ARE 5.0 division
Project Planning & Design
New members: $99/month (previously $199/month; plus applicable tax) for all six ARE divisions and the California CSE. Free PPD sample questions, no account needed; the free sample lesson is PcM only.
Schematic and design-development judgment: integrating site, code, structure, building systems, and materials into a coherent design that stays within budget.
01Exam facts
- Number of items
- 100
- Total appointment time
- 5 hr
| Environmental Conditions & Context | 10–16% |
| Codes & Regulations | 16–22% |
| Building Systems, Materials & Assemblies | 19–25% |
| Project Integration of Program & Systems | 32–38% |
| Project Costs & Budgeting | 8–14% |
NCARB states these ranges represent a typical form of the division; the form you take may vary slightly. Source: NCARB (ARE 5.0), checked October 1, 2026. Always confirm with the official source before your exam.
02Who it's for
- Designers who want to connect intuition with code and systems reasoning
- Candidates whose roles are specialized and who need breadth across disciplines
- Anyone who finds integration questions harder than single-topic questions
03Learning approach
- 1
Hold several constraints at once
Lessons pair topics deliberately — egress with plan layout, structure with spans, envelope with energy — because PPD rarely tests one in isolation.
- 2
Choose between workable options
Practice offers several plausible designs and asks which best satisfies the whole set of requirements.
- 3
Account for cost
Review returns to budget implications so design choices are weighed as an owner would weigh them.
04Curriculum
Loading the curriculum outline…
05Decisions you'll practice
- Which structural approach suits a program's spans and floor-to-floor limits
- How to arrange exits and corridors so a plan meets egress requirements
- Which envelope assembly balances performance, cost, and climate
- Where to reduce scope when an estimate comes in over budget
Examples of the kinds of decisions covered. Not actual exam questions.
06Published now
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07Sample
No free sample is approved yet. The curriculum outline above lists every published section; How It Works explains the study flow.
08Questions
Start with PPD.
One $99/month membership (previously $199/month) opens PPD and every other published program, including the California CSE. Checking membership availability…