Taking the ARE

Scheduling An Exam

All divisions of the ARE are administered exclusively on computers at Prometric test centers, year-round throughout the United States, the U.S. territories, and Canada. Candidates may take the divisions in any order, and at any time and location they choose (subject to availability). Most test centers are open six days a week, 50 weeks a year.

After you have received your Authorization to Test letter, visit Prometric's home page (www.prometric.com/NCARB) to locate a test site and/or schedule a test. You may also call Prometric's Candidate Services Contact Center at 800/479-6215 to schedule an examination. For Teletyper, call 800/529-3590.

Scheduled Appointment Times

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. [more]

Special Testing Accommodations

All Prometric test centers are designed to accommodate people with disabilities. Special testing accommodations will only be made with authorization from your registration board or NCARB if your board participates in the Direct Registration program. See the ARE 4.0 Guidelines for more information.

ARE Exam Fees

Each division of ARE 4.0 is $210 This fee is non-refundable. [more]

ARE 4.0 Divisions

The ARE consists of seven divisions that include multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, and check-all-that-apply questions as well as graphic vignettes. [more]

At the Test Center

You should arrive 30 minutes before your exam and bring personal identification and your Authorization to Test. Also, there are procedures in place should you experience a technical problem at the test center. [more]

Rolling Clock

All divisions of the ARE must be completed within five years. [more]

Exam Security

NCARB takes upholding the integrity of the ARE very seriously. Every candidate must review and accept the Confidentiality Agreement before being allowed to take each division. [more]

Receiving Your Score

Results for all divisions are typically processed within four to six weeks of your test date and then sent to your registration board. [more]

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Related Publications

ARE Guidelines
The ARE 4.0 Guidelines is essential reading for anyone preparing for the Architect Registration Examination® (ARE®). The document includes an overview of the exam divisions as well as the exam program, the rolling clock, exam eligibility, and six steps to taking and completing the ARE.

Download (PDF, 13,031K)

ARE 4.0 Voucher Request Form
Complete this form if you wish to pay by check or money order and indicate the division(s) for which you are submitting payment. A separate voucher for each division will be mailed to you within four weeks after receipt of your request.

Download (PDF, 76K)

ARE Scheduling Verification Form
Scheduling an appointment to take the ARE is governed by contractual agreements between NCARB and Prometric. If you encounter difficulty scheduling a testing appointment within the guidelines outlined below, please use this form to detail your complaint. Prometric has 48 hours to comply with your schedule request.

Download (PDF, 53K)

Related FAQs

Aside from the vignettes being paired with multiple-choice questions, what else changed with the implementation of ARE 4.0?

The Site Grading vignette and the Mechanical & Electrical Plan vignette have slightly different content than ARE 3.1. The updated Site Grading vignette requires candidates to re-grade the site and create a level pad on which a given object must be placed. There are new lighting requirements in the revised Mechanical & Electrical Plan vignette. Additionally, the test specification used for multiple-choice items has been updated to contain content noted in the 2001 Practice Analysis of Architecture.

How are the multiple-choice questions given on a computer?

A brief tutorial is delivered before each division to explain how to move from one question to the next. Each multiple-choice section consists of a fixed number of questions delivered within a maximum time limit. Within each multiple-choice section, some questions are being pretested and do not affect your actual test score. These pretest questions are being evaluated and may be included as scored items in future editions of the test.

How do I register to take the ARE?

Contact the registration board in the state/province in which you wish to become licensed in to apply to take the exam. Your board will provide you with all application requirements. Although NCARB develops the ARE, it does not register candidates to take the exam. For jurisdictions that participate in the Direct Registration or Direct Eligibility programs, NCARB does process candidate exam eligibilities based upon their jurisdiction’s requirements.

[More FAQs]

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