By taking divisions of the ARE, candidates are personally responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of all information relating to the exam. They may not discuss exam content in any manner with anyone, including but not limited to family, friends, other examinees, and test preparation providers. This agreement also covers internet chat rooms, mailing list servers, web sites, etc.

Any disclosure of ARE content is strictly prohibited and may result in severe disciplinary action, including the suspension of testing privileges, and/or the cancellation of scores.

Candidates choosing to decline the Confidentiality Agreement will have their exam session terminated before being exposed to any exam content. The exam fee for the division WILL NOT be refunded if a candidate chooses to decline the agreement and end his or her exam.

The new Confidentiality Agreement will appear as shown here. To enter the exam, a candidate must:

• Step 1: Read and understand the Confidentiality Agreement.
• Step 2: Check the box just below the Confidentiality Agreement.
• Step 3: Click the "I Accept" button in the lower left portion of the screen.

Candidates who choose to decline the Confidentiality Agreement will be given the opportunity to "Return" to the agreement or they may choose to "Exit" the exam. Exiting the examination will result in forfeiture of the testing fee.

Candidates who choose to exit the examination will be given one last opportunity to "Return" to the agreement or they may choose to end their exam. Selecting "End Exam" on this screen will terminate the delivery of this division of the ARE. Exiting the examination will result in forfeiture of the testing fee.

Authorization to Test: Rule Change 1 January 2011
As of 1 January 2011, exam candidates must take a division of the ARE (pass or fail) once every five years to keep their Authorization to Test (ATT) valid. This includes the five-year period prior to 1 January 2011.

Authorization will not become inactive if the applicant tests and fails; it will only become inactive if the applicant does not take at least one division every five years. Candidates whose authorizations have become inactive will need to establish new eligibilities under the then current procedures of their registration boards.

Click here to read "Resolutions 2009-02: Applying Five-Year Rolling Clock to Previously Passed Divisions and Authorizations to Test" for more information on this rule change as well as when the rolling clock will apply to divisions passed prior to 1 January 2006.

If you were eligible to test prior to 1 January 2006 and do not want be impacted by this rule change, you need to have taken a division of the ARE since 1 January 2006. If you have not tested since that date, you have until 31 December 2010 to test and ensure your authorization will not become inactive.

If you were made eligible to test after 1 January 2006, you have five years from the date you were originally made eligible before you will be impacted by this rule change.

In preparation for this rule change, no ARE divisions can be scheduled in Prometric test centers for appointment dates after 1 January 2011. All candidates are still able to schedule appointments for any division of the ARE through 31 December 2010. We anticipate the scheduling system will be made available again to ARE candidates in fall 2010. Please check the NCARB web site for periodic updates.

Who do I Contact if...
When you have a question or concern relating to the Architect Registration Examination^® (ARE^®), it is important to direct it to the right place. There are three main places you may need to contact:

NCARB
NCARB develops the ARE. The ARE has been adopted for use by all U.S. state and territorial registration boards and by the Canadian provincial and territorial architectural associations as the registration examination for all candidates for architectural registration. If you have any questions or comments regarding examination content or your testing experience, please contact the ARE Directorate.
Contact Information: 202/783-6500 or are@ncarb.org

For those registration boards participating in the Direct Registration or Direct Eligibility programs, NCARB serves as an intermediary and manages all candidates' eligibility and score reporting processes. If you are getting your initial license in a state that is in the Direct Registration Program, you should contact NCARB about your Authorization to Test.
Contact Information: 202/783-6500 or customerservice@ncarb.org

Prometric/ARE Helpdesk
Prometric serves as NCARB's test development and operations consultant. In addition to operating and maintaining test centers, their responsibilities include processing the eligibility information sent from various boards of architecture and distributing the test information package that includes your Authorization to Test letter. Prometric also issues your test results directly to your board of architecture.

