To take an ARE 5.0 division, you’ll need to schedule an appointment. The ARE is administered securely by PSI to protect the exam’s content and ensure all candidates have a consistent experience.
Where can I take the exam?
Regardless of where you are seeking registration or received eligibilities, you have the flexibility to test online, at a test center, or a combination of both options.
- In-person appointments: The ARE is offered at secure test centers throughout the U.S. and Canada, as well as several international locations. You do not have to test in the jurisdiction where you are seeking a license.
- Online appointments: With online proctoring, you can test 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in most places around the world—as long as your test environment meets certain physical and technical requirements.
How to Schedule an Appointment
Under the Exams tab in your NCARB Record, navigate to the “All Divisions” section and click “Schedule Division.” Then follow the prompts. For a more comprehensive overview, watch our videos about scheduling test center and online proctored appointments.
Please note: You must schedule an appointment at least 48 hours in advance of an in-person exam and 24 hours in advance of an online proctored exam.
How to Schedule an Appointment With Accommodations
If you are applying for an ADA or ESL accommodation for the exam, do not schedule an appointment until after you have received written approval from NCARB for your accommodation. To schedule an appointment once your accommodations have been approved, you should begin the scheduling process in your NCARB Record as noted above. While some appointments with accommodations may be scheduled online, in some cases PSI may need to follow up with you by phone to complete the scheduling process. If this applies to you, you should receive a call back from PSI within 48 hours to schedule your appointment. PSI will contact you using the phone number you provided when you submitted your scheduling request.
If PSI cannot reach you by phone, they will email you at the address in your NCARB Record. Be on the lookout for an email from an @psionline.com domain, and if possible, add them to your safe senders list. You might need to check your junk or spam. If you do not receive a call or email within the next 48 hours, please get in touch with PSI directly at 800-367-1565 (extension 6750) or eaalerts@psionline.com. PSI's team is available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (ET). Note: you must initiate the scheduling process in your NCARB Record first; do not reach out to PSI prior to requesting to schedule your appointment via your NCARB Record.
Appointment Times
Each testing appointment includes time for various introductory/conclusion screens and a flexible break. Click on each division for more information. Any purchased seat credits not used to schedule a division will expire one year after the date of purchase.
| Division | Test Duration | Appointment Time |
|---|---|---|
| Practice Management | 2 hr 40 min | 3 hr 20 min |
| Project Management | 3 hr | 3 hr 40 min |
| Programming & Analysis | 3 hr | 3 hr 40 min |
| Project Planning & Design | 4 hr 5 min | 5 hr |
| Project Development & Documentation | 4 hr 5 min | 5 hr |
| Construction & Evaluation | 3 hr | 3 hr 40 min |
Rescheduling an Appointment
You can reschedule an ARE appointment up to 48 hours in advance of in-person appointments and 24 hours in advance of online proctored appointments, with a staggered fee policy as noted below. Additionally, you can cancel an appointment and retain your exam seat (seat credit) for a $100 fee.
To reschedule an appointment or switch delivery methods, visit the "Exams" tab in your NCARB Record and select the scheduled exam you’d like to adjust. If you'd like to change your exam delivery from online to in person or vice versa, or to move your in person exam to a different physical test center, you will need to go through the rescheduling process.
Rescheduling Fees:
- The first time a candidate reschedules a previously scheduled exam appointment, it will be free
- The second reschedule of the same appointment will cost $50
- The third and all subsequent reschedules of the same appointment will cost $100
- This policy applies to individual exam appointments. For example, if a candidate had Practice Management and Project Management scheduled, the first time they rescheduled both appointments would be free
To learn more, download the ARE 5.0 Guidelines.
