NCARB Raises ARE Fees Because of Leaks

Washington, DC—The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) will increase the fees for the Architect Registration Examination® (ARE®) by $40 per division effective 1 October 2009. The increase, which was announced today at the NCARB Annual Meeting and Conference in Chicago, is due to recent incidents of exam content disclosure by ARE candidates. The cost to develop and replace the exposed content and handle the administrative and legal costs related to these incidents totals an estimated $1.1 million.

The ARE is designed to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public by providing a psychometrically justifiable and legally defensible process that measures the level of competence necessary to practice architecture independently. In recent months, NCARB has had to turn off substantial amounts of content after several candidates posted detailed exam content on the internet.

These candidates have had their exam scores canceled and testing privileges suspended for up to five years. To ensure the integrity of the exam, NCARB has been forced to add two full-time staff members to monitor and investigate exam disclosures and copyright violations.

Replacing exam content is expensive and time consuming because each vignette or multiple-choice item must be written, reviewed, edited, and thoroughly pre-tested before it is added to the exam. The process of developing replacement content will take two years and the involvement of many volunteer professionals. The current six month waiting period between failed divisions is in effect to ensure that a candidate does not see the same question twice. If ARE candidates continue to breach the Confidentiality Agreement they accept to prior to taking each division and additional exam content is exposed, NCARB may be forced to extend the mandatory waiting period in order to prevent overexposure of content.

Since NCARB produced the first national exam for architects in 1965, the cost of delivering the test has been heavily subsidized by other NCARB programs. Since the ARE was computerized in 1997, NCARB has subsidized more than $15 million in exam-related expenses. While the new fee structure will help offset the costs incurred as a result of exam disclosure, it still falls short of the actual cost of developing and administering the exam and monitoring its security.

The current version of the ARE is comprised of seven divisions that test a candidate’s knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform many of the tasks an architect encounters in practice. To become licensed, candidates must fulfill education and experience requirements, as well as pass all divisions of the ARE.

The new rate of $210 per division will take effect on 1 October 2009. All exams scheduled on or after 1 October 2009 will be at the new rate. Prior to 1 October 2009, candidates can schedule future exam appointments through 31 December 2009 at the current rate of $170 per division.

For more information: Erica J. Brown, AIA Director, ARE 202/783-6500 ebrown@ncarb.org

IDP Six Month Rule is less than three weeks away

The IDP Six Month Rule is less than three weeks away! Interns, open your NCARB record now to get extra time to report hours.
https://www.ncarb.org/RecordApp/recordsvc/login.aspx

The Six-Month Rule requires interns to submit their training units in reporting periods of no longer than six months and within two months of completion of each reporting period. The rule will go into effect on 1 July 2009 for interns who begin an NCARB Record on or after that date and 1 July 2010 for all interns regardless of application date. All training unit reports must be submitted electronically through NCARB’s electronic Experience Verification Reporting (e-EVR) system.

The Six-Month Rule only applies to interns. It does not apply to registered architects that must document past experience for NCARB certification.

Six-Month Rule Implementation Timeline

31 December 2008 – Launch of online reporting system for IDP training units.

1 July 2009 – Six-Month Rule goes into effect for interns who begin an NCARB Record on or after this date.

1 July 2010 – Six-Month Rule goes into effect for all interns regardless of when they started their NCARB Record.

Available Extensions – Similar to the NCARB’s ARE Rolling Clock, the Six-Month Rule will have extensions available for:

Birth or adoption of a child (six months)
Serious medical conditions
Active military service

Extensions will require documentation. The procedures for applying for an extension will be available when the Six-Month Rule goes into effect.

For more information: please visit http://www.ncarb.org/idp/SixMonRul.html

Disabled Access Continuing Education Bills Signed by the Governor

From AIA California Council:

"SB 1608 was signed into law on Sunday, September 28, 2008, by Governor Schwarzenegger, which creates a continuing education requirement for California architects as a condition of licensure. The SB 1608 CE requirement is limited to disability access. There are many questions about the SB 1608 CE requirement therefore, we've created a document to help answer many of those questions, click here to download the FAQ document.

