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To practice architecture in Alabama, you must hold an NAAB accredited degree, complete the NCARB Intern Development Program (IDP), and pass the NCARB Architect Registration Exam.
Exam Prerequisites
In Alabama, in order to be eligible to take the Architect Registration Examination (the "ARE") you must have completed the following two tasks:
1. You must have received a pre-professional architectural degree (B.S. or B.A.) which will allow you to potentially enter a 2-year NAAB-accredited Master of Architecture degree program, or an NAAB-accredited B.Arch. degree, or an NAAB-accredited M.Arch. degree.
2. You must have established a Council Record with NCARB and have completed the requisite number of IDP Training Units (the number depends on the degree received).
Exam Divisions
There are nine separate divisions of the Architect Registration Examination which may be taken at any test center, in any order, and at the time that you schedule them. The divisions, along with the type of test and the maximum time allowed are as follows:
1. Pre-Design, multiple choice, 4 hours
2. General Structures, multiple choice, 4.5 hours
3. Lateral Forces, multiple choice, 3 hours
4. Mechanical and Electrical Systems, multiple choice, 3.5 hours
5. Materials and Methods, multiple choice, 3.5 hours
6. Construction Documents and Services, multiple choice, 4 hours
7. Site Planning, graphic, 3.5 hoursSite Design vignette, 1 hour
Site Zoning vignette, 1/2 hour
Parking vignette, 1/2 hour
Site analysis vignette, 1/2 hour
Site section vignette, 1/2 hour
Grading vignette, 1/2 hour8. Building Planning, graphic, 6.25 hours
Block diagram vignette, 1 hour
Interior layout vignette, 3/4 hour
Schematic design vignette, 4 hours9. Building Technology, graphic, 5.75 hours
Building section vignette, 1 hour
Structural layout vignette, 3/4 hour
Accessibility ñ ramp vignette, 3/4 hour
Mechanical and electrical vignette, 1 hour
Stair design vignette, 1 hour
Roof plan vignette, 3/4 hour
In Alabama, all candidates must apply directly to the Alabama Board to be made eligible for examination. The one-time-only application fee is $10 and must be submitted with the application for examination.
Upon receipt of the application and fee, the Board staff will evaluate the applicant's file to determine eligibility. The applicant will be notified of items missing from the file. Upon receipt of all items, the candidate will be declared eligible for the examination.
To request an application package, send an E-mail message containing your name and address to the Board office.
Once you have been determined eligible, you may sign up to take any division of the exam any time you feel ready. You have to pay for the division you want to take first, and then you will be given a special number which you can use to sign up. ARE Test centers are located at over 200 Sylvan Test Centers throughout the country, Monday through Saturday.
Each division may be taken individually, in any order, and spaced out at intervals based on your preference. You cannot currently take the graphic portions on Saturday, because they take too long. The centers are not open all day on Saturday. After you have passed a division, you will never have to take it again. Illinois allows you six years to finish the whole exam. If you do not pass all divisions within that time, you will be required to re-enroll and pay Illinois another fee, but the divisions you passed will carry over to the fresh enrollment period for another six years.
Each test division will be custom prepared individually for a candidate. You will not get exactly the same test that someone else would get, although they have been judged equivalent in difficulty. Six divisions of this customized test will contain a random selection of multiple-choice questions from a large master pool of questions, so that every candidate will take different, but equal tests. All divisions will be taken by the candidate sitting at a computer located at the Sylvan Test Center. The computerized testing program will sequentially display each question one at a time and present the candidate four possible answers from which he or she will select an answer. The candidate may go back and review any question already presented or change any answer already given, prior to completing each portion of the exam. The testing program will contain a certain number of questions for each division which must be answered by the candidate within a designated time limit. The test may be terminated early by the computer testing program if a candidate displays a persistent and thorough knowledge (or lack of knowledge) of the subject. It is anticipated that a candidate's test score will be available within four to five weeks after taking each division. If a division is not passed by a candidate, he or she will have to wait six months before re-taking that division. There is no limit to the number of times that a candidate may re-take each division.
The three graphic divisions of the ARE are also computer-administered and computer-graded. Each graphic division of the exam will consist of several short vignettes. Solutions to these will be presented as drawings made by the candidate on the computer at the Sylvan Center. The program is Microsoft Windows-based and is similar to the old Windows Generic CAD software. It draws rectangles representing rooms of any size with three corner picks, with double lines around them representing walls. These rectangles can be readily moved around either individually or in groups, rotated at any angle, and stretched vertically or horizontally. The program will quickly insert doors and windows, move them, or delete them as desired. The program will allow you to draw in 2D only on two floors. You designate whether you want to draw on the first or second floor and whether you want the other floor to be dimmed out or turned off completely. The program is relatively easy to use for a candidate already skilled in CADD, but it could slow a beginner down and perhaps make the exam process tedious. Every candidate will receive free tutorial software to practice with before they take the test. The software is available on NCARB's web site for downloading.
Once all divisions of the ARE are passed, the Architecture
Licensing Board will be notified by NCARB, and the candidate is
then eligible for licensure in Alabama.
The following are the costs as of February 16, 1998 for taking
the exam for the first time in Illinois. If you do not pass
a division and have to take it again, the same cost will be charged.
Pre-Design $ 92.00
General Structures $ 108.00
Lateral Forces $ 79.00
Mechanical and Electrical Systems $ 83.00
Materials and Methods $ 90.00
Construction Documents and Services $ 99.00
Site Planning $129.00
Building Planning $155.00
Building Technology $145.00
Illinois Test Processing one-time Fee (Paid to Continental Testing Service) $ 67.00Total exam cost $1047.00
To get the ball rolling, call the Illinois Department of Professional
Regulation at (217) 782-8556 and request an application for the
ARE. They will then request that you pay the $67.00 to Continental
Testing Services (CTS) directly. No other payments need
be made until CTS has checked out your eligibility to take the
exam and until you are ready to take one of the divisions of the
test. At that time, payment for that division (or divisions)
you want to take can be made by telephone when you reserve a testing
date to the Sylvan Test Center using Visa, MasterCard, or American
Express. Payment may also be made in person at the Sylvan
Test Center by personal check, certified check, or money order.
In addition, a candidate may prepay for one or more divisions
with the Chauncey Group, and receive a voucher which then may
be presented to the Sylvan Test Center in person or the voucher
number given to Sylvan over the telephone. There are no
other hidden charges, although you may, if you choose, pay for
practice sessions at the Sylvan Test Center of your choice on
an hourly basis.
Test-taking is like a design project. You first need to know the criteria and the rules, which will be given to you. Follow them explicitly.
Review your class notes from school and do some studying of
the references listed above, particularly the AIA Handbook of
Professional Practice. For the graphics divisions, you should
become very familiar with the special CADD software which you
can download from the NCARB
web site.
Pass rates for first time test takers during the year 1997 were as follows:
Division
No. of test takers
Pass Rate
Pre-Design
1,743
55 percent
General Structures
897
62 percent
Lateral Forces
1,069
75 percent
Mechanical and Electrical Systems
1,226
77 percent
Materials and Methods
1,382
86 percent
Construction Documents and Services
1,139
75 percent
Site Planning
1,135
64 percent
Building Planning
1,580
58 percent
Building Technology
1,533
59 percent
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