ARE Practice Management (PcM) Exam Prep
Practice questions: 20 original PcM items
These are original, unofficial practice questions written by Castleport Test Prep. They aren't NCARB exam questions, and your score here doesn't predict an ARE result. There's at least one question for each of NCARB's 12 PcM objectives.
How to use them: answer first, then read the explanation. For "select all that apply" questions, you only get credit if you pick every correct choice and no wrong ones. That matches NCARB's rule of no partial credit (Guidelines, pp. 40, 74).
Section 1: Business Operations (5 questions)
PCM-01 · Objective 1.3 · Choose one
You're a principal at a small firm and own a stake in a regional flooring manufacturer. On a school project, that manufacturer's product is a strong technical fit. Under the AIA Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, what should you do?
Answer and explanation, Question 1
Answer: B
Why: AIA Rule 3.201 says you may not take on work where your judgment could be affected unless everyone relying on that judgment consents after full disclosure. Quality (A) doesn't cure an undisclosed interest. Steering the client away from the best product (C) protects you at the client's expense. Withdrawing (D) goes further than the rule requires when disclosure and consent solve the problem. Keep in mind the AIA Code binds AIA members; as a licensee you also answer to your board's rules of conduct.
Source: AIA Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, 2024 edition, the edition listed in NCARB's current ARE reference guide
PCM-02 · Objective 1.3 · Select all that apply
During construction documents, your client directs a change that violates the applicable building code and, in your professional judgment, would materially harm public safety in the finished building. Under AIA Rule 2.105, which actions are required? Select all that apply.
Answer and explanation, Question 2
Answer: A, B, C
Why: Rule 2.105 lists three duties: advise against the decision, refuse to consent, and report it to the official who enforces the code unless the matter gets resolved another way. An indemnity (D) shifts money between you and the client; it does nothing for the public. E isn't in the rule, which points to the code official, not NCARB. To get credit, select A, B, and C and nothing else.
Source: AIA Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, 2024 edition, the edition listed in NCARB's current ARE reference guide
PCM-03 · Objective 1.4 · Choose one
An owner's draft agreement says: "Architect warrants that its documents will be free of errors and that the completed building will meet all of Owner's expectations." What's the best response?
Answer and explanation, Question 3
Answer: C
Why: The professional standard is the skill and care ordinarily provided by architects practicing in the same or similar locality under similar circumstances (B101-2017 §2.2). It doesn't require perfection. A warranty of error-free documents is a higher bar, so A is wrong. Courts have enforced elevated standards, and that language can fall outside professional liability coverage, which rules out D and makes B a fee for uninsured risk.
Source: AIA Best Practices: Standard of care (B101-2017 §2.2); ABA Construction Lawyer: Demystifying the standard of care (Spring 2025)
PCM-04 · Objective 1.2 · Choose one
Your firm's model shop has a hazard that's recognized in the industry and likely to cause serious physical harm, but no specific OSHA standard addresses it. What obligates the firm to deal with it?
Answer and explanation, Question 4
Answer: A
Why: Section 5(a)(1) requires employers to keep the workplace free from recognized hazards that are causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm. Section 5(a)(2) covers compliance with specific OSHA standards, so it doesn't reach this hazard on its own (D), and C is wrong. ADA Title III (B) is about access for people with disabilities, not worker safety.
Source: OSH Act Section 5, Duties
PCM-05 · Objective 1.1 · Type your answer
Next quarter's backlog needs about 4,200 billable (direct) hours. Each full-time staff member has 520 paid hours in the quarter, and the firm plans around a 65% utilization rate. What's the minimum number of full-time staff needed to cover the billable work? (whole number)
Answer and explanation, Question 5
Answer: 13
Why: At 65% utilization, each person delivers 520 × 0.65 = 338 billable hours. 4,200 ÷ 338 = 12.4, and you can't staff 0.4 of a person, so round up to 13. The common miss is 4,200 ÷ 520 = 8.1, which assumes everyone bills every paid hour. Firms often measure utilization in labor dollars (direct labor ÷ total labor); the hours version works the same way. The AIA article cited here describes 60–65% as a typical utilization range.
