Licensing boards—and the public—rely on the Architect Registration Examination® (ARE®) as an accurate measure of a candidate’s competency to practice architecture. Because of this, NCARB takes the security of the ARE very seriously. We work with our psychometricians (consultants who are experts in the field of testing) to ensure we’re meeting rigorous security standards. One of NCARB’s security measures that might surprise some candidates is that NCARB doesn’t offer physical scratch paper for the exam.
Why NCARB Moved Away From Physical Scratch Paper
Candidates who test before the launch of online proctoring in December 2020 might remember having access to physical scratch paper. But when NCARB launched the exam’s online proctoring option, we made several changes to ARE 5.0’s navigation, timing, and policies—including the removal of physical scratch paper.
Part of the rationale for this change is to ensure that candidates testing online and at the test center have a consistent exam experience. Since it would be difficult to monitor the use and disposal of loose paper for online candidates, the launch of online proctoring necessitated a move to digital scratch paper. Developed specifically for the ARE, the digital whiteboard tool helps maintain fairness across the two delivery modes and keeps exam content secure.
But online proctoring is not the only reason NCARB introduced the digital whiteboard. NCARB’s psychometricians had been encouraging NCARB to move to a “clean desk” policy for exams taken at the test center even before the launch of online proctoring. While learning to use the digital whiteboard can take some time and practice, it ultimately offers the same function as physical scratch paper.
How to Use the Digital Whiteboard
With the digital whiteboard, candidates can jot down any notes, sketches, or annotations while completing their exam. When navigating to an item on your exam, you can open the whiteboard by clicking the “Whiteboard” button on the top menu bar. Information added to the whiteboard is saved and viewable throughout your exam administration, including when returning from a break. Watch this video to learn more about the digital whiteboard, including how to open, move, and resize the tool’s window; draw and type; create additional pages; and erase or clear content.
Preparing for Your Upcoming Exam
Review the ARE 5.0 Guidelines to learn more about ARE 5.0’s navigation tools and format. Here, you can also find all policies and procedures for taking the ARE, as well as information about the content covered in each division of the exam.
Have any questions or concerns? Chat with our exam experts and fellow testers in the ARE 5.0 Community.