Over the next several months, the California Architects Board will decide if it needs to adopt regulations to further clarify the SB 1608 CE requirement in order to answer future questions created by this mandate. This process will continue well into 2009. Now that we’ve entered the arena of mandatory CE as a condition of licensure, (even though limited) now is the time for The AIACC Board to determine whether to sponsor legislation giving the California Architects Board the authority to create a comprehensive continuing education program in California. This vote will take place at the upcoming November Board meeting in San Diego."

For more information: Mark Christian, Director of Legislative Affairs

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR ARE CANDIDATES

ARE 4.0 Reminder
If you have not PASSED any division of ARE 3.1, the last date to schedule an ARE 3.1 division is May 13, 2008 and the last date to test is May 15, 2008. Anyone who has not passed a division of ARE 3.1 prior to these deadlines will test in ARE 4.0. Whether you transition to ARE 4.0 or stay in ARE 3.1 is solely based on the date you test, not the date you receive your score report.

If you have passed a division of ARE 3.1 prior to May 15, 2008, you will be unaffected by these scheduling restrictions.

The first day to schedule an ARE 4.0 exam is May 18, 2008. The first day that ARE 4.0 will be available in the test center is July 1, 2008.

If you are an ARE candidate who has yet to PASS one division of the ARE (version 3.1 or earlier) and are at risk of not passing a single division by May 13, 2008, please be advised that if you make an appointment for any date after May 15, 2008, that appointment will be cancelled beginning May 15, 2008 and your exam appointment fee will be forfeited.

You will be transitioned to ARE 4.0 and will be required to remit payment when you schedule a new appointment. If you already have an appointment for a date after May 15, 2008, we recommend that you re-schedule that appointment for a date prior to May 15 to avoid any forfeiture of fees. Again, this refers ONLY to candidates who are likely to be transitioned to ARE 4.0 in 2008. Candidates who have passed at least one division will remain in ARE 3.1 and can continue to schedule appointments and test after May 15, 2008 through June 2009.

For more information: http://www.ncarb.org/are/index.html

Mentoring Essentials Are Now Online

Mentoring Essentials Are Now Online:

The IDP supervisor and IDP mentor training workbook the AIA
released last March can now be completed online. The workbook describes the basic requirements of the IDP,
including the definition of the IDP supervisor and IDP mentor roles and applies those standards to firm settings. It also
summarizes resources available to IDP supervisors and IDP mentors for use in assisting interns with their internship
requirements. Participants who complete the quiz at the end of the workbook and send it to the AIA will be
documented as trained IDP mentors and can earn continuing education credits.

For more information: http://www.aia.org/ed_mentoring

ARE Pre-Design

Saturday, September 8, 2007

Join AIA East Bay as it hosts its Pre-Design Seminar on Saturday, September 8 from 10 am to 5pm. The class is presented by Marina Rubina.

Save $$$ on registration by signing up now.
Log onto www.aiaeb.org to register and for additional information.

ARE Seminars: Pre Design
Time:10:00am-5:00 pm
Location: AIA East Bay Chapter Office, 1405 Clay Street, Oakland
Contact Person: Kellie Hewlett
Click Here For Registration

For more information: 510/464-3600

ARE: Materials and Methods

Join AIA East Bay as it hosts its Materials and Methods Seminar on Saturday, August 11 from 8 am to 6pm. The class is presented by Douglas Whiteaker, Assoc. AIA.

Douglas Whiteaker is a professor of Architecture and Construction at Cosumnes River College teaching Materials of Construction. He also works in mainstream architecture, designing medical facilities with Boulder Associates and his experience also spans ten plus years in educational facility design and four in medical design.

Save $$$ on registration by signing up now. Log onto www.aiaeb.org to register and for additional information.

If you have missed other seminars in the area its not to late. Sign up today!

ARE Seminars: Material & Methods
Time: 8:00 am - 6:00 pm
Location: AIA East Bay Chapter Office, 1405 Clay Street, Oakland, CA
Contact Person: Kellie Hewlett
Click here for registration

For more information: 510/464-3600