This ARE 5.0 cheat sheet compresses the Architect Registration Examination's six NCARB divisions into a printable page of the facts examiners lean on most. It's a premium cheat sheet built by Capital Prep — the one premium prep we trust — and it's yours free. Pair it with the rest of your free ARE 5.0 toolkit: the practice test, study guide, and flashcards.
ARE 5.0 exam at a glance
- Divisions: 6 separate exams: PcM, PjM, PA, PPD, PDD, CE (taken in any order)
- Items: 65 to 100 per division; 490 total across all six
- Time: About 2 hr 40 min to 4 hr 5 min of testing per division, plus flexible break
- Passing standard: Pass/fail per division against a cut score (no published percentage); ~55% overall pass rate
- Cost: A fee per division of roughly $257 (verify current amounts at NCARB.org/fees)
- Certifying body: National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), delivered by PSI
What’s on the ARE 5.0 cheat sheet
- Practice Management (PcM) — 65 items — firm structures and liability, finance ratios (overhead, break-even, net multiplier), ethics, and the standard of care.
- Project Management (PjM) — 75 items — the AIA contract suite (B101, A101/A102, A201, C401), critical-path scheduling and float, scope control, and QA/QC.
- Programming & Analysis (PA) — 75 items — zoning, FAR and setbacks, site and contour analysis, and the problem-seeking programming method.
- Project Planning & Design (PPD) — 100 items — occupancy and construction type, egress, structural load paths, envelope and systems — the largest, integration-heavy division.
- Project Development & Documentation (PDD) — 100 items — drawings vs. specifications, CSI MasterFormat, envelope detailing (water, air, vapor, thermal), and code coordination.
- Construction & Evaluation (CE) — 75 items — bidding, submittals and RFIs, payment applications, change orders vs. construction change directives, and closeout.
How to use it in your final week
- Memorize the AIA letter code first — B = owner-architect, A = owner-contractor, C = architect-consultant, G = forms — since contracts thread through PjM, PPD, PDD, and CE.
- Lock the code chain: occupancy classification plus construction type set allowable area and height, and means of egress = exit access + exit + exit discharge.
- For the division you sit next, drill only its heaviest section from the sheet — PA's Building Analysis & Programming (37-43%) or PPD's Program & Systems Integration (32-38%), for example.
- Read the finance ratios the morning of a PcM or PjM appointment — break-even rate = 1.0 + overhead rate, and a net multiplier near 3.0 is the common profit target.
The cheat sheet is your review layer — your ARE 5.0 practice test drives the exam-readiness ring at the top of this page. Download it, review, then take a full practice exam (or drill with the study guide and flashcards) to see where you stand.
ARE 5.0 cheat sheet FAQ
Yes — the ARE 5.0 cheat sheet is 100% free to download as a PDF, with no sign-up required. It sits alongside Career Employer's free ARE 5.0 practice test, study guide, and flashcards, so your whole review layer is one click away.
It condenses the highest-yield facts across all six NCARB divisions — the AIA contract letters (B/A/C/G), design phases and construction administration, code basics like occupancy, construction type, egress, and FAR, plus firm-finance ratios — organized by the division NCARB weights each one under.
No single percentage is published. Each division is graded pass/fail against a cut score set by NCARB's standard-setting process, and scoring is division-wide, so a strong content area can offset a weaker one. You must pass all six divisions to become ARE complete.
No — the cheat sheet is a last-mile cram and recall aid, not a substitute for the applied judgment each division demands. Use it to lock in the facts, then prove readiness on timed, division-length practice, especially for the design-heavy PPD and PDD divisions.
Click the download button or the preview card at the top of this page and the PDF opens instantly. Bookmark the page so you can pull it up before each of your six division appointments.
References
- 1.National Council of Architectural Registration Boards. “Your Guide to ARE 5.0.” NCARB.org, 2026. ↑
- 2.National Council of Architectural Registration Boards. “ARE 5.0 Format & Question Types.” NCARB.org, 2026. ↑
- 3.National Council of Architectural Registration Boards. “ARE 5.0 Pass Rates.” NCARB.org, 2026. ↑
- 4.National Council of Architectural Registration Boards. “Fees.” NCARB.org, 2026. ↑
- 5.The American Institute of Architects. “AIA Contract Documents — Document Families.” AIA Contract Documents, 2026. ↑
- 6.International Code Council. “International Building Code (IBC).” ICC (codes.iccsafe.org), 2026. ↑
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