ARE Update: NCARB's New Score Validity Policy Is Now in Effect

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  218375 March 15, 2026 11:27

  Dear Leadership of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB),

  I am writing as an architecture professional and licensure candidate to respectfully encourage NCARB to review and improve the outcomes associated with the Architect Registration Examination (ARE). While the profession must maintain rigorous standards to protect public health, safety, and welfare, current data suggests that the licensure process in architecture produces significantly lower completion rates and longer testing timelines than comparable licensed professions.

  Architecture is unique among licensed professions in that candidates typically complete the exam process while working full time, often over several years. When compared to other major licensed professions, architecture appears to have one of the longest testing timelines, the highest number of attempts required, and the lowest completion rates.

  Below is a comparison of several major professions that require professional licensure:

  Profession	Licensing Exam	Study Time	Avg Attempts	Testing Timeline	% Completing License	Median Salary After License
  Physician	United States Medical Licensing Examination	500–900 hrs	~1.1	2–4 yrs	~95%	$230k–$300k+
  Dentist	Integrated National Board Dental Examination	150–250 hrs	~1.1	2–4 months	~90–95%	$180k–$220k
  Lawyer	Uniform Bar Examination	300–500 hrs	~1.2	2–3 months	~75–85%	$120k–$180k
  Pharmacist	North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination	200–300 hrs	~1.1	2–3 months	~90%	$120k–$140k
  Veterinarian	North American Veterinary Licensing Examination	200–300 hrs	~1.2	2–3 months	~85–90%	$100k–$130k
  Professional Engineer	Professional Engineer Exam	200–300 hrs	~1.2–1.4	3–6 months	~60–70%	$100k–$140k
  Psychologist	Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology	300–400 hrs	~1.3–1.5	3–6 months	~60–70%	$95k–$130k
  Certified Public Accountant	Uniform CPA Examination	300–400 hrs	~1.5–2	6–18 months	~50–60%	$90k–$130k
  Landscape Architect	Landscape Architect Registration Examination	350–500 hrs	~1.5–2	1–3 yrs	~40–50%	$85k–$110k
  Architect	Architect Registration Examination	500–700+ hrs	~2–3 per division	1–5 yrs	~30–40%	$85k–$110k

  This comparison illustrates several key challenges for architecture candidates:

  1. Length of the Testing Process
  The ARE requires six separate examinations typically completed over multiple years. Most other professions require a single exam or a small number of exams completed within months.

  2. Higher Number of Attempts Required, the Real Truth.
  Across professions, most candidates pass licensing exams on their first attempt. In contrast, architecture candidates frequently require multiple attempts per division, resulting in a total of 10–15 exam attempts being common before completing licensure. This fact alone should be concerning.

  3. Lower Completion Rates
  Approximately 30–40% of architecture graduates ultimately complete licensure, which is significantly lower than comparable professions by almost half.

  4. Compensation Relative to Licensure Burden
  Architects typically earn significantly less after licensure than physicians, dentists, or attorneys despite a comparable or greater licensing effort.

  Concerns Regarding Psychometric Testing

  The ARE relies heavily on psychometric testing methods. While psychometric techniques are commonly used in standardized testing, they present several potential concerns when applied to architecture:

  • Ambiguity of “best answer” questions in a profession where many decisions are context dependent.

  • Difficulty distinguishing between knowledge and test-taking strategy.

  • Limited transparency regarding scoring and weighting of questions.

  • Reduced alignment with real-world architectural practice, which often involves collaboration, reference materials, and iterative design rather than isolated multiple-choice decisions.

  These factors may contribute to candidate attrition and frustration while not necessarily improving the measurement of professional competency.

  Suggestions for Consideration

  To support both professional rigor and candidate success, NCARB might consider the following improvements:

  • Increased transparency in scoring and exam structure
  • Expanded use of case-study or scenario-based evaluations reflecting real architectural work
  • More detailed feedback to candidates following unsuccessful attempts
  • Continued review of psychometric testing methods and their alignment with professional practice
  • Evaluation of whether the six-exam structure best serves the profession

  It may also be helpful to acknowledge a structural perception within the candidate community regarding the examination system itself. Because NCARB both develops the examination and administers it while also collecting fees associated with each testing attempt, some candidates perceive a potential conflict of interest—often described informally as a “cat watching the mouse” scenario. While there is no implication that the system is intentionally designed to disadvantage candidates, greater transparency, periodic independent review, or structural separation of testing administration and revenue collection could help reinforce confidence that the examination process is focused solely on measuring professional competency and supporting qualified candidates on the path to licensure.

  The architecture profession benefits when the path to licensure is rigorous yet fair, transparent, and aligned with real-world professional practice. Continued evaluation and improvement of the examination process will strengthen both the profession and the built environment it serves.

  Thank you for your time and consideration.

  Sincerely,

  Richard Preston
  Architectural Licensure Candidate

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