ARE HISTORY

NCARB - National Council of Architectural Registration Boards

MISSION: protects the public health, safety, and welfare by leading the
regulation of the practice of architecture through the development and
application of standards for licensure and credentialing of architects.
NCARB produced the first national exam for architects in 1965. Since that
time, many changes have been made to the exam for two essential reasons:
1) To update questions so that they reflect current architectural practices
2) To utilize technology that more accurately assesses the ability of
candidates
The exam was only offered once a year in major cities across the United
States.

In the late 1980s, NCARB began to develop a computer-based exam.

After a decade of research and development, the last paper-and-pencil test

was issued in 1996, and the computed-based exam rolled out in 1997.

NCARB did not want to implement other major changes so soon after the
introduction of the computerized version of the exam, so it purposely spread
out exam updates over the next several years.
Throughout all versions of the ARE the goal of the exam has remained the
same:
To protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public by providing a
psychometrically justifiable and legally defensible exam that
measures the level of competency necessary to practice architecture
independently.

Paying for the ARE

- The cost of the ARE is $1,470 for seven divisions. For international test
centers (outside of North America), the cost of the ARE is $2,170 for seven
divisions. These fees arenon-refundable.

ARE 4.0 Divisions

-

The ARE currently consists of seven divisions that can be taken in any
order. Exams include a combination of multiple-choice, check-all-thatapply, and fill-in-the-blank questions and graphic vignettes. Individual
exam guides and exam practice programs are available in the Preparing
for the ARE section.

- Construction Documents & Services

- Programming, Planning & Practice
- Site Planning & Design
- Building Design & Construction Systems
- Structural Systems
- Building Systems
- Schematic Design

Preparing for the ARE

The ARE currently consists of seven divisions that
can be taken in any order. Exams include a
combination of multiple-choice, check-all-thatapply, and fill-in-the-blank questions and graphic
vignettes. Individual exam guides and exam
practice programs are available in the Preparing for
the ARE section.
An exam guide for each division of the ARE is
available in PDF format and can be downloaded free
of charge. Each exam guide contains sample
multiple-choice
questions
(except
Schematic
Design), one passing and one failing solution for
each sample vignette, and a list of references for
further study. Each division also has a practice
program with sample vignettes for you to solve. The
practice programs can be downloaded free of
charge, and will run on an IBM PC or compatible
computer running Windows 98, Windows XP,
Windows NT or Windows Vista 32-bit.

Taking the ARE

All divisions of the ARE are administered exclusively
on computers at test centers, year round through
out the United States; U.S territories; Canada;
London, England; Hong Kong, China, Abu Dhabi and
other places. Candidates may take the divisions in
any order, and at any time and location they
choose. Most test centers are open six days a week,
50 weeks a year. The scheduled appointment times
range from four to six hours. You should schedule
your appointment a few weeks in advance to have
the best chance of reserving an appointment at
your preferred test center. All test centers are
design to accommodate people with disabilities.
Testing accommodations will only be made with
authorization from your registration board or
NCARB. The cost of the exam is $1,470 for seven
divisions (North America centers). For international
centers outside of North America, the fee is $2,170
for seven divisions. These fees are non refundable.
It consists of seven divisions that include multiple
choice, fill in the blank, and check all that apply