ARE 5.0: PA exam-day guide
ARE 5.0: PA · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Government-issued photo ID
Bring an unexpired, signature-bearing photo ID (driver's license, passport, or state ID). The name must match your NCARB record exactly. If you have had a legal name change, update your NCARB record well before test day and confirm the ID requirement with NCARB/your test provider.
Appointment confirmation and NCARB ID number
Have your scheduling confirmation and NCARB candidate ID accessible. Confirm with the provider whether a printed copy is expected or a digital copy is acceptable.
Testing center logistics confirmed
Know the exact address, parking/transit options, and building entry procedure. Do a dry run or map review the day before. Arrive at least 30 minutes early, or earlier if your scheduling notice specifies a longer check-in window.
Current candidate handbook reviewed
Read the current NCARB ARE 5.0 Guidelines and your test provider's candidate handbook for the rules in force on your test date-these change, so use the version dated closest to your appointment.
Exam interface practiced
Complete the free tutorial/demo of the testing software ahead of time (item types, flagging, calculator, split-screen reference tools) so test-day minutes go to content, not navigation.
Calculator policy confirmed
An on-screen calculator is provided. Confirm with the provider whether any physical calculator is permitted; if it is not explicitly allowed, plan to use only the on-screen tool.
Accommodations confirmed in advance
If you requested testing accommodations, verify approval and that the testing center has them on file. Accommodation requests generally cannot be resolved on test day-confirm timing with NCARB.
Personal items plan
Expect to lock away phone, watch, wallet, notes, and study materials. Leave anything you do not need at home or in your car; confirm the center's locker policy in the handbook.
Break plan
Confirm whether food, drink, and medication are allowed in the testing room or only at the locker/break area, and pack a snack accordingly.
Backup-day logistics
Have a contingency: alternate route, a contact number for the testing center, and a plan for illness or a late arrival. Confirm the provider's late-arrival and reschedule rules before test day.
Rest and pacing plan
Protect sleep for the two nights before. Decide in advance how you will pace yourself across the appointment length shown on your confirmation.
Plan the day
Re-read the candidate handbook sections on ID, prohibited items, breaks, and scoring. Confirm your appointment time, address, and arrival window. Print or save your confirmation. Stop introducing new study material; review only your own summary notes and formula/concept lists.
Do one final timed practice set to rehearse pacing and the software interface. Then stop. Check that your ID is unexpired and the name matches your NCARB record. Confirm transportation and parking.
Lay out ID, confirmation, and layers for the testing room's temperature. Confirm the alarm and a backup wake-up. Review logistics only-no new content. Aim for a normal night's sleep; do not cram past your usual bedtime.
Eat a normal meal, hydrate moderately, and arrive at the center at least 30 minutes early (or as your notice specifies). Leave the phone in the car or locker. Expect ID check, a security screening, and a rules/confidentiality acknowledgment before the clock starts.
Use the tutorial to verify the interface. Note the time remaining and set mental checkpoints. Read each item stem fully, including qualifiers like NOT and EXCEPT, before looking at the options.
Answer in order but flag anything that takes too long and return to it. There is no penalty for a wrong answer, so never leave blanks. If a scheduled break is offered, confirm from the on-screen instructions whether the clock stops; on unscheduled breaks the clock generally keeps running.
Use remaining time to clear flags and confirm no unanswered items. Do not change answers without a reason. Submit deliberately and note your confirmation of completion.
Follow the on-screen instructions for the score report and confirm with NCARB how and when results post to your record. Do not attempt to reconstruct or share exam content.
Rules to check
The name on your photo ID must exactly match your NCARB record. Resolve any discrepancy-including a legal name change-before test day; the test provider cannot fix it at check-in.
No reference materials, notes, phones, smart watches, or other electronics are allowed in the testing room. Use the provided locker and confirm the prohibited-items list with the provider.
You will likely sign or acknowledge a candidate agreement/NDA covering exam confidentiality. Do not discuss, reproduce, or share exam content afterward.
Break handling varies by division and by provider: some appointments include a scheduled break, and unscheduled breaks may be available. Confirm in advance whether a break stops the clock-assume the clock keeps running unless told otherwise.
Report any technical problem, distraction, or interruption to the proctor immediately and ask that it be documented; issues raised only after the exam are harder to resolve.
The exam is criterion-referenced and reported as pass/fail on your NCARB record, with score-report details and any retake waiting period set by NCARB-confirm the current policy rather than relying on secondhand information.
Late arrival, rescheduling, and cancellation rules are set by the test provider and can carry fees. Confirm the current cutoffs before your appointment.
Answer every item. Unanswered items and wrong answers are treated the same in scoring, so make a reasoned selection rather than leaving a blank.