Good news for everyone testing after Thanksgiving - NCARB announced that the ARE’s calculator has been updated and is available to all test takers beginning Monday, November 29th, 2021. We tried out the new features using the NCARB Demo Exam and we encourage all test takers to do the same before their next scheduled exam. We also studied the revised calculator closely so that we could emulate it on our practice exams - rest assured that our exams reflect exactly what you can expect on test day.
The new memory feature is useful for long calculations - no more writing down values on the whiteboard before moving along to the next step. The history can be cleared at any time by clicking the trash can icon on the lower right - this might be useful to do between questions. The interface is also significantly improved and we found the new calculator more intuitive and easier to use. Finally, the new calculator defaults to degree units, which should help avoid any miscalculations.
NCARB also reported less technical issues as of late, which they attribute to a software update to their online application. They note that only 7% of online test takers experienced technical difficulties in the last month, which represents a dramatic 13% decrease from the month prior. 4% of candidates overall experienced technical issues last month - we find this statistic reassuring and hope that the downward trend continues and ultimately reaches zero!
What do you all think about the new calculator? Share your thoughts, tips, and tricks here and happy studying!