Source: AIA Best Practices: Budgeting key performance indicators, pp. 3–5
Section 2: Finances, Risk & Development of Practice (6 questions)
Mini case: Harbor Row Architects (fictional firm, last fiscal year)
| Line item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total revenue | $2,400,000 |
| Direct expenses (consultants and reimbursables) | $600,000 |
| Direct labor (wages for hours worked on client projects) | $600,000 |
| Total labor (wages for all staff hours) | $960,000 |
| Total indirect expenses (all overhead, including indirect labor) | $990,000 |
Use this exhibit for PCM-06 through PCM-09.
PCM-06 · Objective 2.1 · Type your answer
Using the Harbor Row exhibit, what was the firm's net multiplier? (one decimal place)
Answer and explanation, Question 6
Answer: 3.0
Why: Net revenue = total revenue − direct expenses = $2,400,000 − $600,000 = $1,800,000. Net multiplier = net revenue ÷ direct labor = $1,800,000 ÷ $600,000 = 3.0. Two common misses: 4.0 (total revenue ÷ direct labor, which treats consultant pass-throughs as the firm's own earnings) and 1.9 (dividing by total labor instead of direct labor).
Source: AIA Best Practices: Budgeting key performance indicators, pp. 3–5
PCM-07 · Objective 2.1 · Type your answer
Using the Harbor Row exhibit, what was the firm's utilization rate, based on labor dollars? (percent, one decimal place)
Answer and explanation, Question 7
Answer: 62.5%
Why: Utilization = direct labor ÷ total labor = $600,000 ÷ $960,000 = 62.5%. The trap answer is 25%, which divides direct labor by total revenue.
Source: AIA Best Practices: Budgeting key performance indicators, pp. 3–5
PCM-08 · Objective 2.1 · Choose one
Using the Harbor Row exhibit, which statement about the firm's year is correct?
Answer and explanation, Question 8
Answer: A
Why: Overhead rate = total indirect expenses ÷ direct labor = $990,000 ÷ $600,000 = 165%. Breakeven multiplier = 1 + 1.65 = 2.65, because each direct-labor dollar has to cover itself plus $1.65 of overhead. At 3.0 the firm cleared breakeven: $1,800,000 − $600,000 − $990,000 = $210,000 profit, about 11.7% of net revenue. B divides by total labor. C mistakes an overhead rate above 100%, which is normal, for a loss. D forgets the labor dollar itself.
Source: AIA Best Practices: Budgeting key performance indicators, pp. 3–5
PCM-09 · Objective 2.3 · Type your answer
For next year, Harbor Row expects the same 165% overhead rate and wants operating profit equal to 10% of net revenue. What's the minimum net multiplier it should price for? (two decimal places)
Answer and explanation, Question 9
Answer: 2.95
Why: Work per dollar of direct labor. Profit = multiplier − 1 (the labor) − 1.65 (overhead). The goal is profit ≥ 10% of the multiplier, so M − 2.65 ≥ 0.10M, which gives 0.90M ≥ 2.65 and M ≥ 2.94444…. Because the question asks for the minimum multiplier to price to two decimal places, round up to 2.95; 2.94 would produce only about a 9.86% margin. The trap is 2.65 × 1.10 = 2.915, or 2.92. That's a 10% markup on cost, not a 10% margin on revenue.
Source: AIA Best Practices: Budgeting key performance indicators, pp. 3–5
PCM-10 · Objective 2.2 · Choose one
A sole principal is retiring and closing the firm. Its professional liability policy is claims-made, and a claim from a past project could surface years later. What's the best step?
Answer and explanation, Question 10
Answer: D
Why: Professional liability policies for architects are commonly written on a claims-made basis, meaning coverage is triggered by a claim made while the applicable coverage is in force. When a firm closes, an extended reporting period (often called a tail) can preserve a period for reporting claims arising from earlier covered work. That makes D the best answer. A confuses claims-made coverage with occurrence coverage. B assumes an occurrence-based replacement will solve prior-work reporting, and C is the wrong coverage type.
Sources: AIA: Risk management basics; The Hartford: Tail coverage
PCM-11 · Objective 2.2 · Select all that apply
Under U.S. copyright law, which elements of an architectural work are protected? Select all that apply.
