Before you can schedule an ARE division, you will need to be made eligible to test by your jurisdiction’s licensing board. Each jurisdiction sets its own rules regarding when you are eligible to take the ARE; in most cases, you can begin testing after completing your jurisdiction’s education requirement. Explore your jurisdiction’s requirements before requesting eligibility.

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Read the ARE Guidelines

Understand all the policies you’ll need to follow in order to take the Architect Registration Examination® (ARE®), as well as an overview of the exam’s six divisions and other exam candidate resources.

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What is exam eligibility?

Exam eligibility is essentially your permission to start taking the ARE. You can request exam eligibility from any licensing board—whether it’s the jurisdiction where you live or simply where you meet the eligibility requirements. The jurisdiction that grants your eligibilities is known as your “testing jurisdiction.” Once you have been granted eligibilities, you can start taking the exam. 

How do I request exam eligibility?

To request eligibility through your NCARB Record, follow these steps:

  1. Log in to My NCARB and click on your NCARB Record
  2. Go to “Exams”
  3. Click “Request Eligibility”

After our system confirms that you meet your jurisdiction’s requirements, an email will be sent to your board asking them to approve your request. If you have any questions about eligibilities, contact our Customer Relations team for more information.

You will receive a confirmation email immediately after submitting your request with instructions for next steps, and a second confirmation email after your eligibilities have been established. If you don’t meet your jurisdiction’s requirements, you will receive a message indicating why.

Scheduling Divisions

After you receive eligibility to test, you can begin scheduling appointments to take ARE divisions. Regardless of where you received your exam eligibilities, you have the flexibility to test online, at a test center, or a combination of both options. 

Please note: When you request eligibilities, you are authorizing NCARB to transmit your Record to the board you have selected, both for your initial eligibilities and upon completion of your licensure requirements. If you wish to change your selected jurisdiction, your new jurisdiction may charge you additional fees or have additional requirements.

Maintaining Exam Eligibility with Your Jurisdiction

You are responsible for maintaining your exam eligibility with your registration board. Because the rules vary from board to board and are subject to change, it is important for you to stay informed of your individual registration board’s policies and procedures. This includes notifying them of any address changes so they can contact you about eligibility renewals or any other important licensure information.

Can I change my testing jurisdiction?

If you need to change your testing jurisdiction—or the jurisdiction where you are seeking initial licensure—you can do so through your NCARB Record. Here’s how to start the process of updating your testing jurisdiction:

  1. Log in to My NCARB and navigate to the Exams tab in your NCARB Record
  2. On the ARE Overview page, select “Switch My Testing Jurisdiction”
  3. You will be asked to verify your Record information and read several disclaimers about switching jurisdictions—once you have reviewed the information, select “Continue” at the bottom of the page
  4. Select your new testing jurisdiction from the dropdown menu and follow the prompts to complete the process

Keep in mind, each jurisdiction sets its own rules regarding when you are eligible to take the ARE; in most cases, you can begin testing after completing your jurisdiction’s education requirement. Based on the jurisdiction you select and your individual licensure progress, you will see one of the following outcomes:

  • If you meet the requirements in your new jurisdiction and they use NCARB’s automated system, NCARB will automatically close your eligibilities in your old jurisdiction and open them in your new jurisdiction. Most jurisdictions use NCARB’s automated system.
  • If you meet the requirements in your new jurisdiction, but they manually review eligibility applications, NCARB will begin the process of switching your testing jurisdiction and submit your Record to your new jurisdiction for review. This process may take several days, and you may need to contact your new jurisdiction for more detailed instructions. You will be alerted in My NCARB if this situation applies to you.
  • If you don’t meet the requirements in your new jurisdiction, you will be prompted to contact NCARB’s Customer Relations team for guidance. To avoid this issue, be sure to explore your desired jurisdiction’s requirements before requesting eligibility.

Note: You can’t change your testing jurisdiction if you have exam appointments scheduled. To proceed with changing your jurisdiction, you’ll need to either cancel your existing appointments or wait until you have taken your scheduled divisions.

Test Activity Status

Most jurisdictions have implemented a test activity requirement to maintain exam eligibilities. Your eligibilities to test may expire if no attempt to test (pass or fail) has been completed within a five-year period. If your state-based eligibility period expires before you successfully complete all divisions of the ARE, you must contact your board of architecture (or NCARB if you were made eligible to take the ARE through a jurisdiction participating in the Exam Eligibilities Services Program) to establish a new eligibility under the current procedures of the registration board.