to meet emerging professionals across the country, pick up a few pointers, and share your own study tips.

Last week, NCARB launched the ARE 4.0 Community—a space where candidates can come together to ask questions, share best practices, and interact with the organization's experts. More than 1,300 candidates have already joined the conversation by uploading practice vignettes and sharing test taking tips. Join the community today: http://ncarb.org/ARE4Community

NCARB announces major changes to IDP program

2014-09-22T19:05:00-04:00

The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) announced today that it will be making significant changes to its Intern Development Program (IDP). Separate from other considerations to change the IDP's terminology, this decision chiefly includes two phases: (1) the removal of "elective" hourly requirements, and (2) condensing IDP's experience areas from the current 17 into six "practice-based categories", linked to future sections planned for the revised Architect Registration Examination (ARE) 5.0. These changes will be implemented beginning mid-2015 and mid-2016, respectively.

By removing the "elective" IDP hours, NCARB is decreasing the total required from 5,600 to 3,740 (still based on the seventeen "core experience areas", until ARE 5.0 is in place). NCARB reportedly made this decision to cut down on the average amount of years it takes "interns" to become licensed. The current average is more than seven — five years for IDP and another 2.2 to complete the ARE...

NCARB reveals major reinventions for the IDP and ARE

2014-06-23T22:30:00-04:00

Upon NCARB's licensure-upon-graduation announcement that stirred up plenty of discussion here on Archinect, the Council recently unveiled three more major modifications regarding the Intern Development Program (IDP) and the Architect Registration Exam (ARE).

Proposal for the streamlining and overhaul of the IDP:

The first reinvention phase proposes to streamline the IDP by removing the elective hour requirement (1,860 hours). Interns will document only the 3,740 hours in the 17 core experience areas, instead of the current requirement of 5,600 total hours of experience.
The long-term overhaul phase proposes realigning the current four IDP experience categories and 17 experience areas down to six experience categories. These six categories would directly align with the six practice-based areas of architecture, address the realities and challenges of contemporary practice, and will also align with the ARE 5.0 that will launch in late 2016.
Finalization of both phases -- and a potential ti...

NCARB's "licensure at graduation" announcement rubs Archinectors both ways

2014-06-04T21:13:00-04:00

Last week we reported on NCARB's announcement that it would offer a path to licensure through academic programs, making it possible for architecture students to be licensed upon graduation. The proposal prompted a pretty divisive set of reactions from Archinect commenters, some excited by the opportunities inherent in the proposal, others despairing over its potential long-term effects.

At the time of this post, the original news piece had 61 comments, the major issues raised including impact on educational standards, earning potentials and the profession's reputation. What also surfaced was a generational bias, with those already firmly set in the practice (but still not licensed) feeling disadvantaged by an opportunity that came too late for them. We've gathered the gist of the commenter's opinions here.

The PROS:

According to davvid, this new path to licensure will make it easier for graduates to get higher paying jobs more quickly after graduating, which "also increases their earni...

Inside ARE 4.0: A handy primer for the Architect Registration Exam, Part II

2013-11-21T13:10:00-05:00

Candy Chan has done us all a solid -- the "architect-to-be" made an info-graphic that splits up the topics covered by two of the most popular A.R.E. test-prep books, Kaplan and Ballast (PPI). (Continued from Part I, ARE 4.0 contents)

ARE 4.0 Reading
The ARE seems to be such a mystery to a lot people. For those who are looking to get started, the two most asked questions are “What do they test you on?”, which I attempted to answer in my previous post, and “Is there a lot to study?”, which is what I try to answer in this post. Short answer, 1794 pages. Long answer…

I have made this diagram that visualizes how many pages there are to read in each test, from the two main publishers. Before we dive into the diagram above, I must make one point extremely clear:

Kaplan and Ballast are NOT the only books you have to read.

Kaplan and PPI (commonly referred to as “ballast”, after the author) are both publishers who publish ARE review materials. They seem to be the most popular, ...

Inside ARE 4.0: A handy primer for the Architect Registration Exam, Part I

2013-11-21T13:09:00-05:00

Looking for some insight into the A.R.E.? Candy Chan, an "architect-to-be" and graphic designer in New York City, breaks down the topics covered by the Architect Registration Examination on her blog, "ARE we there yet?". The blog chronicles Candy's test prep strategies and info on the A.R.E., with nifty info-graphics to make relevant concepts organized and manageable (relatively speaking). Chan's blog should be particularly helpful after NCARB shut down its own A.R.E. forum, in response to posters allegedly leaking test material.

In a two-part post, Candy splits up all 7 exams of the A.R.E. 4.0 into a colorful venn diagram, based on subjects covered.

ARE 4.0 Contents
RE 4.0 has 7 divisions, and for those who are looking to get the process started, the amount of information can seem overwhelming and intimidating. When they are trying to figure out their exam orders, they often want to know which exams overlap most so they can schedule those back to back or study both at the...