Every five to seven years, the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) surveys the profession to identify the tasks, knowledge and skills necessary for the independent practice of architecture.
The 2012 NCARB Practice Analysis of Architecture Survey will be sent out in April 2012 by email to more than 80,000 architects, interns, and educators across the country. Others interested in providing their feedback will be able to access the survey from the NCARB website. The survey will be open for four weeks.
NCARB will use the survey data and findings to drive development of the Architect Registration Examination® (ARE®); inform the Intern Development Program (IDP); guide NCARB’s response to the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) 2013 Accreditation Review Conference (ARC); and inform NCARB’s continuing education policies.
The most recent practice analysis surveys were conducted in 2001 and 2007. Findings from the 2001 survey led to significant improvements to the ARE. Results from the 2007 survey led to major updates to the IDP, additional modifications to the ARE, and guided NCARB’s response to the 2008 ARC.
Survey results have far-reaching impact on the profession, thus the more respondents, the more reliable the data and the more informative the results. Watch for your notice about this important way to give back to the profession and influence its future.
AIA Emerging Professionals has developed an IDP question and answer resource for members. NCARB also publishes several newsletters that communicate the registration and testing requirements that affect members.
ARE e-News ARE e-news is a quarterly electronic publication sent to ARE candidates. Topics cover the latest news about the exam, commonly asked questions, important reminders, and information related to the exam from NCARB’s Annual Meeting and Conference held each June.
e-Connection
The e-Connection is sent to all Record and Certificate holders electronically twice a year as a companion to our print newsletter, Direct Connection. Topics cover the latest information on NCARB’s programs and services.
IDP e-News
The IDP Supervisor e-News is a quarterly electronic publication sent to supervisors with interns in the IDP. Topics cover the latest news about the program, important reminders, and tips for successful supervising.
IDP Supervisor e-News
The IDP Supervisor e-News is a quarterly electronic newsletter. This e-News is designed to provide tips for successful supervising and resources that will assist both supervisors and their intern(s) to navigate the program.
Stay abreast of developments and changes by registering for one of NCARB’s electronic newsletters.
In cooperation with the AIA, NCARB is able to offer ARE candidates free access to key AIA documents for the purpose of preparing for the Construction Documents & Services division of the ARE. This is another great resource to help you prepare for the ARE.
Interns may download the following sample documents through their NCARB Record:
Conventional Family
A101-2007 Standard Form of Agreement Between Owner and Contractor Where the basis of payment is a Stipulated Sum
A201-2007 General Conditions of the Contract for Construction
A701-1997 Instructions to Bidders
B101-2007 Standard Form of Agreement Between Owner and Architect
B101-2007A Document B101-2007 Exhibit A
C401-2007 Standard Form of Agreement Between Architect and Consultant
Contract Administration and Project Management Forms
A305-1986 Contractor’s Qualification Statement
G701-2001 Change Order
G702-1992 Application and Certificate for Payment
G703-1992 Continuation Sheet
G704-2000 Certificate of Substantial Completion
To access documents:
Log into “My NCARB”
Click “Go” to access your NCARB Record
Follow link for ARE Candidates: Construction Documents & Services Resources visible in the lower left of your Record.
NCARB has released new exam guides to include expanded information regarding the makeup of the multiple-choice sections of the Architect Registration Examination® (ARE®).
“This level of expansion is consistent with the amount of information disclosed by many other licensure programs, and aligns with the NCARB value of transparency,” said John E. Enkemann Jr., AIA, NCARB, Chair of the Examination Committee.
How does this benefit you?
The newly released editions include a detailed breakdown of the test content areas and a percentage outline for the major content areas of each multiple-choice section. You can use this information to better outline and focus your preparation.
“We are excited to offer candidates this additional level of information to use while preparing for the ARE. This change is a dramatic shift for the exam guides and we hope it will help to ease anxiety over the content distribution and make-up of the ARE,” said Erica J. Brown, AIA, Director, ARE.
As an example of the change, the previous edition of the exam guide for the Construction Documents & Services division provided the following information on Codes & Regulations:
1 CODES & REGULATIONS
Incorporate building codes, specialty codes, zoning, and other regulatory requirements in construction documents and services.
The new edition of the exam guide for this division provides the percentage of scored items and the expanded content information for Codes & Regulations:
1 CODES & REGULATIONS (5-8 percent of scored items)
Incorporate building codes, specialty codes, zoning, and other regulatory requirements in construction documents and services.
Government and Regulatory Requirements and Permit Processes
Conduct code analysis to ensure compliance with all building codes, zoning ordinances and other regulations and document code compliance in the contract documents.
Specialty Codes and Regulations including Accessibility Laws, Codes and Guidelines
Conduct code analysis to ensure compliance with all specialty codes, such as seismic, life safety, historic preservation, accessibility, universal design, energy, or other specialty regulations.
The percentages published provide a range of scored items only. Within the six divisions that include multiple-choice items, some questions are being pretested and will not affect your actual test score and are not included in the content distribution breakdown. These pretest questions will be evaluated and may be included in future editions of the test.
Updated Exam Guides (PDF)
Programming, Planning & Practice
Site Planning & Design
Building Design & Construction
Schematic Design
Structural Systems
Building Systems
Construction Documents & Services
July 2011 ARE Guidelines
The ARE 4.0 Guidelines is essential reading for anyone preparing for the ARE. This edition was updated July 2011.
Reprinted with permission from NCARB’s ARE e-News.
