ARE 5.0 Exam Prep: Free Study Plan and 18 Practice Questions
By Castleport Test Prep Editorial Team · Exam rules last verified against NCARB on October 12, 2026
Here is the whole ARE 5.0 on one screen, then a study plan you can start today and 18 free practice questions with explanations. Everything reflects NCARB's ARE 5.0 Guidelines effective October 1, 2026.
| Division | Items | Test time | Biggest section (share of items) | Start studying here | 2025 pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practice Management (PcM) | 65 | 2 hr 40 min | Finances, Risk & Development of Practice (29–35%) | Firm finances and project risk | 51% |
| Project Management (PjM) | 75 | 3 hr | Contracts (25–31%) | AIA owner–architect and general-conditions duties | 63% |
| Programming & Analysis (PA) | 75 | 3 hr | Building Analysis & Programming (37–43%) | Program spaces, areas, and building efficiency | 59% |
| Project Planning & Design (PPD) | 100 | 4 hr 5 min | Project Integration of Program & Systems (32–38%) | How program, structure, envelope, and systems fit together | 48% |
| Project Development & Documentation (PDD) | 100 | 4 hr 5 min | Construction Documentation (32–38%) | Coordinated drawings and details, then materials and systems | 54% |
| Construction & Evaluation (CE) | 75 | 3 hr | Construction Observation and Administrative Procedures & Protocols (32–38% each) | Site visits, submittals, payment applications, and closeout | 61% |
| All six | 490 | 19 hr 50 min | 55% overall |
You can take the divisions in any order. Each appointment also includes 30 minutes of flexible break time (45 minutes for PPD and PDD) plus 10 minutes of intro and exit screens, so the appointments run 3 hr 20 min to 5 hr. Each division costs $263. The 2025 pass rates cover every candidate who tested that year, first-time and repeat (17,747 people), so they describe the exam, not your odds. Sources: ARE 5.0 Guidelines, p. 8, NCARB division pages, NCARB pass rates, NCARB fees.
Jump to: Pick your first division · Start the 7-day plan · Try the 18 practice questions · What changed in 2026
Pick your first division
There's no required order. NCARB lets you take any division at any time, in any sequence (Guidelines p. 11). So the "right" first division is the one you can prepare for well right now. Use these three tests, in this order:
- What did you just do at work? NCARB's own data on 2025 test-takers found that candidates did best when they took a division within three months of finishing the related AXP experience area. Waiting longer was linked to pass rates 5–12 percentage points lower on average. Most candidates wait a year or more. If you just wrapped up construction administration hours, CE is a natural first pick. That's an average across many people, not a promise for you, but it's the best evidence available for choosing.
- Which divisions share material? Pair them so one study block feeds the next:
- Practice and contracts: PcM → PjM → CE. Contracts run through all three; PjM's largest section is Contracts and CE's largest include Administrative Procedures & Protocols.
- Design and technical: PA → PPD → PDD. Codes & Regulations shows up in all three, and PPD and PDD are both 100-item divisions built around integrating building systems.
- What can you study consistently? A division you can work on four or five days a week beats a "smarter" order you'll stall on.
Plan for the retake rule. If you fail a division, you can retake it 60 days after the previous attempt, and no more than three times in any 12-month period (Guidelines p. 41). That window doesn't have to be dead time. Book a different division inside it, then come back.
Book with enough runway. As of October 1, 2026, rescheduling is free 31 or more days before your appointment, $75 at 15–30 days, and $150 at 7–14 days. Inside 7 days you can't reschedule or cancel. You get up to three reschedules per seat.
Two sample sequences, if you want a starting template:
- Design-first: PA → PPD → PDD → PcM → PjM → CE
- Practice-first: PcM → PjM → CE → PA → PPD → PDD
Your first 7 days
This is week 1 of the division cycle below. It assumes 60–90 minutes on weekdays and one 2–3 hour weekend block. That's our planning assumption for someone working full time, not an NCARB requirement.
