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ARE 5.0 study materials from NCARB: the Guidelines, references and videos

NCARB’s core study document is the ARE 5.0 Guidelines, a PDF from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). The edition that took effect on October 1, 2026 lists every section and objective of the six Architect Registration Examination (ARE) divisions, a reference list for each division, the codes and contract documents the exam uses, and the formulas you’ll see on screen. It also holds the exam rules. When NCARB answers where to find ARE 5.0 study materials, it starts with this document, then adds its practice exams, the ARE 5.0 Community and its prep videos.

  • 91Exam objectives across the six divisions
  • October 1, 2026Guidelines edition in effect from
  • Merged into the GuidelinesWhere the ARE 5.0 Handbook went
Download the ARE 5.0 Guidelines

Updated October 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

What happened to the ARE 5.0 Handbook?

NCARB merged it into the ARE 5.0 Guidelines when the exam moved to its test provider, PSI, so there’s one document for both the policies and the content. An older ARE 5.0 Handbook PDF, effective September 2022, sits at its old address on NCARB’s site. Use the Guidelines instead: the April 27, 2026 update changed some exam objectives and the case study format, and the old Handbook doesn’t have those changes.

NCARB: ARE 5.0 Guidelines (PDF) ↗

How to read the exam content outline

The Exam Content section gives each division an overview, its 4 or 5 sections and the objectives in each. Every section has a target share of the items, and every objective has its own percentage. NCARB says these figures describe a typical form, so the one you sit may differ slightly.

Each objective is also tagged with a cognitive level. Understand/Apply (U/A) items ask you to apply a concept to a situation. Analyze/Evaluate (A/E) items ask you to weigh several factors and make a judgment. The ARE doesn’t use pure recall questions, so learning definitions by heart won’t carry you far.

Questions, time and sections in each division →

The ARE 5.0 Reference Guide

Near the end of the Guidelines, the Reference Guide lists books and standards for each division. “Primary” references are the ones NCARB’s volunteer item writers cite most, across most objectives. “Supplemental” ones cover narrower topics. For Practice Management (PcM), for example, the primary reference is The Architect’s Handbook of Professional Practice, from the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

NCARB says you don’t need to memorize facts and figures from these books. It also says information in older editions often remains relevant. Building codes, professional standards and AIA contract documents are listed together, with the editions the exam uses, such as A201‑2017 for the general conditions and B101‑2017 for the owner/architect agreement.

A link to free AIA contracts for ARE candidates sits under Additional Resources on the Exams tab of your NCARB Record.

Did the April 2026 update change what you need to study?

Not much, by NCARB’s account. It said it didn’t expect the changes to affect study materials. Three objectives were narrowed:

  • Practice Management objective 3.3 covers a project’s risks and how to reduce them, no longer its rewards.
  • Programming & Analysis (PA) objective 4.5 asks you to review a budget and schedule, not create them.
  • Project Planning & Design (PPD) objective 5.2 asks you to evaluate cost estimates prepared by others.

Nine other objectives got clearer wording, and from April 27, 2026 each case study uses one or two resources. NCARB’s blog post of January 22, 2026 gives the revised wording of every changed objective.

NCARB: Updated ARE Guidelines for April 2026 Exam Changes ↗

What other ARE 5.0 study materials does NCARB offer?

  • ARE 5.0 Test Prep Video Series: NCARB’s videos on each division’s content, with sample questions and suggested references, on YouTube
  • Common Abbreviations and Formulas Available While Testing: two sections of the Guidelines worth reading before exam day
  • Practice exams and the ARE 5.0 Community forum: see the study options page
NCARB: ARE 5.0 Test Prep Video Series (YouTube) ↗NCARB practice exams and paid prep →
Sources: NCARB and 3 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

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