Eligibility

Candidates may apply for an ARE eligibility evaluation at any time they believe the requirements have been met. A candidate must obtain five years of experience under the direct supervision of a licensed architect or the equivalent in accordance with the Board’s regulations and possess an active NCARB Record. Eligibility is determined by an evaluation of school transcripts and/or each Employment Verification Form submitted to the Board for consideration.

The Board notifies NCARB of eligibility status by setting authorizations for ARE divisions within the NCARB My Examination system. NCARB will send eligible candidates an email confirmation of eligibility once testing authorizations have been granted by the Board. Testing eligibility remains valid as long as a candidate is active in the examination process. The Board’s regulations define an active candidate as one who takes (regardless of result) at least one ARE division within five years of being determined eligible or since the last exam. Scheduling a division DOES NOT fulfill this requirement to remain active.

The eligibility expiration date (also known as the Test Activity Status [TAS] date in My Examination) is provided in the Authorization to Test Expiration section of a candidate’s Scheduling page within their My Examination record. The TAS date provided by the Board supersedes the expiration dates shown for each individual ARE division. Eligibility may only be maintained in one state, jurisdiction, or province at a time. NCARB does not allow multiple eligibilities. The Board cannot grant extensions to the TAS date.