The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards announces that it will make changes in the Architect Registration Examination (ARE) in February 2004, based on findings from its Architectural Practice Analysis Study conducted during the year 2000. The new ARE Version 3.0 acts upon study recommendations that increase the exam’s relevancy, according to NCARB, and while it is not a major overhauling of the exam, “it is an effort to include more recent topics while adjusting the emphasis of focus in other areas.”

Changes in the ARE Version 3.0 include:

Multiple-Choice Divisions

• Reduction of the overall number of questions in each division
• Reorganized content outline for each division, with more consistent titles
• Reintroduction of questions about site design throughout several divisions
• Questions covering new content areas, including “green architecture,” sustainability, and new material technologies
• Renaming the Materials & Methods division as Building Design/Materials & Methods to better reflect its expanded scope
• Expansion of practice and project management portions of the Construction Documents & Services division
• Redesigned screen layout that anticipates new types of questions in the future.

Graphic Divisions

• Elimination of the Site Section vignette from the Site Planning division
• Elimination of the Block Diagram vignette from the Building Planning division
• Standardizing the sequence of all three graphic divisions by implementing one mandatory 15-minute break between sections of each division
• Elimination of access to the Practice Program at Prometric test centers during the examination to reduce the scheduled appointment time (the Practice Program remains available for downloading from the NCARB Web site).

NCARB reports that the Practice Analysis study validated the format and content of the current exam.

The newly updated ARE Guidelines publication offers additional details about changes to exam content and administration. All currently eligible candidates will receive a copy by mail. Candidates also may download the new publication (as well as the current guildelines) from the NCARB Web site.

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