Recent Updates to the ARE Exams Test Format in 2025

 

When it comes time to start prepping for your important ARE Exams, remember that it is important you study how the test format looks and functions before arriving on exam day!

 

Please note: This article was posted in September 2025 and reflects the NCARB exam format at this current time. While the NCARB ARE exam format does not change monthly, it does update from time to time.

 

The ARE exam test format and question types are periodically changing and being updated. Make sure to subscribe to NCARB’s newsletter so that you are updated of the changes as they occur. You should be able to subscribe to their newsletter on their website NCARB.org. The newsletter with updates will come from hello@ncarb.org, so make sure not to block their emails or move them to spam. If you are actively in the process of signing up for exams, you will want to receive these email updates as they arrive.

 

NCARB does a great job at keeping you informed of new test information as a test-taker. Take advantage of this! Staying aware of the current test format is extremely important, because then you know exactly what to expect on test day.

For those of you that just sign up for exams, study hard and then take the exams, without preparing yourself for what the exam questions are going to look like, that is totally fine, however we do think it gives you an upper edge mentally when you know exactly what question types to expect.

 

In early 2024 there were 5 different Question Types (NCARB defines them as Item Types) that existed on your ARE Exams.

 

1. Multiple Choice – Item Types

2. Check All That Apply – Item Types

3. Hotspot – Item Types

4. Quantitative Fill in the Blank – Item Types

5. Drag & Place – Item Types

All of these item types are worth one point and there is no partial credit for a close answer that is still incorrect.

However, in early 2024 and 2025 two of these Item types (Question types) were removed from the ARE NCARB Exams……..

 

First the Quantitative Fill in the Blank item types were removed in February 2024.

This is when you have to actually type your answer (often in number format) into a blank box. It is unknown exactly why these question types were removed, however this is probably a good thing, as typing in the answer without a pre-defined list of given answers does not give you great odds of getting the answer correct.

 

Then Drag and Place item types were later removed from the ARE exams as well. This is where you need to drag items across the screen and place them in the correct location. Again, it is unknown exactly why these question types were removed from the 6 ARE exams, but this is not a bad thing. Having less item types on your exam only simplifies your test taking experience. If you personally love drag and place questions, then well I guess that is unfortunate. Maybe you can create some on your own time just for fun.

 

It was also decided in early 2025 that all candidates would now see provisional feedback after submitting their exams. This provisional feedback displayed on screen will let you know how likely it is that you passed the exam. You now don’t have to wait for this information, or hit a button to see it. NCARB says that this provisional feedback on your exam outcome/score is accurate, but it is not fully official until you receive your score report later from NCARB.

 

Out of the current 3 Question types remaining, they are pretty straightfoward.

Multiple Choice Questions: We all know what a multiple choice question looks like. With these you only need to select a single response out of the possible response options.

Check All That Apply Questions: These are when you have multiple responses and you need to select all the correct responses. So maybe you need to select all 3 correct responses to get the question correct and receive the point.

Hotspot Questions: These are when you will have a photo, diagram or drawing and to respond you will need to click on an area or object within the image or drawing. With these questions, there is a pre-defined acceptable scoring area (which of course you can’t see on your screen) and if you click within that acceptable scoring area then you will receive 1 point for a correct answer. As mentioned above, there is no partial credit for being close to the correct scoring area but still outside of it. If you click once and don’t like the location that you originally selected, you are allowed to change that. It is only the final click that matters with scoring.

 

While this article is meant to help you on your exam prep journey, it is ultimately your responsibility to be up to date on the Question Types and exam format that you will see on test day.

We do advise not taking a 1 year break between your exams. The exam format does change periodically and it is probably easier to take your exams within months of eachother so that the testing experience and format remains fresh in your mind and so that it doesn’t change drastically on you.

 

Good luck with your next exam! However, we all know that study preparation matters more than luck don’t we.

Don’t forget to study from multiple resources because there is not one single place that ARE NCARB exam questions draw from!

 

 

 

 

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Written: Study Warrior Staff