The Texas Board of Architectural Examiners (TBAE) has repealed the so-called “Five-Year Rolling Clock” policy regarding valid exam scores, and replaced it with a new policy affecting Texas candidates for architectural or landscape architectural registration. 

As some have heard in recent months, the National Council of Architect Registration Boards’ (NCARB) new “Score Validity Policy” is now in effect, which “revives” expired exams for some candidates.  The new policy replaces the previous NCARB policy, known as the “rolling clock,” for valid exam scores. 

Under the new NCARB policy, passing ARE divisional scores will remain valid throughout the delivery of the exam version under which they were taken. They’ll also be used to establish credit toward the immediately following version of the exam. For example, all ARE 4.0 scores will now remain valid through delivery of ARE 5.0. 

TBAE has now adopted rules to implement NCARB’s “Score Validity Policy” for architectural candidate scores.  Additionally, TBAE has eliminated the five-year rolling clock for landscape architectural candidates as well.  Under the adopted rules, TBAE will consider a passed LARE section to be valid if it is recognized by CLARB as establishing credit toward the current version of the LARE.

If you have any questions or think this policy change might apply to you, please contact us at exams@tbae.texas.gov or 512-305-8527 for more information and next steps.