Answer and explanation, Question 11
Answer: A, B
Why: Circular 41 protects the overall form and the arrangement and composition of spaces and elements. It excludes individual standard features (C), interior design such as furniture and paint (D), and purely functional features (E). To get credit, select A and B only.
Source: U.S. Copyright Office Circular 41: Copyright Claims in Architectural Works
Section 3: Practice-Wide Delivery of Services (5 questions)
PCM-12 · Objective 3.2 · Choose one
An owner wants a single contract that covers both design and construction. Which delivery method fits?
Answer and explanation, Question 12
Answer: D
Why: In design-build, the owner contracts with one design-builder, which may then contract with architects and builders. Conventional delivery uses separate owner–architect and owner–contractor contracts. In both construction manager methods, the architect still has its own contract with the owner.
PCM-13 · Objective 3.2 · Choose one
An owner wants a builder involved during design who will serve as the constructor, take on cost and schedule risk, and possibly provide a guaranteed maximum price (GMP). Which method fits?
Answer and explanation, Question 13
Answer: B
Why: AIA describes the CMc as acting as the constructor, with the option of a guaranteed maximum price. A CMa only advises and doesn't hold trade contracts. In design-bid-build, the contractor comes in after design. Multiple prime contracts (D) has no single party taking on that role.
PCM-14 · Objective 3.2 · Choose one
An owner wants preconstruction advice from a construction manager but wants to hold the trade contracts directly. Which method fits?
Answer and explanation, Question 14
Answer: A
Why: A CMa advises without holding trade contracts, so the owner holds them. A CMc holds them as constructor. In design-build, they sit under the design-builder. An IPD single-purpose entity creates a new company that the parties share.
PCM-15 · Objective 3.1 · Choose one
A client asks your firm, which has no structural engineers on staff, to include structural design in its scope. What's the best response?
Answer and explanation, Question 15
Answer: C
Why: AIA Rule 3.102 says to take on work only when you're qualified, and that you can fill gaps by retaining consultants. The consultant needs whatever license your jurisdiction requires. A ignores the qualification question. B turns away work you could deliver properly. D pushes design responsibility onto someone who wasn't hired to carry it.
Source: AIA Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, 2024 edition, the edition listed in NCARB's current ARE reference guide
PCM-16 · Objective 3.3 · Choose one
A client wants to build on a former fill site with no subsurface data and asks to skip geotechnical work to save money. What's the best risk-management step?
Answer and explanation, Question 16
Answer: B
Why: Unknown site conditions such as soil defects generally fall to the owner and usually aren't covered by contractor contingencies, so C doesn't solve the problem. A is outside an architect's expertise (AIA Rule 3.102). D waits until the risk is most expensive to fix. A written recommendation gives the owner the information to decide and records the advice you gave.
Source: AIA Best Practices: Standard of care (B101-2017 §2.2); AIA Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, 2024 edition
Section 4: Practice Methodologies (4 questions)
PCM-17 · Objective 4.1 · Choose one
A sole proprietor wants to protect personal assets from the firm's business debts. Assuming the jurisdiction allows it for an architecture firm, which change does that most directly?
Answer and explanation, Question 17
Answer: D
Why: The SBA says sole proprietors can be held personally liable for business debts and that LLCs protect owners from personal liability in most instances. S corporation status (A) is a tax status filed with the IRS. A partnership (B) carries unlimited personal liability unless it's set up as a limited partnership. Professional liability insurance (C) covers professional claims, not business debts in general. No entity shields an architect from their own professional negligence, and states regulate how architecture firms can be organized and owned.
Source: U.S. Small Business Administration: Choose a business structure
PCM-18 · Objective 4.1 · Choose one
Which statement about an S corporation is accurate?
Answer and explanation, Question 18
Answer: A
Why: An eligible corporation or other eligible entity makes an S corporation election with the IRS, generally using Form 2553, and S corporation income generally passes through to shareholders rather than being taxed to the corporation itself. It isn't a partnership (B), S corporation status does not create unlimited owner liability (C), and architecture firms are not universally required to use it (D).
