To ensure that all candidates have access to affordable, high quality study materials, NCARB has created a full-length, fully scored practice exam for each division of the Architect Registration Examination® (ARE®).
These new exams are designed to help you get ready to test by taking a practice version that’s just like the real thing. The practice exams were written and developed the same way that our real exams are developed: volunteer architects collaborate to develop questions (also called “items”) that test on the objectives outlined in the ARE 5.0 Guidelines.
By taking the practice exams, you can better understand how the objectives outlined in the ARE 5.0 Guidelines for each division will be tested. You can take the practice exams in two modes:
Test mode mimics the experience you’ll have during a real exam appointment and provides a score report afterward.
Practice mode provides the correct answer and rationale behind each item as you go. You’ll also receive a score report at the end.
The score reports for all your practice exams will be saved so you can compare results and improve your performance as you get ready to take the real thing.
Equitable Access to Exam Resources
Data from ARE candidates and NCARB and the National Organization of Minority Architects’ (NOMA) joint Baseline on Belonging study show that access to affordable exam resources can be an impediment for many candidates. That’s why NCARB’s practice exams are available for free to all licensure candidates with an active NCARB Record.
For ARE candidates: Find the practice exams by logging in to your Record, navigating to the Exams tab, and going to your Practice Exam Dashboard.
For all other licensure candidates: Find the practice exams by logging in to your Record, navigating to the Overview tab, and selecting "Practice the ARE®."
Everyone can continue to access NCARB’s free demo exam at www.ncarb.org/demoexam. It includes items from all six divisions and is designed to help you get familiar with the exam’s format, item types, and tools. It’s not scored, and it does not include the correct answers and rationales as noted above.
