Architect Registration Examination (ARE) Overview

One of the important means by which NCARB member boards and Canadian provincial licensing associations fulfill their mission to safeguard the public health, safety and welfare is the registration of architects. Every individual may apply for registration as an architect. To become registered, a person must demonstrate that he or she is qualified to render architectural services by meeting established education, training and examination standards.

The Architect Registration Examination (ARE) examines candidates for their knowledge, skills and ability to provide the various services required in the design and construction of buildings. The ARE is the only examination prepared by NCARB and has been adopted for use by all 55 member boards and the Canadian provinces as the registration examination required of all candidates for architectural registration.

No single examination can test for competency in all aspects of architecture, and the ARE is not designed for that purpose. The ARE concentrates on those services that most affect the public health, safety and welfare. The ARE has been developed with specific concern for its fidelity to the practice of architecture; that is, its content relates as closely as practicable to the actual tasks an architect encounters in practice. In addition to testing for competence in specific subject areas, NCARB is aware of the responsibilities an architect may have for coordinating the activities of others involved in the design/construction process. This examination thus attempts to determine the candidate's qualifications not only to perform measurable tasks, but also to exercise the skills and judgment of a generalist working with numerous specialists. In short, the objective is to reflect the practice of architecture as an integrated whole.

The various divisions of the ARE are designed with this objective in mind, and the core functions of architectural practicesite design and building designare accorded fundamental importance in the examination's three graphical divisions. The other divisions are written to assess or evaluate the candidate's ability to deal with the design process as well as the technical and programmatic aspects integral with design. This exam approach helps to establish and measure the level and type of job-related performance encountered in practice.

Candidates who have not passed both the written portion and the graphic portion of Division B in the paper-and-pencil format must take the new Site Planning Exam. Division C: Building Design has been divided into two sections - Building Planning and Building Technology. Candidates who did not pass Division C in the paper-and-pencil form must pass both new divisions.