What action may NCARB take if a candidate has outstanding debt?

• A. NCARB may suspend the exam for a fixed period of time.
• B. NCARB may withhold test scores and suspend test-taking privileges.
• C. NCARB may cancel the candidate's account.
• D. NCARB may require documentation for debt.

Answer: (B)

Outstanding debt affects a candidate’s ability to complete the licensing process because the program uses financial enforcement to protect the integrity of the testing process. When payment is overdue, NCARB can withhold test scores and suspend the right to schedule or take exams. This means your past results aren’t released and you can’t sit for further exams until the debt is resolved, which directly ties into progressing through ARE steps and getting results that count toward licensure. The other options aren’t the standard enforcement action: suspending an exam for a fixed period is not the typical mechanism, canceling the account is overly drastic, and simply requiring documentation for debt is administrative rather than a punitive testing restriction.