Candidates FAQ

A candidate must provide verification of three years of architectural practice experience and five years of education equivalents for a total of eight years of experience to become licensed in California. The candidate must also successfully complete both the Architect Registration Examination (ARE) and the California Supplemental Examination (CSE). A candidate must verify five years of education and/or work experience to be eligible for the ARE and eight years for the CSE and licensure. Credit for education and training experience is granted as outlined in the current edition of the Table of Equivalents.

Candidates must complete, prior to licensure, the Architectural Experience Program (AXP) as administered by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). This requirement effects new candidates applying for exam eligibility as well as candidates who were previously eligible but have not taken an exam as a candidate of the Board for five or more years and who are re-applying for eligibility.

For more information or to begin the process, go to the Becoming a Licensed Architect section of the Board's website. There you will find the instructions on how to apply for the ARE, the necessary applications and forms, and the applicable publications.

It is advisable for candidates to contact the Board for specific questions or information.

There are no filing deadlines for the ARE. New candidates may apply when they feel they have met the eligibility requirement of a minimum of five years of qualified education and/or work experience. Application for Eligibility Evaluation – Online are accepted on a year-round basis.

Yes. The application and fee may be received prior to the Board receiving the Employment Verification Form and transcripts; however, eligibility cannot be determined until the appropriate documents are received.

No. An accredited degree in architecture is not required for licensure in California at this time. It is, however, required in most other states.

Yes, if you have enough work experience to meet the minimum five (5) year requirement.

Transcripts must be certified originals sent directly by the college or university to the Board office. The Board does not grant credit for transcripts marked "Issued to Student". All foreign transcripts must be evaluated by an approved education evaluation service.

Please refer to the Table of Equivalents subsection (a)(10)(A) through (E).

Upon receiving a failing score report in My Examination, you will be permitted to schedule a test appointment for that same division for a date on or after the start date of your new eligibility period. For scheduling details, please refer to Step 2 of the ARE Guidelines

No. You must use the Board's Employment Verification Form to receive credit. Transcripts must be certified originals.

You must contact the other state's licensing board and request to have a certification of passed exam scores sent to the Board's office. The certification must include the division names, exam dates, and scores.

Each EVF and transcript received is evaluated by the Board staff according to the Table of Equivalents (TOE). The Evaluation of Record (a record of experience credit the Board has granted) lists each EVF and transcript received and the amount of credit granted according to the TOE. The Board's staff processes EVFs and transcripts as they are received and notifies the candidate with an update letter if any additional information is required to determine eligibility.

The Board sends an Eligible Letter to new candidates that indicates eligibility has been established and shows the amount of credit accrued. An Eligibility Notification is sent to candidates once the application has been processed.

The Board assigns a Candidate ID Number when an Application for Eligibility Evaluation is received. This number is used when contacting the Board. The test vendor then assigns a different ID Number when an eligible candidate is issued an ATT. This number must be used when making an appointment for examination. Additionally, NCARB assigns a record number when candidates establish their NCARB record. This number is used when contacting NCARB or submitting AXP reports.

Generally, results are processed within four to six weeks. When your score is processed and available to you, an automated notification will be sent to you via email. At that time, you will be able to access your score report online via My Examination.

You must first apply with the California Architects Board. Once you have been made eligible, you can schedule to sit for individual divisions of the ARE. You may take any division of the ARE at any time, and in any sequence you choose. You are not required to take the ARE in the same jurisdiction where you are seeking initial registration.

A failed division of the ARE can be retaken as soon as 60 days after the previously attempt at the division. A candidate may only take the same division of the ARE three (3) times within a running year.

If more than five years have lapsed since the candidate last took an exam, was determined eligible, or the candidate file has been purged, the candidate must submit an Application for Eligibility Evaluation, the applicable application review fee, and documentation necessary for Board staff to determine eligibility based on the Board's current Table of Equivalents at the time of reapplication. New and reapplying inactive candidates must complete AXP prior to taking the California Supplemental Examination and obtaining licensure.

Exams that have been taken and passed after January 1, 2006 are impacted by the Rolling Clock. The candidate must complete all remaining divisions within five years of the date the first exam was passed or the candidate will lose any passing credit and must take the division again.

If a candidate receives notification from the California Architects Board that their license application is denied, they have the right to request a hearing under Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) Part 1 of Division 3 of the Title 2 of the Government Code. Candidates must request the hearing in writing within 60 days of receiving their Notice of Denial.

