NCARB: Council announces upcoming improvements to architect exam

The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards has announced coming improvements to the Architect Registration Examination, better known as the ARE.

The first of these will be officially implemented in February 2004.

ARE Version 3.0

ARE Version 3.0 incorporates a number of evolutionary improvements that were first identified in the Architectural Practice Analysis Study conducted in 2000. Most importantly, the study validated the format and content of the current exam. ARE Version 3.0 acts upon study recommendations that increase the exam's relevancy. While ARE Version 3.0 is not a major overhauling of the exam, it is an effort to include more recent topics while adjusting the emphasis of focus in other areas.

The most obvious changes are fewer questions in each multiple-choice division and the elimination of two graphic vignettes.

Breakdown of changes

Among the specific changes are:

reduction of the overall number of questions in each division;

a better organized content outline for each division, with more consistent titles;

the reintroduction of questions about site design throughout several divisions;

questions covering new content areas, including "green architecture," sustainability, and new material technologies;

renaming the materials & methods division building design/materials & methods to better reflect its expanded scope;

expansion of practice and project management portions of the construction documents & services division;

elimination of the site section vignette from the site planning division;

elimination of the block diagram vignette from the building planning division; and

standardizing the sequence of all three graphic divisions by implementing one mandatory 15-minute break between sections of each division.

Guidelines

The newly revised and updated publication, ARE Guidelines, will provide additional details about changes to exam content and administration.