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Exam Review

Key Facts: ARE 5.0 Exam

490

Total Items

NCARB

6

Divisions

NCARB

19h 50m

Total Test Time

NCARB

$263

Per Division

NCARB

91

Exam Objectives

NCARB

55%

Overall Pass Rate

NCARB 2025

The ARE 5.0 is a six-division architect licensure exam totaling 490 items and 19 hours 50 minutes of test time. Divisions range from 65 items and 2 hours 40 minutes (PcM) to 100 items and 4 hours 5 minutes (PPD and PDD). Divisions may be taken in any order, and each ends with case studies built on one to two resources. NCARB retired the 5-year rolling clock: passed divisions stay valid for as long as ARE 5.0 is delivered. The exam is delivered by PSI at test centers and through online proctoring.

Sample ARE 5.0 Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the ARE 5.0 exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 295+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1According to the AIA Code of Ethics, what is an architect's primary obligation?
A.Maximize profitability for their firm
B.Protect the public health, safety, and welfare
C.Maintain good relationships with contractors
D.Ensure the client gets the lowest construction cost
Explanation: The AIA Code of Ethics and NCARB Rules of Conduct establish that an architect's primary obligation is to protect the public health, safety, and welfare. This ethical principle takes precedence over all other interests, including the architect's own financial gain or the client's specific desires that may conflict with safety requirements.
2An architecture firm has three full-time employees and two part-time employees who work 20 hours per week. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which employees are entitled to overtime pay?
A.Only the full-time employees
B.All employees except the principals
C.All non-exempt employees who work more than 40 hours per week
D.Only employees with more than one year of service
Explanation: Under FLSA, non-exempt employees are entitled to overtime pay (1.5 times regular rate) for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. Exempt employees (typically professionals like licensed architects, managers, and administrators meeting specific salary thresholds) are not entitled to overtime. The determination is based on job duties and salary, not just employment status or tenure.
3What is the primary purpose of Professional Liability Insurance (Errors & Omissions) for an architecture firm?
A.To cover workplace injuries to employees
B.To protect against claims of negligence in professional services
C.To cover damage to the architect's office equipment
D.To satisfy state licensing requirements for all firms
Explanation: Professional Liability Insurance (E&O) protects architects against claims alleging negligence, errors, or omissions in their professional services. It covers legal defense costs and damages if the firm is found liable. General Liability covers bodily injury and property damage, while Workers' Compensation covers employee injuries.
4Under AIA Document B101, when may an architect use the client's confidential information for publicity purposes?
A.Never, as all client information is permanently confidential
B.Only with the client's prior written consent
C.After the project is completed and occupied for one year
D.When the information is already publicly available through building permits
Explanation: AIA B101 Section 8.4 requires the architect to maintain client confidentiality and prohibits using confidential information without the client's prior written consent. Even after project completion, the architect cannot use the client's confidential information for publicity or other purposes without explicit permission.
5An architecture firm is considering hiring a former government official who was involved in awarding public contracts. What is the primary ethical concern?
A.The former official may not have sufficient design experience
B.There may be a conflict of interest or appearance of impropriety
C.Government officials cannot legally work for private firms
D.The firm would have to pay a higher salary for government experience
Explanation: Hiring former government officials who were involved in contract awards raises concerns about conflicts of interest, even if the official has left government service. The AIA Code of Ethics and many jurisdictions have rules about "revolving doors" to prevent the appearance that officials were influenced by future employment prospects or would unfairly favor their former agency.
6What constitutes the "Standard of Care" for architectural services?
A.The architect must guarantee perfect results with no errors
B.The architect must perform with the same skill and care as a reasonably prudent architect in the same locality
C.The architect must use the most expensive materials and methods available
D.The architect must satisfy every request made by the client
Explanation: The Standard of Care requires architects to perform services with the degree of skill and care that a reasonably prudent architect would exercise under similar circumstances in the same locality. It does not require perfection, guarantee specific results, or require the architect to follow every client request if it would violate professional standards or codes.
7An architecture firm discovers that one of its project managers has been accepting gifts from a contractor bidding on a project. What should the firm do?
A.Ignore it if the gifts are less than $100 in value
B.Disclose the gifts to all parties and remove the PM from the project if necessary
C.Wait until after the bid award to address the situation
D.Accept the gifts as standard industry practice
Explanation: Accepting gifts from contractors creates conflicts of interest and may violate the AIA Code of Ethics and state licensing regulations. The firm should investigate, disclose any gifts to the client, and take appropriate corrective action, which may include removing the project manager from the project. Many firms have zero-tolerance policies for such conflicts.
8A firm has net revenue of $2,000,000, overhead expenses of $800,000, and direct labor costs of $600,000. What is the firm's overhead rate?
A.40%
B.133%
C.75%
D.100%
Explanation: Overhead rate is calculated as Overhead Expenses ÷ Direct Labor Costs. In this case: $800,000 ÷ $600,000 = 1.33 or 133%. This means for every dollar of direct labor, the firm must charge $1.33 to cover overhead costs. This is a critical metric for determining billing rates and project profitability.
9What is the primary purpose of a "claims-made" professional liability insurance policy?
A.To cover claims that occurred during the policy period regardless of when reported
B.To cover claims that are both made and reported during the policy period
C.To cover only claims exceeding $1 million
D.To cover claims from projects completed before the policy started
Explanation: A claims-made policy covers claims that are first made against the insured and reported to the insurer during the policy period (or extended reporting period). This differs from an occurrence policy which covers claims arising from incidents that occurred during the policy period, regardless of when the claim is made. Claims-made policies are common for professional liability insurance.
10An architecture firm wants to expand its practice into a new geographic market. Which factor is most important to evaluate first?
A.The availability of local construction materials
B.The firm's ability to obtain the necessary licenses and understand local regulations
C.The local climate conditions for building design
D.The availability of local architectural photography services
Explanation: Before expanding into a new jurisdiction, a firm must evaluate its ability to legally practice there (licensure requirements, reciprocity, or need for local architects) and understand local regulations including building codes, zoning, and permitting processes. Without proper licensing and regulatory knowledge, the firm cannot legally or competently practice in the new market.

