ARE 5.0: PjM case studies
ARE 5.0: PjM · Put your knowledge to work in context.
ARE 5.0: Project Management (PjM) is one of the six divisions of the Architect Registration Examination, the exam NCARB administers as part of the path to architectural licensure in the United States. Candidates typically sit for it after establishing an NCARB Record and requesting exam eligibility through their licensing board, and it is aimed at interns and licensure candidates who want to demonstrate that they can run a project's business side, not just its design side. The ARE 5.0: PjM case studies are 5 cases and about 2,775 words.
1The Vanishing Buffer on a Fast-Tracked Tenant Fit-Out
Your firm contracted for a 14-week tenant fit-out: schematic through construction documents, plus construction administration. The fee is a lump sum based on 320 architectural labor hours.
550 words, about 3 min2A Junior Architect, a Complex Envelope, and a Fixed Fee
A 9-person studio assigns a recently licensed architect, 14 months post-graduation, to lead the envelope package on a mid-rise project. She is capable and eager but has never detailed a curtain wall or run a consultant coordination cycle.
542 words, about 3 min3Two Projects, One Drafting Pool, and a Hard Deliverable
A 12-person firm has two projects hitting production simultaneously. Project A is a school renovation with a state-mandated submittal date in 6 weeks; missing it pushes the project a full year.
594 words, about 3 min4Risk Register Nobody Reads
At kickoff for a 20-month civic building, the PM builds a risk register with 18 entries, scored by probability and impact. It is reviewed once, filed, and not revisited for 9 months.
539 words, about 3 min5The Change Order the Team Absorbed
A 10-month, 1,400-hour project is at month 7. The client has issued 11 small change requests - added casework, a revised lobby, a relocated stair - each handled informally by the project architect 'because they're small.' Individually each looked like 8-20 hours.
550 words, about 3 min