ARE 3.1 Transition Reminders

Schedule Remaining ARE 3.1 Divisions Early

Reminder:
During the mandatory six-month waiting period following a failed examination, the ARE scheduling system will allow candidates to schedule the retest beginning four months from the original test date. The retest date can be no earlier than six months following the original test date.

The last day to schedule an ARE 3.1 appointment is 27 June 2009. The last day to take an ARE 3.1 division is 30 June 2009. For those who plan to schedule ARE 3.1 divisions in May or June, it is best to schedule well in advance as 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.

The six-month waiting period to retake a failed exam division will still apply for candidates transitioning to ARE 4.0. Candidates will need to wait six months after a failed test in ARE 3.1 before they can take the equivalent division(s) in ARE 4.0. For example, if a candidate fails an ARE 3.1 division in February 2009, he or she will need to wait until August 2009 to take any equivalent ARE 4.0 division(s). If you will be transitioned in July, see the online transition chart for the divisions you will need to take to complete the ARE.

The ARE 4.0 is only available in English. The ARE will NOT be delivered in French after 30 June 2009.

A Message From NCARB to all ARE Candidates

NCARB's mission is to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public by assuring that those licensed as architects meet the qualifications to practice independently. The ARE is one tool we utilize to serve our mission.

All NCARB exams are created under strict security and held in confidence. All exam questions and vignettes are also registered under the U.S. Copyright Act. Before beginning any test, you are required to accept a "Confidentiality Agreement," which prohibits any disclosure of exam content.

In December, Erica Brown, AIA, Director, ARE posted a letter to ARE candidates concerning the increase in candidates under investigation for disclosing exam content via the internet. Disclosure of content is not taken lightly as it compromises the integrity of the exam and ultimately undermines the protection the public's health, safety, and welfare.

Click here to read the letter from Erica Brown, AIA.

New! ARE Podcast
"Transitioning to ARE 4.0"

NCARB's podcast series covers important topics that relate to every aspect of earning a license to practice architecture and beyond. In this podcast, Erica Brown, AIA, Director, ARE answers frequently asked questions about the July transition from ARE 3.1 to ARE 4.0. Other podcasts available include "IDP Through Certification," "The Six-Month Rule," and "The electronic Experience Verification Reporting system (e-EVR)." These free podcasts are available on NCARB's web site or on iTunes.

Score Report Delay

NCARB and Prometric have been implementing a series of quality control checks since the launch of ARE 4.0 in July 2008. There were many updates and adjustments made to the processes and systems used by Prometric to enable delivery of both ARE 3.1 and ARE 4.0 for the overlap/transition year.

Throughout this process, Prometric has been required to make a few adjustments to the score reporting systems. The recent delays in score report printing were necessary for Prometric to implement the adjustments. And, as a result of these adjustments, a small number of corrected score reports have been issued. In all cases, the individual multiple-choice items and vignettes were scored correctly. The software that combines the individual scores to an overall passing or failing result has been updated to reflect the findings of the quality control reviews. All exams administered since 1 July 2008 have been included in this extensive and exhaustive review.

We feel strongly that it is not acceptable to release any score report with incorrect data. The corrected score reports account for less than 0.1 percent of the nearly 30,000 examinations administered since 1 July 2008. All candidates who have been affected by this quality control process have been contacted directly by NCARB or Prometric staff and received corrected score reports.

We will continue to monitor the process throughout the final transition to ARE 4.0 in July 2009. We apologize for the periodic delays in reporting scores. Prometric is working diligently to process all recently tested exams in an effort to return to the ARE's typical two to four week reporting period. Thank you for your patience.

ARE 4.0 Important Links
ARE 4.0 Main Page

ARE 4.0 Study Aids

ARE 4.0 Guidelines

Transition Chart

Reverse Transition Chart

Test Fees

"Transitioning to ARE 4.0" podcast

ARE 4.0 Voucher Form

ARE 3.1 to ARE 4.0: Site Planning & Design
Candidates who will be transitioned from ARE 3.1 to ARE 4.0 only need to have passed ARE 3.1's Site Planning to receive credit for ARE 4.0's Site Planning & Design. Corrected versions of the ARE Reverse Transition (PDF link) chart and 2008-2009 Handbook for Interns and Architects are available to download here (PDF link).

Please note: The ARE Transition Chart is correct as originally issued.

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.

The e-EVR
NCARB's electronic Experience Verification Reporting system (e-EVR) launched in December 2008. Interns should start using the system immediately to document and submit their experience reports for the Intern Development Program (IDP). For more information on the e-EVR, see the February 2009 IDP e-news and the upcoming Spring 2009 Direct Connection.