1.1 ARE 5.0 PPD Format, Scoring & Case Study Navigation

What PPD Tests

Project Planning & Design (PPD) is one of the six divisions of NCARB's Architect Registration Examination (ARE 5.0). It tests preliminary site and building design: selecting and combining systems, responding to environmental and community conditions, applying codes, organizing a program, and evaluating costs. Project Development & Documentation (PDD) develops many of these decisions into detailed assemblies and documents. Passing PPD alone does not confer a license; candidates complete the requirements of their licensing jurisdiction.

This independent OpenExamPrep guide provides teaching and original practice checks. NCARB's current Guidelines and official practice exam establish the exam's content and delivery rules. The facts below were checked on October 17, 2026 against the Guidelines effective October 1, 2026.

Current Format and Logistics

The April 27, 2026 update reduced each case study's resource set to one or two resources and reduced the number of items per case study. The overall division item count and testing time did not change. Case-study questions appear at the end of the form, but the Exam Summary tool allows candidates to visit them earlier. There is no requirement to complete all discrete items first.

NCARB provides an on-screen calculator, reference resources, and a digital whiteboard. Physical scratch paper is prohibited under the standard testing rules; an individually approved accommodation can have different terms. Practice calculations with the official tools so that unit conversions, notes, and diagram sketches do not depend on paper.

The Five Content Areas

1. Environmental Conditions & Context, 10–16%: Locate buildings and improvements using site analysis; select sustainable principles; respond to neighborhood conditions.
2. Codes & Regulations, 16–22%: Apply zoning, environmental regulations, and building codes; resolve the interaction of multiple applicable codes.
3. Building Systems, Materials, & Assemblies, 19–25%: Select MEP, structure, special systems, materials, and assemblies based on project requirements.
4. Project Integration of Program & Systems, 32–38%: Determine building configuration and integrate systems, program, environmental conditions, and context. This is the largest area.
5. Project Costs & Budgeting, 8–14%: Compare alternatives, evaluate estimates prepared by others, and assess initial and future costs.

The ranges describe typical forms, not guaranteed item counts on a particular administration. Study individual systems, then repeatedly ask what each choice changes elsewhere: a deeper girder affects ducts and height; a larger window affects glare, cooling loads, and costs; a relocated core affects travel distance and lateral stiffness. Use the later integration scenarios to practice those connections.

Current Item Types and Scoring

The current exam uses multiple choice, check-all-that-apply, and hotspot items. Multiple-choice questions can have three or four options. Check-all-that-apply items state how many responses to select; all required responses must be correct. Hotspot items ask you to select a location on an image. Drag-and-place items were retired April 28, 2025. Numeric calculations are still important, but a typed numeric fill-in response is not a current ARE item type.

Each scored item is worth one point, with no partial credit. NCARB evaluates the total division score against its passing standard; there is no requirement to pass each content section separately and no quota of candidates who must fail. Form difficulty is accounted for in scoring. A failing report includes diagnostic information and a scaled score; passing reports report a pass without a numeric scaled score. Use section feedback to direct study, rather than interpreting a practice percentage as a guaranteed passing score.

Breaks and Score Validity

When a break is confirmed, all previously viewed items lock, including unanswered items and items marked for review. They cannot be viewed or edited after the break. Unseen items remain available. The digital whiteboard remains available, but it does not restore access to locked questions. Review the current block before taking a break and avoid previewing questions you intend to leave until later.

NCARB replaced the five-year rolling clock with its version-based Score Validity Policy in 2023. Passed ARE 5.0 divisions remain valid while ARE 5.0 is delivered and establish applicable credits in the next version, which remain valid through that version. This does not promise that the future exam will retain identical division names or structure. Check NCARB and the licensing jurisdiction for requirements when planning a long testing timeline.

After a failed attempt, the same division can be retaken after 60 days, with no more than three administrations of that division in any 12-month period. This is three total attempts, not an initial attempt plus three retakes.

A Workable Pacing Example

Suppose a practice form has 80 discrete items and 20 case-study items. One possible 245-minute budget is:

The sum is 245 minutes. Break time comes from the separate 45-minute allowance. These are planning assumptions, not NCARB recommendations or per-question limits. Some case items are quick lookups followed by simple reasoning; others require calculations. A five-minute average for 20 cases plus 160 minutes for discrete items would exceed available testing time. Adjust pacing using timed official practice and your own experience.

Start a new case by familiarizing yourself briefly with its scenario and available resources. Then read the question carefully, identify the relevant exhibit, and retrieve the necessary evidence. Recheck units, qualifiers, and the requested selection count. Do not assume every case has the same tabs, page count, or document hierarchy.

Worked Check: Egress Capacity

An original practice scenario gives a common corridor serving 400 people in a Group B/A building with qualifying NFPA 13 sprinkler protection and an emergency voice/alarm system. Assume the reduced factor for components other than stairs applies. Capacity width is $400\times0.15=60$ inches. Compare that result with the applicable corridor minimum in IBC Table 1020.3; a 44-inch general minimum does not reduce the calculated 60-inch requirement. Actual layout, exits, door encroachments, and accessibility must also be checked before concluding the complete design complies.

Sources checked October 17, 2026: NCARB ARE 5.0 Guidelines, PPD division, fees, and 2026 case-study update.