ARE 5.0 study guide
ARE 5.0 · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Architect Registration Examination (ARE) is the exam NCARB administers as the national knowledge assessment on the path to architectural licensure in the United States. NCARB is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to facilitate architectural licensure and credentialing in partnership with the jurisdictions, and it develops and administers national standards and programs that establish clear pathways to licensure. The ARE 5.0 study guide has 6 sections and about 1,769 words.
01Practice Management: The Business of Architecture
Practices operate as sole proprietorships, general partnerships, LLPs, LLCs, or professional corporations. Entity choice affects personal liability and taxation, but never substitutes for insurance.
322 words, about 2 min02Project Management: Delivery, Schedule, and Contract Administration
Design-bid-build separates design from construction with a competitive bid; design-build gives one entity responsibility for both; CM at risk and IPD shift risk and collaboration earlier. AIA A201 General Conditions defines the contractor's and architect's roles in design-bid-build, and A101 is the owner-contractor agreement.
306 words, about 2 min03Programming & Analysis: Pre-Design, Area, and Site/Code Analysis
Pre-design establishes goals, objectives, and a functional program: space types, areas, occupancy, adjacency, and growth. Programming precedes and drives design; skipping it is a common cause of later change orders.
276 words, about 1 min04Project Planning & Design: Concept, Life Safety, and Accessibility
Schematic design translates the program into concept: massing, orientation, organization, and systems strategy. Passive strategies - orientation, daylighting, envelope, natural ventilation - come first because they are cheapest to implement at this stage.
291 words, about 1 min05Project Development & Documentation: Drawings, Specifications, Coordination
CDs consist of drawings and specifications that are complementary, not ranked. Drawings show quantity, location, and dimension; specifications define quality, standards, and execution.
275 words, about 1 min06Construction & Evaluation: Bidding through Post-Occupancy
Bidding may be competitive, negotiated, or sole source. Addenda clarify the documents during bidding; bids are opened and awarded, then the owner-contractor agreement is executed.
299 words, about 1 min