NCARB’s new score validity policy goes into effect today. Learn more about the policy and what changes you’ll see in your NCARB Record.
About the Score Validity Policy
The new score validity policy bases the validity of passed Architect Registration Examination® (ARE®) divisions on exam versions, such as ARE 4.0 or ARE 5.0, rather than a set time frame. As a result, NCARB is reinstating previously expired divisions of ARE 4.0 for candidates seeking licensure from jurisdictions that do not have a rolling clock-type requirement.
Under the new score validity policy, passing ARE divisional scores will remain valid throughout the delivery of the exam version under which they were taken. They’ll also be used to establish credit toward the immediately following version of the exam (e.g., ARE 6.0). If the jurisdiction where you are seeking licensure has a rolling clock requirement, you will still be subject to their rolling clock.
How This Impacts You
If you are seeking licensure from a jurisdiction that does not have a rolling clock policy, you will see any previously expired ARE 4.0 divisions reinstated in your Record. Your updated exam progress—including any new ARE 5.0 credits—will be reflected in the Exam overview tab in your NCARB Record. NCARB is updating thousands of candidate Records, so please know that this change may take 1-2 days to appear in your NCARB Record.
If you are seeking licensure from a jurisdiction that has a rolling clock policy, you will not see any change to your NCARB Record at this time. View a list of jurisdictions with a rolling clock requirement.
Updated ARE 5.0 Guidelines
We’ve updated the ARE 5.0 Guidelines. The latest edition of the Guidelines includes replacing the Rolling Clock section with a new Score Validity Policy section. Other changes include NCARB discontinuing the rebate for candidates taking their first online proctored appointment—effective July 1, 2023. The Guidelines also now include more information on how to read score reports given the score validity policy change. View a comprehensive list of changes made to the ARE 5.0 Guidelines.
We know you may have questions, so we answered the most common questions received about the new score validity policy. Our recent NCARB Live webinar also provides information about the new policy and features a Q&A session, with questions answered by our experts!