| Day | Do this | You'll finish with |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Open the ARE 5.0 Guidelines and read every objective for your division. Next to each one, mark it know it, unsure, or never done it. | An objective map of your gaps |
| 2 | Find your division's biggest section in the section weights table. Read the objectives in that section again and list the documents, codes, or references each one points to. | A reading list for your biggest section |
| 3 | Study the biggest section from a primary reference: the actual standard, contract, or reference NCARB lists, not just summary notes. | One page of notes in your own words |
| 4 | Keep going on the biggest section. Then answer this page's practice questions for your division and log every miss in the error log. | First error-log entries |
| 5 | Move to your second-biggest section. Re-explain yesterday's misses out loud without notes. | Second-section notes |
| 6 (weekend) | One 2–3 hour mixed session: calculations, contract and form questions, or code lookups, depending on your division. Practice on the NCARB demo exam to learn the testing interface. | Comfort with the exam screens |
| 7 | Review the week's misses. Write next week's plan around the objectives still marked unsure. Pick a target date for your full NCARB practice exam. | A week 2 plan and a practice-exam date |
Seven days won't make you test-ready, and that's not the goal. The goal is to know exactly where your gaps are and to have a plan aimed at them.
The 6-week division cycle (8 weeks for PPD and PDD)
Use this for each division. It's an editorial plan, not an official schedule or a guarantee.
| Week | Focus | Retrieval and practice | Checkpoint |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The 7-day plan above | Your division's starter questions | Objective map and error log started |
| 2 | Biggest section, deeper | Answer questions from memory before checking notes | Can explain each objective in that section without notes |
| 3 | Second-biggest section | Redo every week-2 miss | Error log reviewed |
| 4 | Remaining sections | Mixed questions across all sections; for PjM and CE, walk through the AIA contracts and forms | No section untouched |
| 5 | Case-study practice and timed blocks | Two timed sessions working from scenario documents | Know your pace per item |
| 6 | Full NCARB practice exam for the division, under timed conditions | Review every missed item and NCARB's rationale; reopen the objective behind each miss | Book, keep, or move your test date while rescheduling is still free or cheap |
PPD and PDD: stretch to 8 weeks. They have 100 items and 4 hr 5 min of testing. Split weeks 2–4 across their two largest sections (PPD: Project Integration of Program & Systems, then Building Systems, Materials, & Assemblies; PDD: Construction Documentation, then Integration of Building Materials & Systems). Add one full-length timed sitting in week 6 or 7 to practice holding focus for that long.
Adjust it to you:
- Experienced in this area? Combine weeks 2 and 3.
- New to this content? Add a week. Don't race to a date you booked before you knew your gaps.
- Retaking? Start from page 2 of your failing score report, which shows your relative strengths and weaknesses by area (Guidelines p. 41), plus your error log. Spend most of the cycle on the weak areas instead of rereading everything equally.
Every section and its weight
NCARB publishes a target share of items for every section. Use it to decide where your hours go, not to skip anything. NCARB notes these percentages represent a typical form, and the one you get may vary slightly.
| Division | Section | Share of items |
|---|---|---|
| PcM | Business Operations | 20–26% |
| PcM | Finances, Risk, & Development of Practice | 29–35% |
| PcM | Practice-Wide Delivery of Services | 22–28% |
| PcM | Practice Methodologies | 17–23% |
| PjM | Resource Management | 7–13% |
| PjM | Project Work Planning | 17–23% |
| PjM | Contracts | 25–31% |
| PjM | Project Execution | 17–23% |
| PjM | Project Quality Control | 19–25% |
| PA | Environmental & Contextual Conditions | 14–21% |
| PA | Codes & Regulations | 16–22% |
| PA | Site Analysis & Programming | 21–27% |
| PA | Building Analysis & Programming | 37–43% |
| PPD | Environmental Conditions & Context | 10–16% |
| PPD | Codes & Regulations | 16–22% |
| PPD | Building Systems, Materials, & Assemblies | 19–25% |
| PPD | Project Integration of Program & Systems | 32–38% |
| PPD | Project Costs & Budgeting | 8–14% |
| PDD | Integration of Building Materials & Systems | 31–37% |
| PDD | Construction Documentation | 32–38% |
| PDD | Project Manual & Specifications | 12–18% |
| PDD | Codes & Regulations | 8–14% |
| PDD | Construction Cost Estimates | 2–8% |
| CE | Preconstruction Activities | 17–23% |
| CE | Construction Observation | 32–38% |
| CE | Administrative Procedures & Protocols | 32–38% |
| CE | Project Closeout & Evaluation | 7–13% |
Sources: NCARB division pages for PcM, PjM, PA, PPD, PDD, and CE.