If a candidate requests a hearing the Board will be represented by the Attorney General's Office. Candidates should be prepared to represent themselves or they may obtain an attorney to represent them at the hearing. After the hearing the application may be denied or granted. If the application is denied, the earliest date a candidate may reapply is one year from the effective date of the decision.

If a candidate does not request a hearing within 60 days, the right to a hearing is deemed waived. The earliest date a candidate may reapply is one year from the date of the Board's Notice of Denial.

Send any request with attention to the Board's Enforcement Unit at the Board's address.

In early 2013, the NCARB Board of Directors voted unanimously to approve the development of ARE 5.0, the next version of the examination. As part of ARE 5.0 development, NCARB is investigating the incorporation of dramatic new breakthroughs in graphic testing methods and the use of case studies. The new performance item type questions, along with other refinements and enhancements to the examination, will allow the determination of a candidate's competency while not requiring the present outdated CAD software system.

The ARE is in a constant state of evolution, and NCARB makes significant annual investments in research and development to ensure that the exam remains relevant to current practice, psychometrically justifiable, and legally defensible. NCARB and its volunteer committees are committed to using and implementing effective testing methodologies in order to test a candidate's ability to protect the public's health, safety, and welfare.

ARE 5.0 is anticipated to launch in late 2016. We should know an official launch date in the next year.

The structure includes six divisions:

• Practice Management
• Project Management
• Programming & Analysis
• Project Planning & Design
• Project Development & Documentation
• Construction & Evaluation

Each of the divisions will be standalone, single test administrations. The new Test Specification approved by the NCARB Board of Directors.

These divisions are a change from the current seven division structure in an effort to align the divisions of the ARE with the more commonly defined professional architecture activities of practice management, project management, and project design. The Test Specification was strongly informed by the results of the 2012 NCARB Practice Analysis of Architecture. This comprehensive study included multiple surveys designed to engage architects—the most appropriate representatives of the profession—in the evaluation of tasks and knowledge/skills required of an independent practitioner.

ARE 5.0 is expected to take advantage of new tools and technology in the testing industry. The division structure for ARE 5.0 incorporates graphics throughout the exam through new performance item types like hot spots (candidates are presented a question asking them to identify the correct location, or "hot spot", on a response image) instead of through the current graphic vignettes. These new item types allow for testing at higher levels of cognition through analytical, synthetic, and evaluative exercises—which will be more like what an architect does as part of regular practice.

In addition to the new performance item types under consideration, case studies are also anticipated to be implemented. These will consist of a scenario with a related set of resource documents (e.g., drawings, specifications, code resources). Case studies require candidates to assess multiple pieces of information and make evaluative judgments, a better reflection of the practice of architecture, as often no one decision is made in isolation of other factors.

For the transition to ARE 5.0, dual delivery of both ARE 4.0 and ARE 5.0 will last longer—at least 18 months. Additionally, candidates will have the ability to self transition to ARE 5.0 when it is most convenient for them during the dual delivery. There will also be more interactive tools available for candidates to help determine their individual path forward.

Dual delivery means that both ARE 4.0 and ARE 5.0 will be offered at the same time. Candidates who started in ARE 4.0 will have at least 18 months after the launch of ARE 5.0 to finish in that version before they are transition to ARE 5.0. However, candidates who started in ARE 4.0 will have the option to choose to start testing in ARE 5.0 anytime after it launches.

Once ARE 5.0 launches, ARE 4.0 candidates will be able to make the individual choice as to whether to keep testing in ARE 4.0 or transition their eligibilities to ARE 5.0. The ability to self-transition will allow candidates to control how they strategically complete the ARE. Once you transition to ARE 5.0, however, you must finish the exam in ARE 5.0.

The last day ARE 4.0 will be available in test centers is 30 June 2018. After this day, any remaining ARE 4.0 candidate will be transitioned to ARE 5.0.

NCARB's Examination Committee, consisting of subject matter expert, architects, and psychometricians from our test development consultant, mapped the content in ARE 4.0 to ARE 5.0. Grounded in the science of testing, they used the 2012 Practice Analysis of Architecture as a guide to compare ARE 4.0 to ARE 5.0 to look for a reasonable level of alignment. You can view the ARE 5.0 credit model.

The cost of each ARE 5.0 division is $210. In July 2018, the cost per division will increase to $235.

Study materials will be available in early 2016, allowing ample time for any candidate to prepare for a division of ARE 5.0. ARE 5.0's test specification (what each division will test) has already been released.

Keep testing in ARE 4.0! The average candidate finishes the ARE in two years—meaning most candidates currently testing will be done with ARE 4.0 before ARE 5.0 even launches.