Sources: IRS: About Form 2553; U.S. Small Business Administration: Choose a business structure
PCM-19 · Objective 4.2 · Choose one
Your firm's work is shifting from speculative office buildings to retail stores. Which ADA Title III obligation applies to an existing retail store but not to an existing office building with no public-facing services?
Answer and explanation, Question 19
Answer: C
Why: A retail store is a public accommodation, so it must also remove barriers in existing buildings when that's readily achievable. An office building with no public-facing services is a commercial facility, which is covered only by the new-construction and alterations requirements. A, B, and D apply to both building types.
Source: ADA.gov: ADA Title III primer
PCM-20 · Objective 4.1 · Choose one
Two architects form a general partnership. Which statement is accurate?
Answer and explanation, Question 20
Answer: C
Why: The SBA lists unlimited personal liability for partnerships unless they're set up as limited partnerships, so a general partner's exposure isn't capped at what they invested (A). Shielding from the other partners' actions (B) is a feature of a limited liability partnership (LLP), not a general partnership. Partnership income passes through to the partners' personal taxes rather than being taxed as a corporation (D).
Source: U.S. Small Business Administration: Choose a business structure
Check your results by section
| Section | Questions | NCARB weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Business Operations | PCM-01 to PCM-05 (5) | 20–26% |
| 2. Finances, Risk & Development of Practice | PCM-06 to PCM-11 (6) | 29–35% |
| 3. Practice-Wide Delivery of Services | PCM-12 to PCM-16 (5) | 22–28% |
| 4. Practice Methodologies | PCM-17 to PCM-20 (4) | 17–23% |
Treat your score as feedback on these 20 questions, not a pass prediction. With only four to six questions per section, one miss swings a section a lot. Use the misses to choose where to start in the plan below, then get a bigger read from NCARB's free full-length practice exam.
This free study page covers what you need for the ARE 5.0 Practice Management division: the four sections and their weights, 20 original practice questions with full explanations, a 4-week plan, and the firm-finance math worked out. It's checked against NCARB's ARE 5.0 Guidelines (effective October 1, 2026) and the PcM objectives in force since April 27, 2026.
PcM at a glance: 65 total items (59 scored + 6 unscored pretest) · up to 6 case studies and up to 14 case-study items · 2 hr 40 min of testing plus a 30-minute break · pass/fail · taken at a PSI test center or online.
| Section | Share of the exam | What it's really about | Study priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2. Finances, Risk & Development of Practice | 29–35% (largest) | Firm finances, insurance, legal exposure, negotiating services | Start here |
| 3. Practice-Wide Delivery of Services | 22–28% | Taking on projects, contracts, delivery methods, project risk | Second |
| 1. Business Operations | 20–26% | Staffing, workplace rules, ethics, standard of care | Third |
| 4. Practice Methodologies | 17–23% (smallest) | Business structures and firm-wide processes | Fourth, but don't skip it |
Weights from NCARB's Practice Management page. NCARB calls these typical ranges; your form can vary slightly. The priority order is our recommendation based on those weights.
Version check: the current Guidelines list 65 items and 2 hours 40 minutes. If a prep source gives a different count or test duration, cross-check it against the current Guidelines before studying from it (Guidelines, p. 8).
Your 4-week PcM study plan
This plan assumes about 8–10 focused hours a week while working full time, with your exam at the end of week 4. That's our editorial estimate, not an NCARB requirement. If you have six weeks, split weeks 2 and 4 in half. If you have less than four, keep the order and shorten each block.