18 original ARE 5.0 practice questions
These are original practice questions written by Castleport Test Prep. They are not NCARB questions and not recalled exam content. There are three per division, in two of the ARE's real formats: multiple choice (pick one) and check-all-that-apply (pick every correct option; there's no partial credit, just like the real exam). Your score here is feedback on these 18 items only, not a scaled score or a prediction of passing.
Practice Management (PcM)
Question 1 · Business Operations · Choose one · ARE-PcM-01
Maya opens a one-person architecture practice without forming an LLC or a corporation. A client wins a court judgment against the practice that is larger than the practice's bank balance. Which statement is most accurate?
Answer and explanation, Question 1
Answer: A. A sole proprietorship doesn't create a separate business entity. The owner's business and personal finances aren't legally separate, so the owner can be held personally responsible for business debts. B describes limited liability, which comes from entities like an LLC or corporation. C and D invent protections this structure doesn't have.
Source: U.S. Small Business Administration, Choose a business structure.
Question 2 · Business Operations · Select all that apply · ARE-PcM-02
A firm brings on a freelance renderer and wants to classify her correctly for federal tax purposes. Which of these are categories of evidence the IRS uses to decide whether she is an employee or an independent contractor? Select all that apply.
Answer and explanation, Question 2
Answer: A, B, C. The IRS groups the evidence into three categories: behavioral control, financial control, and the type of relationship. No single factor decides the answer; you weigh the whole relationship. A license, a job title, or a weekly-hours cutoff isn't one of the three categories, and a label never overrides how the work actually happens.
Source: IRS, Independent contractor (self-employed) or employee?.
Question 3 · Finances, Risk, & Development of Practice · Choose one · ARE-PcM-03
Three architects want to keep a partnership but don't want each partner personally exposed to the partnership's debts. Which structure does the SBA describe as protecting each partner from debts against the partnership?
Answer and explanation, Question 3
Answer: C. In an LLP, every owner has limited liability for partnership debts. A general partnership leaves partners with unlimited personal liability. In a limited partnership, the general partner keeps unlimited liability. A sole proprietorship has only one owner. Entities are created under state law, so the fine print varies by state.
Source: U.S. Small Business Administration, Choose a business structure.
Project Management (PjM)
Question 4 · Contracts · Choose one · ARE-PjM-01
An owner wants a construction manager who advises during design and then builds the project, paid on the cost of the work with a guaranteed maximum price (GMP). Which AIA agreement fits?
Answer and explanation, Question 4
Answer: A. A133 is the owner–construction manager as constructor agreement where payment is the cost of the work with a GMP. In that role the CM acts as both adviser and builder. A134 is the same relationship without a GMP. A201 is the general conditions, not an agreement with a CM. B101 is the owner–architect agreement.
Source: AIA Contract Documents, FAQs: Choosing an agreement between Owner and Construction Manager (CMc).
Question 5 · Contracts · Select all that apply · ARE-PjM-02
A201–2017, General Conditions of the Contract for Construction, is incorporated by reference into which of these documents? Select all that apply.
Answer and explanation, Question 5
Answer: A, B, C, D. AIA lists A101, A102, A103, A401, B101, and B103 as adopting A201. That's why the architect's construction-phase duties are spelled out in A201 even though the architect isn't a party to the owner–contractor contract. G702 and G704 are forms used while administering the contract, not agreements that incorporate A201.
Question 6 · Project Work Planning · Choose one · ARE-PjM-03
Task A, programming, takes 3 weeks and starts on day one. Task B, site survey, takes 2 weeks and starts on day one. Task C, schematic design, takes 5 weeks and starts after both A and B finish. Task D, code review, takes 2 weeks and starts after A finishes. Task E, cost estimate, takes 1 week and starts after both C and D finish. What is the shortest possible duration for this work?
