The Rolling Clock Is One of the Most Consequential ARE Policy Details You Need to Understand
NCARB's rolling clock policy states that once you pass your first ARE 5.0 division, you have five years from that date to pass all remaining divisions. If you do not complete all six within five years, the oldest passing score expires - you lose credit for that division and must retake it. The clock then resets based on your new oldest passing score, and you have another five years from that point. Understanding this policy is not just academic - it affects when you should take your first division, how quickly you need to move through the remaining five, and what to do if life circumstances slow you down significantly.
When the Clock Starts
The clock starts on the date of your first passing score, not the date you scheduled or attempted your first division. A failing attempt does not start the clock. This is an important distinction because it means you can take a division early without starting the clock if you do not pass it - but there are obviously better reasons to pass it the first time. Once you receive your first passing score notification, the five-year window begins. NCARB's online record clearly shows your first passing date and the expiration date of each passing score.
How to Manage Your Exam Sequence
For candidates working through the ARE at a steady pace of one to two divisions per year, the rolling clock is rarely a practical constraint - at that pace, all six divisions are complete in three to six years. The clock becomes a concern in two scenarios: candidates who take one or two divisions very early in their career (during school or immediately after graduation) and then face a multi-year gap before resuming; and candidates who experience significant life disruptions (health issues, family obligations, career changes) that interrupt their exam progression for more than a year or two.
If you are worried about the rolling clock, consider the sequencing of your exam attempts carefully. Taking your hardest division first - or the division you are most prepared for - to start the clock as late as possible in your overall timeline is a legitimate strategy. Taking an easy division first specifically to "start the clock" and then facing a multi-year gap before attempting the harder divisions is a risky approach. There is no single right sequencing strategy; it depends on your specific situation, the relative difficulty of different divisions for your background, and realistic projections of how long the remaining divisions will take.
What Happens When a Score Expires
If a passing score expires, NCARB removes it from your record and you must retake that division to regain credit. You do not need to retake divisions whose passing scores have not expired. The clock on remaining valid scores continues running - the clock does not completely reset when one score expires. You must pass the expired division again, and the new score's expiration date becomes the next constraint. Candidates in this situation should prioritize the expired division and have a clear schedule for completing the remaining divisions within the time available on their other scores.
Planning Your Timeline
A practical timeline planning approach: if you plan to take all six divisions and anticipate completing them over three years at roughly one every six months, the rolling clock is very unlikely to be a problem. If you anticipate a longer timeline due to life circumstances, consider spacing out your first few divisions to maximize the window available for the later ones - but be careful not to delay so long that you are in a completely different place professionally and need to re-learn earlier content.
Key Rolling Clock Points
- Five years from the first passing score to pass all six divisions.
- Clock starts on passing date of the first division passed - not on a failing attempt.
- If one score expires, you lose credit for that division and must retake it - remaining valid scores are unaffected.
- At steady pace (one division every 6–9 months), the rolling clock is not a practical constraint.
- Monitor your NCARB record for the expiration dates of each passing score.
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