Free ARE PA Practice Exam (Programming & Analysis)
Site, zoning, code and programming questions with case studies, every answer explained.
A senior center program places the multipurpose room far from the main entrance and up a long corridor. What adjustment best serves older users?
95 original PA questions · 6 case studies · 59% of attempts passed in 2025
PA practice questions by section
NCARB divides Programming & Analysis into 4 sections and sets each one’s share of the exam. Every section has a free ten-question drill with an explanation after each answer, and the case study drill gives you three scenarios with ten questions.
Environmental & Contextual Conditions (14–21%)
About 13 of 75 questions · 3 objectives
Site opportunities and constraints, climate, soils and sustainability principles
Codes & Regulations (16–22%)
About 14 of 75 questions · 3 objectives
Occupancy and construction type, zoning and land use, and local and site-specific rules
Site Analysis & Programming (21–27%)
About 18 of 75 questions · 3 objectives
Site attributes against the program, surveys and site reports, and site analysis drawings
Building Analysis & Programming (37–43%)
About 30 of 75 questions · 7 objectives
Existing buildings, program components and priorities, adjacencies, budget and schedule feasibility, and system alternatives
Case studies
16 questions in our practice exam
A project scenario with one or two resources such as contracts, budgets, schedules, code or zoning excerpts and drawings, followed by three or four questions.
Mixed PA drill
Ten questions from all 4 sections
A quick check across the whole division before you sit the timed practice exam.
6 free drills in PA; each drill’s first attempt is free.
Ready for the full exam?
75 questions on the real 3 hr clock, standalone questions then case studies, with check-all-that-apply items, a score by section and an explanation for every answer.
Or start with a free 10-question drillThe PA exam at a glance
Programming & Analysis covers the work before design: site and environmental analysis, zoning and code requirements, site programming, building programming and space relationships, and whether the budget and schedule fit the scope. Facts below are from NCARB’s ARE 5.0 Guidelines effective October 1, 2026, and its website.
- Questions
- 75 items: 68 scored and 7 unscored pretest items you cannot identify
- Time
- 3 hr of testing time and 30 minutes of optional break time, in a 3 hr 40 min appointment
- Case studies
- Up to 7 case studies with up to 16 questions, after the standalone questions
- Question types
- Multiple choice, check-all-that-apply and hotspot; one point each, no partial credit
- Passing score
- NCARB: 65–71% of scored items correct, depending on the form
- Fee and retakes
- US$263 per attempt; retake after 60 days, at most three attempts in 12 months
- Pass rate
- 2023: 60% · 2024: 61% · 2025: 59%
- Sections
- Environmental & Contextual Conditions 14–21%; Codes & Regulations 16–22%; Site Analysis & Programming 21–27%; Building Analysis & Programming 37–43%
What PA tests
- Building Analysis & Programming is the largest section (37–43%): net-to-gross efficiency, program priorities, adjacency diagrams, existing-building assessments, and checking a budget or schedule against the scope.
- Site Analysis & Programming (21–27%) asks you to read surveys, geotechnical and environmental reports, and site diagrams, and to fit a program onto a site.
- Codes & Regulations (16–22%) covers occupancy classification, construction type, floor area ratio, setbacks, height limits, parking and other zoning math.
- Environmental & Contextual Conditions (14–21%) covers sun, wind, topography, flood zones, soils, wetlands, community context and sustainable use of the site.
Our practice exam draws questions per section inside NCARB’s expected counts and ends with 5 case studies. It does not include hotspot items, and it scores every question, including the share that would be unscored pretest items on the real exam.
Common questions
How many questions are on the PA exam?
Programming & Analysis has 75 items: 68 scored and 7 unscored pretest items. You get 3 hours of testing time and 30 minutes of optional break time, in a 3 hour 40 minute appointment. The division includes up to 7 case studies with up to 16 case study items.
What score do you need to pass PA?
NCARB says you need to answer between 65 and 71 percent of the scored items correctly to pass Programming & Analysis. The exact cut score depends on the form you get, because forms differ slightly in difficulty. Every item is worth one point, with no partial credit and no penalty for a wrong answer. Pass or fail depends on your total across the division, not on any one section.
Can I retake PA if I fail?
You can retake a failed division 60 days after your previous attempt of that division, and take the same division no more than three times in any 12 months. Each attempt costs US$263. A failing score report shows your relative strengths and weaknesses by section on page two.
Are these real ARE questions?
No. NCARB keeps its exam content confidential, and candidates agree not to share it. Every question and case study here is original, written to the objectives NCARB publishes in the ARE 5.0 Guidelines, with an explanation and a reference for each answer.
Ready for exam day?
75 questions on the real 3 hr clock, standalone questions then case studies, with check-all-that-apply items, a score by section and an explanation for every answer.
Or start with a free 10-question drillThe other ARE divisions
One ARE pass covers every division’s practice exam and drills.
Format, scoring, fees and pass rates checked November 2026: NCARB: ARE 5.0 Guidelines (effective October 1, 2026) · NCARB: ARE 5.0 question types · NCARB: What score do you need to pass the ARE? (updated June 2025) · NCARB: ARE 5.0 pass rates · NCARB: fees.
ARE® and Architect Registration Examination® are registered marks of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). Game Assessment Prep is an independent practice site, not affiliated with or endorsed by NCARB. Every question and case study is original, written to the published ARE 5.0 objectives; none is an ARE question, a recalled question or taken from NCARB’s practice exams.