ARE 3.1 IMPORTANT DEADLINES

The last date to test for any ARE 3.1 division is 30 June 2009.

The last date to attempt to schedule an ARE 3.1 appointment is 27 June 2009. Please note that appointments are made on a first come, first served basis, and will be based on availability at your local test center. Appointment availability cannot be guaranteed. Please allow enough time in advance of these dates to begin scheduling appointments for any remaining ARE 3.1 divisions for which you are eligible.

ARE 3.1 Retakes
If you are currently eligible to take ARE 3.1 divisions, please keep in mind that if you take and fail any ARE 3.1 division on or after 1 January 2009, you will not be permitted to retake that division due to NCARB's mandatory six-month waiting period. No exceptions will be made to the six-month retake policy.

If you will be transitioned to ARE 4.0 on 1 July 2009 see the online transition chart to see which divisions in ARE 4.0 you will need to take to complete the ARE.

ARE Integrity
Each time you take an ARE division you must accept a confidentiality agreement. Read it carefully. It prohibits disclosure of any questions on the exam "including the nature or content of examination questions before, during, or after the examination." The full agreement can be found on page 4 of the ARE 4.0 Guidelines and page 9 of the ARE 3.1 Guidelines. If you violate this agreement, NCARB may suspend test-taking privileges, cancel test scores, and seek recovery in a court of law of costs and civil damages.

Get Ready for the Six-Month Rule
The new Six-Month Rule will require interns to submit their training units in reporting periods of no longer than six months and within two months of completion of each reporting period. The rule will go into effect on 1 July 2009 for interns who begin an NCARB Record on or after that date and on 1 July 2010 for all interns regardless of application date. All training unit reports must be submitted electronically.

Read the October 2008 IDP e-news for more information.

Introducing e-EVR
Interns will soon be able to enter their Intern Development Program (IDP) training units online with the electronic Experience Verification Reporting system (e-EVR). Even though the e-EVR and the Six-Month Rule will work in tandem beginning 1 July 2009, they are two separate NCARB initiatives. The e-EVR will become the standard way for Record holders to submit Experience Verification Reports before the Six-Month Rule goes into effect.

Benefits of e-EVR
Interns should begin using the e-EVR as soon it is launched, as it offers many benefits over the paper employment verification form, which will be quickly phased out.

• Interns can enter their training units over any timeframe (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, quarterly, or every six months). Units may be saved as work-in-progress and submitted for their supervisor's review at a later date.
• e-EVR will prevent some common errors, reducing the possibility of rejection during the evaluation process.
• Once interns submit an online report, their supervisor is automatically notified via e-mail that a training unit report is available for review and approval.
• Interns can check their IDP progress at any time by logging on to "My NCARB Record." They will be able to see which training units have been completed, which are pending supervisor approval, and which training areas still require additional documentation.
• The IDP progress report enables interns to identify training area deficiencies sooner so they can work with their supervisor and mentor to develop a plan to gain exposure in these areas.
• The system includes a message center that allows interns to track NCARB communications about their reports.

Important ARE 3.1 Dates at a Glance

1 January 2009
A failed division on or after this date will be transitioned to ARE 4.0

27 June 2009
Last day to schedule ARE 3.1 divisions

30 June 2009
Last day to test in ARE 3.1

1 July 2009
Anyone who has not completed ARE 3.1 is transitioned to ARE 4.0

Personal Calculators
Effective 1 July 2008, ARE candidates are no longer permitted to bring a personal calculator into the test center. All divisions of the ARE 3.1 and ARE 4.0 include an on-screen, scientific calculator for your use.