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United States · Licensing exam

ARE exam cost: NCARB’s fees for the exam and your Record

Each division costs $263, and a retake costs the same. The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) sets every Architect Registration Examination (ARE) fee and puts six divisions at $1,578. On top of the ARE exam cost, you need an NCARB Record, which is $105 a year for a licensure candidate. NCARB’s fee page says all its fees are non-refundable, so a change of plans can cost you too.

  • $105NCARB Record, each year as a candidate
  • $263Each division, first try or retake
  • $1,578All six divisions, once each
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Updated October 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

How much does the ARE exam cost, fee by fee?

ItemFee
NCARB Record application$105
NCARB Record renewal, each year$105
Each ARE division$263
Retake of a division$263
All six divisions$1,578
Score verification$100
Exam review, NCARB’s fee$300
Paper renewal of your Record$20

The Record application covers your first year and one free transmittal of your Record to a board for your initial license. If your Record lapses, reactivating it costs $105 for each year or part year missed, up to $210.

The one refund the ARE 5.0 Guidelines describe: if a score verification finds your score or feedback was wrong, NCARB returns the $100.

Your licensing board may charge its own fees, for example for an exam review or if you switch to it as your testing jurisdiction. NCARB doesn’t set those.

NCARB: Fees ↗What the NCARB Record is for →

Rescheduling and canceling

You can move an appointment up to three times per division seat. The fee depends on how far away the appointment is:

Days before appointmentFee
31 or more, rescheduleFree
15 to 30, reschedule$75
7 to 14, reschedule$150
7 or more, cancel$200
Fewer than 7No changes allowed

Canceling leaves you a seat credit that lasts one year. If you don’t show up, or try to change too late, you lose the whole $263. After a failed attempt or a canceled appointment, the count of three reschedules starts again.

If PSI closes your test center, NCARB gives you a replacement seat, but neither NCARB nor PSI pays for lost time or travel.

Paying for a division

You pay in your NCARB Record by Visa, Mastercard or American Express. You can buy a seat before you schedule, and it’s good for one year, or pay at the end of scheduling. If an employer or someone else is paying, they can only buy a seat in advance: third-party payment isn’t offered at the scheduling step.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has approved the ARE as an education benefit, so US military veterans may be able to get help with division fees through their regional VA office.

Fees for the NCARB Certificate, after you’re licensed →
Sources: NCARB and 3 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

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