| Week | Focus | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baseline and Business Operations | Take the 20 questions above cold and note every miss by objective. Read NCARB's PcM page and the scoring and break rules in the Guidelines. Study AIA Code Rules 2.105, 3.102, and 3.201, the standard of care, OSHA's General Duty Clause, and the FLSA exemption tests. Practice the staffing calculation in PCM-05. End the week by writing those three AIA rules from memory. |
| 2 | Finances, Risk & Development of Practice | Learn the five firm-finance ratios below until you can do them without notes. Make up your own firm's numbers and solve all five. Study claims-made insurance and tails, copyright in architectural works, and contract clauses that raise the standard of care. Redo PCM-06 to PCM-11 cold on day 7. |
| 3 | Practice-Wide Delivery of Services | Download NCARB's sample AIA contracts from your NCARB Record and read B101 (scope, standard of care, owner and architect responsibilities) and C401 (how consultant agreements tie to the prime agreement). Learn the delivery-method table below. Practice turning client requests into a yes, a no, or a yes-with-a-consultant. Redo PCM-12 to PCM-16 cold. |
| 4 | Practice Methodologies, full practice exam, review | Study business structures (sole proprietorship, partnership, LLP, LLC, corporation, and S corporation status) and ADA Title III by facility type. Early in the week, take NCARB's free PcM practice exam in test mode with a 2:40 timer. Then review every item, including lucky guesses, and redo your weakest objectives. Use the 48-hour checklist at the end of this page. |
What each PcM objective expects
NCARB writes every item to one objective (Guidelines, p. 49). The objective names below come from NCARB's Practice Management page. The other columns are our study guidance.
| Objective | Be able to | Study | Common trap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1 Assess resources within the practice | Match staff and capacity to the workload; judge whether the firm can take on work | Utilization, staffing math (PCM-05), workload planning | Assuming everyone bills 100% of paid hours |
| 1.2 Apply the regulations and requirements governing the work environment | Spot which workplace law or requirement applies | OSH Act §5; FLSA exemption tests (salary basis, salary level, and duties; titles don't decide); required insurance coverage | Thinking "no specific OSHA standard" means no duty |
| 1.3 Apply ethical standards to comply with accepted principles within a given situation | Choose the action an ethics rule requires | AIA Code, 2024 edition: 2.105, 3.102, 3.201, 4.101, 4.201, 5.301; your board's rules of conduct | Picking the "safe for me" answer over the required one |
| 1.4 Apply appropriate Standard of Care within a given situation | Tell negligence from ordinary imperfection; recognize clauses that raise the bar | B101-2017 §2.2 language (AIA); ABA overview | Treating "highest standard" or warranty wording as harmless |
| 2.1 Evaluate the financial well-being of the practice | Calculate and interpret firm ratios together | Net revenue, net multiplier, utilization, overhead rate, breakeven (AIA KPIs) | Using total revenue instead of net revenue |
| 2.2 Identify practice policies and methodologies for risk, legal exposures, and resolutions | Pick the policy that limits exposure | Claims-made coverage (AIA) and extended reporting periods (The Hartford); copyright (Circular 41); contract risk clauses | Assuming an expired policy covers old work |
| 2.3 Select and apply practice strategies for a given business situation and policy | Price, negotiate, and choose strategy based on firm numbers | Target-margin pricing (PCM-09); revisiting fee and schedule when scope changes | Confusing a markup on cost with a margin on revenue |
| 3.1 Analyze and determine response for client services requests | Decide whether and how to take on a requested service | AIA Rule 3.102; consultants; scope, fee, schedule, and staffing fit | Accepting work outside your firm's competence |
| 3.2 Analyze applicability of contract types and delivery methods | Match an owner's goals to a delivery method and agreement | AIA contract families; B101, C401, A201 | Mixing up CMa and CMc |
| 3.3 Understand potential project risks and how a practice can mitigate those risks | Name the risk and the mitigation step | Unknown site conditions, clients cutting needed services, written recommendations | Letting the contractor "absorb" a risk the owner holds |
| 4.1 Identify and compare practice and business structures relevant to an architectural practice | Compare liability, taxes, and control across structures | SBA business structures; your state's rules on firm ownership | Calling S corporation a liability shield by itself |
| 4.2 Identify and compare processes, policies, and resources used in the design, coordination, and documentation of different project types | Adjust firm processes when project types change | ADA Title III by facility type; consultant coordination; document standards | Applying one project type's rules to another |
The firm-finance math, worked once
Four ratios do most of the work on 2.1 and 2.3 questions. These definitions follow the AIA Best Practices article Budgeting key performance indicators (pp. 3–5).