Answer and explanation, Question 6
Answer: C. Trace every chain of dependent tasks. A→C→E = 3 + 5 + 1 = 9 weeks. B→C→E = 2 + 5 + 1 = 8 weeks. A→D→E = 3 + 2 + 1 = 6 weeks. The longest chain (the critical path) sets the minimum duration, so the answer is 9 weeks. 13 weeks adds every task as if nothing overlapped; 8 and 6 weeks are shorter chains that finish with slack.
Source: Calculation from the values given in the question.
Programming & Analysis (PA)
Question 7 · Site Analysis & Programming · Choose one · ARE-PA-01
A 120 ft × 200 ft lot allows a floor area ratio of 3.0 (total gross floor area ÷ lot area) and maximum lot coverage of 70% (building footprint ÷ lot area). The owner wants four stories with identical floor plates. What is the largest floor plate allowed?
Answer and explanation, Question 7
Answer: B. The lot is 120 × 200 = 24,000 sf. FAR allows 3.0 × 24,000 = 72,000 sf in total, or 18,000 sf per floor over four floors. Lot coverage caps the footprint at 0.70 × 24,000 = 16,800 sf. That's the lower limit, so coverage governs (four floors × 16,800 = 67,200 sf, under the FAR limit). C ignores coverage, D is the whole lot, and A is what a 60% coverage limit would allow.
Source: Calculation from the values given in the question.
Question 8 · Building Analysis & Programming · Choose one · ARE-PA-02
A program totals 42,000 net assignable square feet. The client's target building efficiency (net ÷ gross) is 70%. What gross area should the program carry?
Answer and explanation, Question 8
Answer: C. Efficiency is net ÷ gross, so gross = net ÷ efficiency = 42,000 ÷ 0.70 = 60,000 gsf. A multiplies by 0.70 and shrinks the building. B adds 30% of the net area, but the 30% non-assignable share is 30% of the gross, which is a bigger number. D overcorrects by adding 70%.
Source: Calculation from the values given in the question.
Question 9 · Codes & Regulations · Choose one · ARE-PA-03
A sidewalk on an accessible route has a running slope of 1:16. Under the 2010 ADA Standards, how is it classified?
Answer and explanation, Question 9
Answer: B. The ADA Standards define a ramp as a walking surface with a running slope steeper than 1:20. A 1:16 slope is steeper than 1:20 but within the 1:12 ramp maximum, so it's a permitted ramp, and ramp rules (such as handrails above a 6-inch rise and landings) now apply. A mixes up the ramp maximum with the ramp threshold. D forgets that ramps are allowed on accessible routes. C confuses location with function.
Source: U.S. Access Board, 2010 ADA Standards, §106.5 Defined Terms (Ramp); U.S. Access Board, Guide to the ADA Standards, Chapter 4: Ramps and Curb Ramps (§405).
Project Planning & Design (PPD)
Question 10 · Codes & Regulations · Choose one · ARE-PPD-01
An accessible entrance needs a ramp that rises 27 inches. Using the steepest running slope the 2010 ADA Standards allow, what is the minimum horizontal length of ramp run, and how many runs are needed?
Answer and explanation, Question 10
Answer: B. At the 1:12 maximum, every inch of rise needs 12 inches of run: 27 × 12 = 324 inches = 27 feet. A single run may rise up to 30 inches, so one run works, with landings at the top and bottom. A uses 1:10, which is too steep. C misapplies the 30-inch limit. D uses 1:20, which is gentler than required.
Source: U.S. Access Board, Guide to the ADA Standards, Chapter 4: Ramps and Curb Ramps (§405).
Question 11 · Codes & Regulations · Select all that apply · ARE-PPD-02
A ramp must rise 42 inches. Which of these does the 2010 ADA Standards require? Select all that apply.
Answer and explanation, Question 11
Answer: A, B, C. Each run may rise no more than 30 inches, so a 42-inch rise needs at least two runs with a landing between them, and landings must be at least 60 inches long. Any ramp rising more than 6 inches needs handrails on both sides. D breaks the 30-inch rule. E exceeds the 1:12 maximum, and handrails don't change that. F exceeds the 1:48 cross-slope maximum.
Source: U.S. Access Board, Guide to the ADA Standards, Chapter 4: Ramps and Curb Ramps (§405).
