ARE® Prep 2026: Gear Up and Get Licensed
Register Now for the 2026 NCARB ARE Roundtable. — LU’s offered!
All sessions held virtually, via Zoom.
Kick off this year’s ARE Prep Series with a unique opportunity to hear directly from National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) staff and AIA NoVA chapter leaders who have recently navigated the licensure process. Whether you're currently testing, earning experience through the AXP, or still completing your education, understanding the requirements and pathways to licensure can feel overwhelming.
This roundtable session brings clarity to the full spectrum of the licensure journey. You’ll learn what’s required to qualify for testing, how the ARE exams connect to real-world architectural practice, and what to expect when scheduling and taking each division. We’ll also review state licensing board requirements and highlight the resources AIA Northern Virginia offers to support you every step of the way. Learn more the series here.
ARE® Prep Series Returns for 2026
The 2026 schedule of the Chapter’s award-winning ARE® Prep Series is now live! Don’t miss the opportunity to learn from top-notch design professionals while gaining knowledge that can be used to prepare for each section of the Architect Registration Examination®.
Register Now for the 2026 NCARB ARE Roundtable + ARE Prep Courses! >> click here.
With the new year just on the horizon, there’s no better time to start setting your 2026 goals. If your goal is to become a licensed architect, the ARE® Prep series is an amazing tool provided by AIA Northern Virginia to help you do just that. We will kick off the series with our NCARB ARE® Roundtable event, providing an overview of the entire NCARB Licensure process. You will learn what to expect when testing, how to earn and document AXP® hours, and have a chance to ask questions of the experts.
The ARE® series is broken into six courses with one Saturday course per month for six months. Each course focuses on one of the six test subjects: Practice Management, Project Management, Programing & Analysis, Project Planning + Design, Project Development + Documentation, and Construction + Evaluation. Past attendees have noted that they utilize these practice courses for different purposes. Some participants treat the sessions as an opportunity to review all the material while others have used this time as a recap to ask questions on specific topics. Either way, these courses provide insider knowledge from professionals in the field who can draw on their own experiences and provide real life examples and explanations.
The courses also offer the opportunity to meet and connect with other candidates who are currently on the same path of working towards becoming a licensed architect. The established connections can even lead to study groups and ongoing support throughout the journey. Registration is now open so don’t delay signing up and get one step closer to making 2026 the year you get licensed!
2026 Series Schedule:
Dates are subject to change.
Jan. 14 – NCARB ARE® Roundtable (1.5 AIA LU | Elective) – 6:30pm – 8:00pm
Feb. 07 – Practice Management (6 AIA LU | HSW) – 10:00am – 4:00pm
Mar. 07 – Project Management (6 AIA LU | HSW) – 10:00am – 4:00pm
Apr. 11 – Programming + Analysis (5 AIA LU | HSW) – 10:00am – 3:00pm
May 16 – Project Planning + Design (6 AIA LU | HSW) – 10:00am – 4:00pm
June 06 – Project Development + Documentation (6 AIA LU | HSW) – 10:00am – 4:00pm
July 18 – Construction & Evaluation (5 AIA LU | HSW) – 10:00am – 3:00pm