ARE Scoring 101

For years, rumors and myths have circulated around offices and the internet about how ARE divisions are scored. As we move further into the electronic age, candidates want to know why scores take so long and what exactly happens to their exam after they leave the test center. In this issue of ARE e-News, we answer the most common questions about the scoring process.

What is the passing standard?
The passing standard (i.e., the number of questions you have to get right) is the same for every registration board. It is not affected by the number of candidates who pass or fail each examination. There is no fixed percentage of candidates who pass or fail the ARE.

Does NCARB have a retake quota?
NCARB doesn't have any kind of retake quota or profit margin it has to meet. The ARE is heavily subsidized by other NCARB operations—even with the recent fee increase. The income generated by candidate fees only covers a portion (about half) of the actual expense necessary to support the development and administration of the exam.

How long after I take the exam will I receive my score?
Processing time varies from four to six weeks. After processing, your score is forwarded from Prometric, NCARB's testing consultant, directly to your registration board. Your board then completes any additional processing and sends the report to you. If your registration board participates in the Direct Registration program, NCARB will process your score report and send it directly to you.

Why can't I see my score instantly?
Your exam is not graded at the test center where you test. Your workstation at the test center only records your answers and solutions. The actual scoring of your exam takes place at Prometric and is subject to rigorous quality control processes to ensure the accuracy of the score.

Your examination is for licensure. As such, it is a high-stakes examination required by all U.S. jurisdictions and accepted by nine Canadian provinces as part of their licensure process. To protect the security of the exam, exam content must remain separate from the scoring engine.

What happens to my test data after I finish my exam?
Your answers and vignette solutions are transferred electronically from the test center to Prometric for processing. There, your multiple-choice questions and vignette solutions are separated for scoring. Scoring sets (also known as "batches") are compiled every two weeks.

Scoring a set can take up to a week. Computerized scoring engines score all components of the exam with multiple layers of quality control checks to ensure accuracy and reliability of scores being reported to the registration boards and candidates. Multiple-choice questions can be scored rather quickly, but vignettes take additional time to process.

How do the scoring engines work to determine a final pass or fail?
Multiple-choice questions (including "check-all-that-apply" and "fill-in-the-blank" questions) are scored with each correct answer receiving one point and each incorrect or unanswered question receiving zero points.

Graphic vignettes are scored through a computer-based analysis of your solution to evaluate it against many predetermined requirements that are weighted based on its importance or significance. Based on your overall performance for each requirement, your solution is reported as acceptable, indeterminate (moderate deficiencies), or unacceptable (major deficiencies).

NCARB utilizes a process called "conjunctive scoring" in ARE 4.0 to combine your performance on the multiple-choice section and the graphic vignette section into a single score. In this scoring model, you have the opportunity to compensate for a poor vignette performance if you performed well on the multiple-choice section and vice versa.

Why have test scores been delayed the last few months?
Since early July 2009, Prometric has been involved with terminating ARE 3.1 and transitioning almost 20,000 candidates with almost 87,000 eligibilities to ARE 4.0. These changes were more complicated than expected and have taken longer to complete.

NCARB and Prometric regret any inconvenience these delays have caused candidates, and are committed to improving the process.

Why can't Prometric just mail me the score report directly?
Your jurisdiction grants you a license to practice architecture, not NCARB or Prometric. Therefore, your registration board is responsible for the release of the score reports for their candidates according to their individual laws and regulations.

Since each jurisdiction has different policies and procedures, final processing time can vary from board to board. For instance, some jurisdictions require scores to be reviewed at a board meeting before they can be released. Other jurisdictions simply enter all of your scores into their own database before mailing you a copy.

Why doesn't NCARB give more information on why I failed an exam?
You receive limited diagnostic information for each failed division because the ARE is a licensing examination developed to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public—as such, you are required to demonstrate your knowledge, skill, and ability. The ARE is not intended to be a teaching tool nor is it designed as a placement or certification examination.

Reminder: ARE Fees Increased 1 October 2009
All divisions of the ARE now cost $210

Transition to ARE 4.0
If you failed a division of ARE 3.1, you must take all sections of equivalent divisions in ARE 4.0. You do not receive partial credit for vignettes or multiple-choice questions passed in ARE 3.1 that may be combined with not-yet-passed content in ARE 4.0. You must pass all remaining required examinations in ARE 4.0 in their entirety to satisfy your board's examination requirement for licensure.

NCARB Confidentiality Agreement
All NCARB exam divisions are held in strict security and confidence and are protected by U.S. copyright laws. Before beginning your test, you are required to accept NCARB's Confidentiality Agreement, which prohibits any disclosure of exam content. The Confidentiality Agreement you must accept before you take each division of the exam can be found in the ARE Guidelines (PDF download).

What is the EPC?
The Emerging Professional's Companion (EPC) was jointly developed by AIA and NCARB to serve as a comprehensive professional development resource for students, interns, and ARE candidates. While it was originally intended as a means for emerging professionals to earn IDP credit, it can also be used to study for the exam. Visit www.epcompanion.org to learn more.

Introducing the IDP Supervisor e-News
A great new resource! The IDP Supervisor e-News is a new quarterly electronic newsletter for supervisors. Supervisors can provide interns with the best foundation for their future if they understand the program and give guidance on how to make the most out of it. This newsletter will offer tips and resources that will assist both supervisors and interns in navigating the program. Click here to read the October 2009 IDP Supervisor e-News.

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