| Measure | Formula | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Net revenue | Total revenue − direct expenses (mostly consultant fees) | The money the firm earns from its own work |
| Net multiplier | Net revenue ÷ direct labor | Net revenue earned per dollar paid for project work |
| Utilization | Direct labor ÷ total labor | Share of labor spent on billable project work |
| Overhead rate | Total indirect expenses ÷ direct labor | Overhead carried per direct-labor dollar |
| Breakeven multiplier | 1 + overhead rate | The net multiplier where profit is zero (our derivation from the definitions above) |
Worked through with Harbor Row's numbers (the fictional firm in the practice set):
- Net revenue: $2,400,000 − $600,000 = $1,800,000
- Net multiplier: $1,800,000 ÷ $600,000 = 3.0
- Utilization: $600,000 ÷ $960,000 = 62.5%
- Overhead rate: $990,000 ÷ $600,000 = 165%
- Breakeven multiplier: 1 + 1.65 = 2.65
- Profit: $1,800,000 − $600,000 − $990,000 = $210,000, about 11.7% of net revenue
The trap to remember: to price for a profit margin, divide by (1 − margin). Don't multiply by (1 + margin). At a 165% overhead rate and a 10% target margin, the exact threshold is 2.65 ÷ 0.90 = 2.94444…. If you price multipliers to two decimals, you need at least 2.95. Using 2.94 would yield only about a 9.86% margin. Multiplying 2.65 × 1.10 = 2.915 (2.92 rounded) is a 10% markup on cost, not a 10% margin on revenue.
For context, the AIA article gives typical ranges: a net multiplier around 3.0, utilization of 60–65%, and an overhead rate of 160–170% before bonuses. Those are one author's benchmarks, not NCARB standards. On the exam, read the numbers in the question, not a memorized "good" value.
Contracts and delivery methods to know
PcM looks at contracts from the firm's side: what you're agreeing to and what risk comes with it. NCARB's current ARE reference guide lists the AIA contract editions used for exam development and notes that candidates can access the referenced AIA documents through the NCARB Record under Exams > Additional Resources (ARE 5.0 Guidelines).
| Document | Who it's between | Why it matters for PcM |
|---|---|---|
| B101-2017 | Owner and architect | Your scope, compensation, and the standard of care in §2.2 |
| C401-2017 | Architect and a consultant the architect hires, such as an engineer | How you bring in expertise you don't have in-house (see PCM-15) |
| A201-2017 | General conditions of the construction contract | The owner, contractor, and architect roles during construction. It shows up more heavily in Project Management and Construction & Evaluation |
| Delivery method | How the contracts work | Clue in a question |
|---|---|---|
| Conventional (design-bid-build) | The owner signs separate contracts with the architect and the contractor | The contractor is selected after design |
| Construction manager as advisor (CMa) | The CM advises; the owner holds the trade contracts | "Advice only" or "the owner wants the trade contracts" |
| Construction manager as constructor (CMc, or CM at-risk) | The CM builds the project and may offer a guaranteed maximum price | Builder input during design plus a GMP |
| Design-build | The owner contracts with one design-builder, which may hire the architect | "One contract for design and construction" |
| Integrated project delivery | The main parties share risk and reward, sometimes under one multi-party agreement | Shared risk and reward language |
Source: AIA Contract Documents, contract document families.
What changed in April 2026
Since April 27, 2026, NCARB uses rewritten wording for three PcM objectives. Objective 3.3 is now about understanding project risks and how a practice can mitigate them. Objective 4.1 is about identifying and comparing practice and business structures. Objective 4.2 is about comparing the processes, policies, and resources used in the design, coordination, and documentation of different project types. The item count, test time, and four sections didn't change, while the case-study format shifted to more, shorter case studies with one or two resources each. Check that any study material you use matches the objective list on NCARB's PcM page and the April 27, 2026 NCARB update.
How hard is PcM?
About half the people who take it pass. NCARB's figures include everyone who tested each year, first-time and repeat (NCARB pass rates):
| Year | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PcM pass rate | 51% | 53% | 50% | 53% | 48% | 51% |
NCARB doesn't publish a fixed passing percentage. Your score is the number of scored items you get right, compared with a cut score for the whole division. A weak section can be offset by stronger ones (Guidelines, pp. 40, 74).
Pacing, breaks, and scoring on test day
- Average pace: 160 minutes ÷ 65 items is about 2½ minutes per item. Case study items take longer, so move faster on the short ones.