Contact Information:
To schedule (or reschedule) an exam appointment, contact
Prometric: 800/479-6215

For all other questions or concerns contact the ARE Helpdesk: 800/896-2272

Your Board of Architecture
Your board of architecture is responsible for making you eligible for taking the ARE and releasing your score reports.
Contact Information: See NCARB's Registration Board Requirements section for individual contact information.

Who do I contact to schedule an appointment?
Prometric
Once you have received your Authorization to Test (ATT), you can begin scheduling appointments for the exams listed on your letter. Visit Prometric's web site or call the Prometric Candidate Services Contact Center at 800/479-6215 between 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. EST (Monday-Friday) to find a test center near you and schedule your appointment.

Who do I contact if I have not received my Authorization to Test (ATT)?
ARE Helpdesk
When your board of architecture transmits your eligibility to the ARE Helpdesk, an Authorization to Test is automatically generated. If you feel that you should have received it already, please call the ARE Helpdesk at 800/896-2272.

Who do I contact if my eligibility isn't appearing on Prometric's appointment scheduling web site?
Your Board of Architecture or NCARB*
If you attempt to schedule an exam and find that your eligibility is not in the system, you need to contact your board of architecture (*or NCARB if your jurisdiction participates in Direct Eligibility or Direct Registration). Each individual board of architecture is responsible for transmitting your testing eligibility information to the ARE Helpdesk at Prometric.

Who do I contact to change my name or address?
Your Board of Architecture and NCARB
If you need to change your name and/or address, you must first call your board of architecture. It is imperative that this be done so that your Authorization to Test matches the identification you will provide at the testing center. Additionally, you must notify NCARB of this change to ensure that you receive important updates related to the ARE.

NOTE: When you arrive at a test center, the name on your primary form of identification must be the same as the name that appears on your Authorization to Test. If you have made your appointment prior to changing your name and/or address, your new information will not appear on the check-in screen at the test center.

If the name on your primary form does not match your information on the check-in screen, you will not be admitted to the examination and there will be no refund on your test fee.

Who do I contact if I need to reschedule an exam?
Prometric
In the event that you need to reschedule an exam division, a $35 rescheduling fee will apply. This fee will be assessed each time a candidate makes any changes to his/her previously scheduled appointment. Candidates will be required to select their future appointment date at the time they notify the Prometric Candidate Services Call Center of their schedule change. The only acceptable form of payment for this fee is by credit card.

Rescheduling an existing appointment must take place no later than 12 noon ET (Eastern Time) on the third business day prior to the candidate's scheduled appointment. Please note that Saturday is considered a business day.

Who do I contact if I need special testing accommodations?
Your Board of Architecture
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.

Who do I contact if I experience technical difficulties at the test center?
Test Center Staff and ARE Helpdesk
DO NOT wait to receive your test results before expressing your concerns. You must report concerns in writing within 10 days of your examination to the ARE Helpdesk—not NCARB.

Filing a report with the test center administrator does NOT satisfy the requirement of notifying the ARE Helpdesk directly.

Contact Information:
ARE Helpdesk
Prometric
1200 Lenox Drive, Suite 100
Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
FAX: 609/895-5022

A copy of the letter to the ARE Helpdesk should also be forwarded to your board of architecture and NCARB.

Who do I contact to find out about test center closings?
The Test Center
Call your test center directly to find out if it is closed due to inclement weather or any other reason. If it is open, it is your responsibility to keep the appointment. If it is closed, you will have the opportunity to reschedule at no cost.

If you are unable to contact your local test center, call the Prometric Candidate Services Contact Center at 800/479-6215 between 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday.

Schedule an Exam Appointment
Click Here to schedule an appointment online.

Update Your Contact Information
Does NCARB and your board of architecture have your most current contact information? If not, update it today!

Reminder: IDP Six-Month Rule
The Six-Month Rule will go into effect for all interns at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on 1 July 2010. The Six-Month Rule requires all interns to submit their training hours in reporting periods of no longer than six months and within two months of completion of each reporting period.

The Six-Month Rule is already in effect for interns that established an NCARB Record on or after 1 July 2009.

Read the April 2010 IDP
e-News for more information.

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