For the past nine years ARE candidates have been operating under a Rolling Clock Policy set forth by NCARB requiring candidates to complete the ARE exams within a five-year span or face the threat of having previously passed exams expire. In recent years, NCARB has been studying the effectiveness of this policy and the impact it has had on candidates. These studies have found the Rolling Clock Policy to be unnecessarily restrictive and on April 30th, 2023, the Rolling Clock Policy was officially retired.

With retirement of the Rolling Clock comes the adoption of the Score Validity Policy. Under this new policy, passed exams will remain valid through the entire delivery of the version of the exam under which they were taken. When a new version of the exam is implemented, the score validity policy would use the previously passed exams to establish credits under the new exam version. NCARB describes the new policy as no longer “time-bound but instead version-bound" and assures candidates that an 18-month notice will be given before an exam version is retired.

So, what's the best way to take advantage of this new policy change? Well...

If you have expired 4.0 exams NCARB reinstated these exams on May 1, 2023. Use the ARE 5.0 Transition Calculator to determine what credits you will be given for ARE 5.0. Many candidates with expired exams have gotten discouraged and let their NCARB Record lapse. Now through the month of June, NCARB is waiving reactivation fees! This is a great time to get your NCARB Record up to date and make licensure a priority again.

If you started testing in ARE 5.0 you can rest assured that your passed exams are not in imminent threat of expiring. While NCARB has not provided a date for when candidates can expect the implementation of ARE 6.0, it has been said that it is still several years away. With less pressure to rush the process you can focus on ways to create a balance between exams, work, and life. This balance can lead to more efficient studying and less burn out.

If you haven‘t taken any exams yet, now is the time to start! You’re no longer locked into a set time period in which you must complete your exams. Start your examination process as early as possible in ARE 5.0 to take full advantage of the new Score Validity Policy.

Retiring the Rolling Clock is a win for all candidates and a step in the right direction for removing unnecessary hardships faced on the path to licensure. If you have additional questions on how retiring the Rolling Clock Policy affects you, reach out to your Licensing Advisor or NCARB directly.