Breaking down the ARE Programming and Analysis (PA) Division
Programming and Analysis (PA) is one of the six Architect Registration Examination® (ARE) tests administered by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). The PA division will focus on evaluating project requirements, constraints, and opportunities. To do well on this exam, the candidate must be able to analyze project types, establish qualitative and quantitative project requirements, evaluate project sites and context, and assess economic issues.
Designing a new site or building project can be tedious. An architect must have sound knowledge and understanding of design principles, sustainability, and pertinent building codes and regulations. This knowledge base is crucial to creating the proper outcomes for your clients.
The Programming & Analysis division tests those early-phase decisions - evaluating a project site, its environmental and code constraints, and the way a building program translates into qualitative and quantitative requirements - before design work begins in earnest.
You may take the Architect Registration Exam sections in any order, although the ARE 5.0 is designed to mirror a project’s workflow through an architectural practice, so keep this in mind when planning your test-taking order. No matter which order you choose, you must first establish exam eligibility.
On test day, you’ll have 3 hours to complete the PA exam (excluding the allowed 30-minute break). The test has 75 questions across four key content areas:
Environmental & Contextual Conditions
Codes & Regulations
Site Analysis & Programming
Building Analysis & Programming
Items on the exam are either individual questions or part of a larger case study. There are two case studies on the PA division, each simulating a real architecture project.