Summary: The National Architectural Registration Boards announces that qualified ARE candidates who have no exam scores pending on July 1, 2009 should be able to schedule appointments for divisions in ARE 4.0 by mid-July. Those who have an exam score pending on July 1, 2009, will be transitioned following the score reporting process. The transition to ARE 4.0 will be complete by mid-August for all ARE candidates. Once candidates have been transitioned, they can find their remaining equivalent division(s) needed to complete the ARE by checking the scheduling Web site of the NCARB vendor, Prometric or by calling the ARE Help Desk, 800-896-2272.

The NCARB notice continues:
You will NOT receive an updated Authorization to Test (ATT). Your current authorization number will continue to work in ARE 4.0.

May and June Appointments
All ARE exam appointments are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis per availability at your local test center. Appointment availability cannot be guaranteed. If you are having difficulty scheduling an appointment, call the ARE Help Desk (800-896-2272) for assistance.

Only for candidates who had passed one or more divisions of the ARE 3.1 by May 15, 2008, the last day to schedule an ARE 3.1 appointment is June 27, 2009. The last day to take an ARE 3.1 division is June 30, 2009.

Cancellation Policy
Cancellation of a scheduled appointment is not permitted. If you cancel an exam, regardless of the reason, your testing fee is non-transferable and non-refundable. If you want to reschedule an examination, you must follow the procedures outlined in the ARE Guidelines, which include notifying Prometric at least three business days in advance of the originally scheduled appointment.

Frequently Asked Questions
If I fail an exam in ARE 3.1, do I have to wait six months to retake the equivalent division(s) in ARE 4.0?
Yes.

If I have failed two exams in ARE 3.1 that combine into one exam in ARE 4.0, when can I take the equivalent exam?
Your eligibility for the ARE 4.0 exam will open six months after your most recent failing exam administration.

For example: If you took in ARE 3.1

You will be eligible to take ARE 4.0's Structural Systems on 12/11/2009.

Can I use ARE 3.1 Study Guides to study for ARE 4.0?
The main content of the ARE 3.1 and 4.0 exams is very similar. However, the Site Grading and Mechanical & Electrical Plan vignettes are different. When preparing for these vignettes, make sure you are using study guides and the practice programs from NCARB's Web site that correspond to the version of the exam you are taking.

How does the scoring work in ARE 4.0 to determine a final "pass" or "fail" score?
Your multiple-choice items (including "Check-All-That-Apply" and "Quantitative-Fill-in-the-Blank") are scored with each correct answer receiving one point and each incorrect or unanswered question receiving zero points.

Your graphic vignettes are scored through a computer-based analysis of your solution to evaluate it against many predetermined requirements, which are weighted based upon their importance or significance in that vignette. Based on your overall performance for each requirement, the vignette is reported as Acceptable, Indeterminate (Minor Deficiencies), or Unacceptable (Major Deficiencies).

In ARE 4.0, NCARB utilizes a process called "conjunctive scoring" to combine your performance on the multiple-choice section and your vignette score(s) to determine your final division score. In this scoring model, you have the opportunity to compensate for an "Indeterminate" vignette performance by performing well on the multiple-choice section. Conversely, if you perform poorly on the multiple-choice section and well on the associated vignette(s), you may still be able to obtain a passing division score.