About the ARE 5.0 Exam

The ARE 5.0 is a multi-division exam used to assess your knowledge and skills regarding the practice of architecture. Developed by NCARB, the exam is accepted by all 55 U.S. jurisdictions and several Canadian provinces as a requirement for architectural licensure. The exam features six divisions that can be taken in any order and include case studies with realistic architectural scenarios. The divisions are: Practice Management (PcM), Project Management (PjM), Programming & Analysis (PA), Project Planning & Design (PPD), Project Development & Documentation (PDD), and Construction & Evaluation (CE).

Exam sponsor: NCARB (PSI). The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Questions

490 questions

Time Limit

19 hours 50 minutes (across 6 divisions)

Passing Score

Pass/fail by division cut score

Exam / Certification Fees

$263 per division ($1,578 total)

Exam sponsor website

Reported exam pass rate: 55%. varies by division; NCARB reports all candidates, not first-time takers This describes exam candidates, not OpenExamPrep users or results from using our resources. Exam sponsor website

Fees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.

Our practice resources: topics covered

We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.

65 items

Practice Management (PcM)

Business operations; finances, risk, and development of practice; practice-wide delivery of services; practice methodologies; ethics and Standard of Care

75 items

Project Management (PjM)

Resource management, project work planning, contracts, project execution, project quality control

75 items

Programming & Analysis (PA)

Environmental and contextual conditions, codes and regulations, site analysis and programming, building analysis and programming

100 items

Project Planning & Design (PPD)

Environmental conditions and context, codes and regulations, building systems and materials, project integration of program and systems, project costs and budgeting

100 items

Project Development & Documentation (PDD)

Integration of building materials and systems, construction documentation, project manual and specifications, codes and regulations, construction cost estimates

75 items

Construction & Evaluation (CE)

Preconstruction activities, construction observation, administrative procedures and protocols, project closeout and evaluation

Preparing for the ARE 5.0 Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: Pass/fail by division cut score
  • Exam length: 490 questions
  • Time limit: 19 hours 50 minutes (across 6 divisions)
  • Exam / certification fees: $263 per division ($1,578 total) Official sources

Using Our Practice Resources

  • Work through all 295 available questions
  • Review every answer and explanation
  • Track weak areas and revisit them
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

ARE 5.0: Suggested Study Strategy

1Start with PcM or PjM if you are early in your career — they cover foundational business and project-delivery concepts
2Use the current NCARB ARE 5.0 Guidelines as your primary reference; it defines the 27 sections and 91 objectives that are tested
3Practice case study items specifically — each case study now carries one to two resources and requires applying information, not just locating it
4Plan roughly 4 to 8 weeks per division depending on your experience with that content
5Study from multiple sources: practice questions, guides, AIA contract documents, and the IBC
6Focus on applying concepts rather than memorizing tables, since most objectives are written at the Analyze/Evaluate level
7Review AIA B101, A201, and C401 closely — they are referenced throughout PcM, PjM, and CE
8Practice with the on-screen calculator and the whiteboard before exam day; personal calculators are prohibited
9Finish reviewing every flagged item before taking a break, because all previously viewed items lock once a break begins
10Take at least one full NCARB practice exam per division under timed conditions

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ARE 5.0 exam pass rate?

NCARB reported an overall ARE 5.0 pass rate of 55% in 2025 across 17,747 candidates, the same overall rate as 2024. By division in 2025: Practice Management 51%, Project Management 63%, Programming & Analysis 59%, Project Planning & Design 48%, Project Development & Documentation 54%, and Construction & Evaluation 61%.

How hard is the ARE 5.0 exam?

The ARE 5.0 is demanding because of its scope: 490 items and 19 hours 50 minutes of testing across six divisions, organized into 27 sections and 91 objectives. Most objectives are written at the Analyze/Evaluate cognitive level, so items require judgment rather than recall. Most candidates take 12 to 24 months to complete all six divisions.

In what order should I take the ARE divisions?

There is no required order. Many candidates start with PcM and PjM because they cover business and project management concepts, then take PA, then the technical pair PPD and PDD, and finish with CE. Because PPD and PDD together are 200 of the 490 items, plan them for a period when your code and building systems knowledge is current.

What are the ARE 5.0 exam requirements?

Eligibility is granted by your jurisdiction board, not by NCARB. You need an active NCARB Record, you must satisfy your jurisdiction’s education requirement (typically a NAAB-accredited professional degree), and you must accept the ARE Candidate Agreement. Some jurisdictions require AXP completion before testing while others allow testing to begin earlier, so verify your board’s rule.

Do passed ARE divisions expire?

No. NCARB retired the 5-year rolling clock and replaced it with a score validity policy. A passed ARE 5.0 division remains valid for as long as ARE 5.0 is delivered, and it then establishes credit under the next version of the exam. A small number of jurisdictions still have a rolling-clock requirement written into their own statute, so confirm the rule in the jurisdiction where you are seeking licensure.

What are case studies in the ARE?

Each division ends with case studies. A case study presents a project scenario plus one to two resources — code excerpts, AIA contract excerpts, drawings, budgets and schedules, or program requirements — and asks items that require applying or analyzing that information rather than simply locating it. PPD and PDD carry up to 9 case studies and up to 20 case study items each.