- Answer everything. Each item is worth one point, wrong answers cost nothing, and blanks count as wrong. For PcM, 6 of the 65 items are unscored pretest items (59 are scored), and you won't know which ones (Guidelines, pp. 40, 74).
- Breaks lock items. After any break, every item you've already viewed is locked, including ones you marked for review. Take your break at a point where you're done with what you've seen (Guidelines, p. 22).
- Results: you'll see provisional feedback right after the exam. The official score report shows up in your NCARB Record within 7–10 calendar days (Guidelines, p. 37).
Use NCARB's free practice exam
NCARB offers a free practice exam for each division, with the same number of items and the same objectives as the real one (NCARB practice exams). Find it in your NCARB Record under the Exams tab, in Additional Resources. If you don't have active eligibilities yet, use "Practice the ARE" under Quick Links.
- Take it in test mode after one full pass through the plan. Test mode imitates exam conditions.
- Review every item, including the ones you guessed right. The results page shows section percentages and a rationale for every item.
- Re-weight your last days toward your weakest sections. Don't turn the practice percentage into a pass prediction.
Booking, fees, and retakes
- Fee: $263 per division, and the same for a retake (NCARB fees).
- Scheduling: book through your NCARB Record at least 48 hours ahead for a test center, or 24 hours ahead for online proctoring (Guidelines, p. 11).
- Online testing: you need a free PSI test run before each online division, and a native Windows computer (Guidelines, pp. 25, 30).
| When you change | Reschedule | Cancel |
|---|---|---|
| 31+ days before | Free, up to 3 times | $200, seat credit kept up to 1 year |
| 15–30 days before | $75 | $200 |
| 7–14 days before | $150 | $200 |
| Under 7 days | Not allowed | Not allowed |
Source: NCARB fees. Missing the appointment forfeits the whole fee.
- Retakes: you can retake a failed division 60 days after your last attempt, up to three times in any 12 months (Guidelines, p. 41).
- Your board's rules: eligibility and any rolling-clock deadlines depend on the jurisdiction where you're seeking a license. Check with your board (NCARB requirements by jurisdiction).
If you didn't pass
Start with page 2 of your failing score report. It shows your percent correct in each section next to the average for candidates who passed (Guidelines, pp. 38–39, 41). Rank the gaps by size and by section weight. A 15-point gap in Section 2 matters more than the same gap in Section 4.
Then go back to week 1 of the plan with those sections first. Retake the 20 questions here cold, and take NCARB's practice exam again before you rebook. You can retake after 60 days. If you think the score is wrong, NCARB offers a $100 score verification within 60 days of the test.
The last 48 hours
- Redo the Harbor Row calculations from a blank page.
- Redo every question you've missed, here and on NCARB's practice exam.
- Read through the contract and delivery-method tables once.
- Re-read AIA Rules 2.105, 3.102, and 3.201 and the B101 standard-of-care sentence.
- For online testing, confirm your PSI test run is done and your room meets the rules.
- Don't open new study materials. Review what you already know.
Sources and independence
Official NCARB sources: ARE 5.0 Guidelines, effective October 1, 2026 · ARE: Practice Management · ARE practice exams · Pass rates · Fees
Teaching sources: AIA Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, 2024 edition · AIA Best Practices: Budgeting key performance indicators · AIA Best Practices: Standard of care · ABA: Demystifying the standard of care · AIA contract document families · AIA: Risk management basics · The Hartford: Tail coverage · OSH Act Section 5 · DOL Fact Sheet 17A · ADA Title III primer · Copyright Circular 41 · SBA: Choose a business structure · IRS: About Form 2553
Sources checked: October 12, 2026, covering PcM format, section weights, objective wording, scoring and retake rules, fees, pass rates, and NCARB practice-exam access.
How we made this page: Castleport Test Prep Editorial Team, with AI assistance for drafting. We checked every exam fact and answer key against the sources linked above. The questions haven't been reviewed by a licensed architect.
Castleport Test Prep is an independent exam prep publisher. We're not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by NCARB. ARE and other exam and credential names are used only to identify their subjects, and trademarks belong to their respective owners. The practice questions on this page are original and are not real or recalled exam items. See our Educational Disclaimer.