Question 12 · Environmental Conditions & Context · Choose one · ARE-PPD-03
For a house in the northern United States, you want the main living space to collect winter sun but not overheat in summer. Which glazing strategy fits best?
Answer and explanation, Question 12
Answer: B. Department of Energy passive-solar guidance places solar windows within 30 degrees of true south and uses properly sized roof overhangs to shade them in summer, when the sun is high. West glass picks up hot afternoon sun. North glass gets little direct winter sun. Interior blinds stop the heat only after it is already inside.
Project Development & Documentation (PDD)
Question 13 · Project Manual & Specifications · Choose one · ARE-PDD-01
In CSI MasterFormat, the specification section for custom hollow metal doors and frames belongs in which division?
Answer and explanation, Question 13
Answer: C. MasterFormat places hollow metal doors and frames in Division 08, Openings. The word "metal" pulls people toward Division 05, but a door is filed by what it is, an opening, not just by its material. Divisions 07 and 09 are Thermal and Moisture Protection and Finishes.
Question 14 · Project Manual & Specifications · Select all that apply · ARE-PDD-02
Which MasterFormat division numbers and titles are correctly paired? Select all that apply.
Answer and explanation, Question 14
Answer: A, B, C, D. Division 04 is Masonry; wood, plastics, and composites are Division 06. Division 22 is Plumbing; HVAC is Division 23. Knowing where content lives makes coordination and spec review faster.
Question 15 · Construction Documentation · Choose one · ARE-PDD-03
A ramp detail shows a 1:30 cross slope across the ramp run to shed water. What should the reviewer do?
Answer and explanation, Question 15
Answer: C. The ADA Standards cap ramp-run cross slope at 1:48. A 1:30 slope is steeper than that, so the detail fails. 1:20 and 1:12 are running-slope numbers, which is exactly why they make tempting wrong answers.
Source: U.S. Access Board, Guide to the ADA Standards, Chapter 4: Ramps and Curb Ramps (§405).
Construction & Evaluation (CE)
Question 16 · Project Closeout & Evaluation · Choose one · ARE-CE-01
What does AIA G704, Certificate of Substantial Completion, establish?
Answer and explanation, Question 16
Answer: B. The architect verifies the work and certifies the date of Substantial Completion; the contractor and owner then accept it. The punch list of work still to finish or correct is attached to the certificate, so A has it backwards. Final payment is a separate step. G704 also assigns responsibility for things like maintenance, utilities, and insurance.
Question 17 · Administrative Procedures & Protocols · Select all that apply · ARE-CE-02
Which statements about AIA G702, Application and Certificate for Payment, are correct? Select all that apply.
Answer and explanation, Question 17
Answer: A, B, C, D. The contractor applies, and the architect certifies the amount due or a different amount with an explanation. G703 divides the contract sum using the schedule of values, which the contractor prepares under the general conditions. AIA doesn't publish a standard schedule of values form, so E and F are false.
Question 18 · Administrative Procedures & Protocols · Choose one · ARE-CE-03
The contract sum is $800,000. Work completed and stored to date is $300,000. The contract withholds 10% retainage on work completed to date. Previous certificates for payment total $180,000. What is the current payment due?
Answer and explanation, Question 18
Answer: A. Start with work completed to date: $300,000. Subtract 10% retainage ($30,000) to get $270,000 earned less retainage. Subtract the $180,000 already certified: $90,000 is due. B applies retainage only to this period's work, C ignores retainage, and D forgets prior payments. Retainage terms come from the contract, so read them first on any real project.
Source: Calculation from the values given in the question.
How did you do?
Count your correct answers by division. With three questions per division, one miss tells you where to look first, not how ready you are. Log every miss and every lucky guess in the error log below. For hotspot practice, where you click on part of a drawing or image, use NCARB's free practice exams, which run on the real interface.
Turn every miss into your next study block
A miss is only useful if it changes what you study next. Keep a simple log, on paper or in a spreadsheet:
| Question or objective | What I chose | Why I missed or guessed | Source to reopen | Retry date | Retry result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARE-PA-01 | C, 18,000 sf | Forgot to check lot coverage after FAR | My zoning notes; redo two similar problems | Day 7 | Correct |
| Blank worksheet row |
When you fill in "why," pick the closest reason:
- Concept gap: I didn't know the rule or idea.
