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NCARB ARE Exam Changes

940 Comments

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paul carson
5 years ago

"fight for your rights"

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Jinsoo An
5 years ago

not acceptable please dont remove paper.

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Cody Gatlin
5 years ago

pencil & paper may be the most essential tools to the profession, this is insane.

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Jason Geving
5 years ago

This is architecture 101. You are meant to sketch, calculate, and take notes. This move will dramatically negatively impact the profession. We are visual people in a visual field and it is paramount we are able to think through problems with this most basic tool.

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Regina V Teng
5 years ago

Seems like a problem solving/management failure to have not developed a better solution. This seems to undermine the integrity of a series of exams and an entire profession which ultimately is about clear, efficient problem-solving.

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Anonymous
5 years ago

This directly impacts the performance of the test candidate.

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Robert Shawn Hott
5 years ago

As a licensed Architect, this is insane and wasteful. This seems like a money grab by the testing centers. Paper is effective and cheap.

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Lansing D
5 years ago

The physical scratch paper and pencil are a necessity for completing the calculations on these exams.

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Meaghan Rosenthal
5 years ago

There's already too much to put on a single tiny screen, especially with the new Case Study questions (exam question, case study information, calculator, etc). I can't imagine where the whiteboard is going to go. Physical scratch paper makes it so much easier to organize my thoughts as I look through all of the information presented for a question. I'd rather keep physical scratch paper and not have the option for at home proctoring.

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Stephen Bart
5 years ago

Scrap paper is a necessity for an extremely difficult and time sensitive exam, especially one who's profession requires us to sketch, solve problems, and work things out on paper.

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Anonymous
5 years ago

This really adds more complications to the testing process. To do the necessary calculations during the exam the test taker needs a pencil and paper. Drawing is a necessity for an architect to come to the correct solution. A digital whiteboard is not the way we work in an office.

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Erin Moon
5 years ago

I will be signing up to take these exams next year. This is so very concerning. Please focus on making these exams more accessible and fixing the problems that already exist. Architects by and large are visual processors who use sketching and note taking to create solutions.

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Elizabeth Volski
5 years ago

Fix it now!! People want to get on with their professional lives by taking/passing qualification exams sans software/technical issues. Thank You.

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John Fulton
5 years ago

eliminating scratch paper during exam periods is just beyond ridiculous

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Anonymous
5 years ago

The removal of scratch paper is frankly absurd for a series of tests which all require calculations, some of which are extensive. Those of us currently testing have had access to scratch paper to perform calculations and take tests since pre-K; removing scratch paper is not simply and update to the NCARB format, but rather is asking every single one of us to relearn how we compute problems to demonstrate our knowledge and competence. This relearned life skill is something that would take years to adjust to, not two months. It's honestly shocking to me that this even warrants explaining, as well as NCARB thought it would be appropriate to not have a grandfathered transition period, similar to the transition from 4.0 to 5.0. If scratch paper were only allowed at the physical centers, that would be one thing. But to remove it from all environments is abhorrent, and a sure way to encourage even fewer designers to go through this overly drawn-out process which costs a small fortune with minimal monetary returns.

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Andrew Maragos
5 years ago

1 screen to test and scratch slows down the testing process considerably. If this is desired to become a standard, as second monitor should be provided per test station

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Susana Alanis
5 years ago

You are creating bad architects . Saying that it's a liability is laziness on your part

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Mohammed Hasafa
5 years ago

There is only one reason I can think of why this is being considered. It is because the test is being designed by non-architects for architects. Otherwise, any architect would know that scratch paper is not only used to sketch or draw possible solutions. It's a thinking tool. Putting things on paper improves the cognitive process and decision making when faced with a tough question.

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Kathryn Edwards
5 years ago

A digital white board is NOT the same as pen and paper. Leave the exam how it is.

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Ethan O'Brien
5 years ago

I cannot imagine how difficult these tests will become without scratch paper. The tests are already have a huge time constraint, and I, personally, need to be able to quickly jot down notes and numbers as I work through the problems.