Yes. A good strategy for any candidate who thinks they may transition to ARE 5.0 is to focus on passing three critical divisions in ARE 4.0, which will maximize credits in ARE 5.0:

• Construction Documents & Services
• Programming, Planning, & Practice
• Site Planning & Design

If you pass these three divisions in ARE 4.0, you will only need to take two additional divisions in ARE 5.0—Project Planning & Design and Project Development & Documentation. If you take this path, you could finish the ARE in only five divisions!

When determining your testing strategy to prepare for ARE 5.0, it is important to know your Rolling Clock dates. It may be in your best interest to finish the exam now to ensure exam credits do not expire.

No. ARE 5.0 will not be easier or harder than ARE 4.0. It is going to be different in that NCARB will be using different question types to assess a candidate's understanding of the knowledge and skills being tested through the ARE.

The exact number of questions in each division of ARE 5.0 is still being determined. Final details about how each ARE 5.0 division is structured will be released in early 2016.

No. Your Rolling Clock will still tick in the time between now and the launch of ARE 5.0. You should look at what divisions you have currently passed and make a plan to pass the remaining divisions. If you believe you may be affected by the transition to ARE 5.0, you should make sure you test strategically going forward.

NCARB is constantly evaluating all of the policies that govern its programs—including the retake policy. At this time, the six-month retake policy remains in affect.

More information about how candidates will receive score reports will be available in 2016.

All of the proposed item types for ARE 5.0 have been judged by outside testing experts to be psychometrically justifiable for purposes of the program. The Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (AERA, APA, & NCME, 1999) requires test developers to collect evidence that supports the intended interpretations and uses of test scores. Such evidence is typically collected to ensure that the test is measuring the intended knowledge and skills (validity), in a consistent manner (reliability) that is appropriate for all examinees (fairness).

The proposed direction for ARE 5.0 was informed by:

• Multi-year efforts by the Research & Development Subcommittee with additional support from the Graphics Grading Subcommittee Construction Documents & Services
• Research conducted by a multi-disciplinary staff project team
• Emerging technology, including interviews of industry leaders
• Results of the 2012 NCARB Practice Analysis of Architecture

NCARB is committed to a thorough and sound design process. The important contributions of the psychometric experts who advise us, and of the architects who serve on our volunteer committees, will continue in the coming months—and years—as ARE 5.0 moves from concept to development. ARE 5.0 is anticipated to launch in late 2016, and the next few years will be devoted to development and integration testing.

The Council is committed to transparency throughout the development process, and our goal is to provide plenty of advance notice to candidates as important decisions are made about the future of the ARE.

ARE 5.0 is being developed by practitioner volunteers from across the United States, ranging from recently licensed to experienced architects, from large firms to small firms, from education to private practice, all of which allow the future exam to reflect the broad aspects of current practice. These architects voluntarily serve on ARE-related committees that fulfill critical functions such as: setting standards for the exam; development and implementation of the practice analysis; exam research and development; writing, editing, and pretesting items; developing and applying grading criteria; and updating the test specification.

Leading up to the launch of ARE 5.0 in 2016, NCARB will provide ongoing updates to candidates about the development of ARE 5.0 as well as tips and resources to help prepare for the transition to the future exam.

In the coming months, updates will include invitations to webinars, announcements about preparation resources, and more. Subscribe to ARE Updates to receive notification when new information is available.

You can earn AXP credit once you have successfully established one of the following: 1) enrollment in a NAAB/CACB-accredited degree program; 2) enrollment in a pre-professional architecture degree program at a school that offers a NAAB/CACB-accredited degree program; or 3) employment in experience setting A after obtaining a U.S. high school diploma, General Education Degree (GED) equivalent, or comparable foreign degree.

No. In California, candidates are allowed to take the ARE upon verification of five years of education and/or work experience credit, as evaluated by the Board and enrollment in the AXP. However, most other states require candidates to have completed NCARB's AXP prior to taking the ARE.

New and inactive candidates must complete the AXP requirement prior to becoming eligible for the California Supplemental Examination and licensure. A candidate is inactive when more than five years has passed since either they were determined eligible or since the last exam they took.

AXP fees are determined by NCARB.

Each state establishes its own licensing laws, as NCARB establishes its own certification requirements. You should contact the individual state directly to find out their licensing requirements or contact NCARB to find out their certification requirements.

You will receive a message on your e-EVR home page when you have successfully completed the minimum requirements for the AXP.

If you need assistance obtaining your military records, then contact any County Veteran Service Officer (CVSO). To obtain your DD-214 on your own, submit your request via the National Archives and Records Administration or call (314) 801-0800.