- Lookup gap: I knew where to find it but couldn't find it fast enough.
- Interpretation: I misread what a code, contract, or form actually requires.
- Math or units: Setup or arithmetic error.
- Missed qualifier: I skipped a word like "minimum," "first," or "not."
- Rushed elimination: I dropped the right answer too quickly.
- Unfamiliar workflow: I've never done this task at work.
Then run four steps: name the reason, reopen the source behind it, work one similar problem, and retry the original question a few days later without notes.
How ARE 5.0 questions test you
Three question types. NCARB's current question-types page lists:
- Multiple choice: three or four options; pick one.
- Check-all-that-apply: six options; you must select every correct one to get the point.
- Hotspot: click the correct area of a drawing, photo, or diagram.
Every item is worth one point. There's no partial credit and no penalty for a wrong answer, and unanswered items count as wrong. So answer everything. (Guidelines p. 40)
If older study materials use item formats beyond these three, treat them as extra practice rather than current interface practice. NCARB currently lists only the three types above.
Two thinking levels. The Guidelines describe items at the Understand/Apply level and the Analyze/Evaluate level, with an example of each (pp. 54–56). In practice, most questions put you in a project situation and ask what to do or what's true, rather than asking you to recite a definition. Look at question 7 above: knowing what FAR means isn't enough. You have to check a second limit and decide which one controls.
Case studies. Each division includes several case studies: a project scenario with one or two resources, such as drawings, a program, or a code excerpt. You can open the resources while answering any of that case study's items, and the items don't build on each other. You can jump to case studies whenever you want, including first.
Scoring. Each division is pass or fail against a cut score set for that division. Your score is the number of scored items you get right across the whole division, so a strong section can make up for a weak one. Each division also includes 6–9 unscored pretest items scattered throughout, and you won't know which ones they are. (Guidelines p. 40)
What changed in 2026
| Date | Change | Does it affect what you study? |
|---|---|---|
| April 27, 2026 | 12 of the 91 objectives were adjusted. Three were narrowed: PcM 3.3 now covers project risks only (not rewards), and PA 4.5 and PPD 5.2 now ask you to review or evaluate budgets, schedules, and cost estimates prepared by others instead of creating them. | Slightly. Read the current wording of those objectives. NCARB says it doesn't expect the changes to affect study materials. |
| April 27, 2026 | Case studies were shortened: one or two resources each instead of three to six, and fewer items per case study, with about the same total number of case-study items per division. | Mostly how the exam feels. Practice reading a scenario quickly. |
| April 27, 2026 | No change to the divisions, item counts, or testing times. Passed divisions kept full credit. | No. |
| June 1, 2026 | Online-proctored exams now require a smartphone as a second camera and a computer running a native Windows operating system. A Mac running Windows doesn't qualify. | No; NCARB says content, format, and fees weren't affected. |
| October 1, 2026 | New rescheduling fees and limits (details in Pick your first division). | No, but plan your booking around them. |
Use NCARB's free practice exams on purpose
NCARB offers six free full-length practice exams, one per division with the same number of items as the real division, plus a 75-item demo exam that covers all six. You reach them through your NCARB Record. Results show which items you got right and wrong, a breakdown by section, and rationales.
Two things to know before you use them:
- The practice exams use a fixed cut of about 68%. That cut belongs to the practice exams. It isn't the real ARE's passing score, and hitting 68% doesn't mean you're ready.
- Candidates who used them did better. In NCARB's 2025 data, candidates who used NCARB's practice exams had pass rates 15 percentage points higher overall, ranging from 12 to 18 points by division. That's an observed link, not proof the practice exam caused it. People who take practice exams may also study more.
How we'd use them:
- Take the 75-item demo early, in week 1, to learn the testing interface.
- Save your division's full practice exam for week 6, after real study, and take it timed.
- Review every missed item and its rationale, then trace each miss back to its objective.
- Build your final study days from those objectives, not from the percentage.
Test-day rules that cost people points
- A break locks everything you've already seen. After you return from a break, every item you've viewed is locked, including items you flagged for review. Finish your review pass before you take a break. (Guidelines pp. 22, 33)
- Answer every item. Blanks are scored wrong, and wrong answers cost nothing extra.
- Don't let a strange question rattle you. It might be one of the 6–9 unscored pretest items.
- Case studies can come first if that's how you work best.
- Testing online? You need a native Windows computer (no Mac, Linux, or ChromeOS), a webcam plus a smartphone as a second camera, and a wired ethernet connection. You must also complete a free PSI test run before each online division. (Guidelines pp. 25–26, 30)
- Keep exam content to yourself. You can talk about general topics and study strategies, but sharing or asking about specific questions or case studies violates the ARE Candidate Agreement and can cost you your scores or your path to licensure. (Guidelines pp. 43–45)
ARE 5.0 FAQ
How much does the ARE cost? $263 per division, or $1,578 for all six if you pass each one the first time. Retakes cost the same $263. As a licensure candidate, you also pay $105 to open an NCARB Record and $105 a year to renew it. Canceling costs $200, must be done at least 7 days out, and leaves you a seat credit good for one year. (NCARB fees)
What score do I need to pass? Each division is pass or fail against its own cut score, and NCARB doesn't publish that cut as a percentage. Your official result appears in your NCARB Record within 7–10 calendar days. You'll see unofficial provisional feedback right after the exam. Failing score reports include a scaled score and feedback by section. (Guidelines pp. 37–40)
Do my passed divisions expire? Under NCARB's score validity policy, passed ARE 5.0 divisions stay valid for as long as ARE 5.0 is offered, and they carry credit into the next version of the exam. Some jurisdictions still have their own rolling-clock-type deadline, so check with your licensing board. (Guidelines pp. 10, 37–38)
How do I become eligible to test? Through your NCARB Record. You request eligibility from the jurisdiction where you want to be licensed, and each jurisdiction sets its own rules for when you can start testing. Check yours with NCARB's licensing requirements tool before you request eligibility. (NCARB: How to Start ARE 5.0)
Can I take the ARE online? Yes, through PSI online proctoring, as long as you meet the setup rules above. You can also test at a PSI test center. (Guidelines p. 11)
Is ARE 6.0 coming? NCARB's score validity policy refers to "the next version of the exam (e.g., ARE 6.0)," but NCARB's current updates page describes only the 2025–2026 adjustments to ARE 5.0, with no launch date for a new version. Study for ARE 5.0.
Sources
Source-link update: The SBA citations use its archived official business-structure guide. DOE’s unavailable web lesson is linked to its official Passive Solar Design fact sheet, which documents the south-facing glazing and summer shading guidance used in Question 12. The AIA citations use the publisher’s current full document URLs.
Official exam information, all checked October 12, 2026:
- NCARB, ARE 5.0 Guidelines (effective October 1, 2026)
- NCARB, ARE 5.0 division pages and test prep
- NCARB, ARE 5.0 Question Types
- NCARB, Updated ARE Guidelines for April 2026 Exam Changes and NCARB Implements Changes to ARE Objectives and Case Studies
- NCARB, Recent AXP and ARE Updates
- NCARB, Updates to ARE Online Proctoring Policies
- NCARB, Changes to the ARE Rescheduling Policy
- NCARB, Fees
- NCARB, ARE 5.0 Pass Rates
- NCARB by the Numbers 2026: Examination
- NCARB, Free ARE 5.0 Practice Exams
- NCARB, How to Start ARE 5.0
Teaching sources for the practice questions: U.S. Small Business Administration, IRS, AIA Contract Documents Help Center, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Access Board guide to the 2010 ADA Standards, and WBDG's MasterFormat reference. Calculation questions use only the values given in the question.
How we made this page: The Castleport Test Prep Editorial Team built it from NCARB's published documents and the public sources above, checking each exam rule, fee, and figure against those sources on October 12, 2026. We wrote the practice questions, checked each answer against its source or recalculated it, and confirmed that only one answer works for every choose-one question. Source checking isn't the same as review by a licensed architect.
Castleport Test Prep is an independent exam prep publisher. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), PSI, or any architectural licensing board. ARE and division names are used to identify the exam; trademarks belong to their respective owners. The practice questions on this page are original and are not actual exam questions. Eligibility and licensure requirements are set by each jurisdiction; confirm yours with NCARB and your licensing board.