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NCARB Project-Planning-Design Exam Questions
- Topic 1: Environmental Conditions & Context: This section of the exam measures skills of architectural designers and covers how to use site analysis information to determine building placement and environmental planning decisions. It emphasizes applying sustainable principles and considering the neighborhood context to guide project design.
- Topic 2: Codes & Regulations: This section of the exam measures the skills of project architects and focuses on applying zoning laws, environmental rules, and building codes during the planning stage. Candidates are tested on how to integrate multiple regulatory requirements into a project’s design effectively.
- Topic 3: Building Systems, Materials, & Assemblies: This section of the exam measures skills of architectural designers and covers the understanding of building systems such as mechanical, electrical, and plumbing, along with structural and specialty systems. It also involves selecting appropriate materials and assemblies to align with program needs, budgets, and regulations.
- Topic 4: Project Integration of Program & Systems: This section of the exam measures skills of project architects and focuses on integrating decisions about environmental conditions, codes, and building systems into one cohesive project design. It highlights how to configure the building and incorporate both program requirements and contextual conditions in a unified design approach.
- Topic 5: Project Costs & Budgeting: This section of the exam measures skills of architectural designers and assesses the ability to evaluate design alternatives based on program goals, perform cost evaluations, and manage cost considerations throughout the design process.
Free NCARB Project-Planning-Design Exam Actual Questions
Note: Premium Questions for Project-Planning-Design were last updated On Feb. 19, 2026 (see below)
An architect has just received client approval of the Schematic Design documents for a three-story, outpatient medical clinic. The clinic is located within a mixed-use development governed by
a City-approved Planned Development (PD) document. The medical clinic design utilizes standardized departmental layouts and includes outpatient clinics, as well as treatment spaces,
administrative spaces and public/lobby spaces.
The site needs to accommodate four different vehicular traffic flows: patient traffic, staff traffic, service and delivery traffic, and emergency services traffic. In addition, a pedestrian plaza
must connect to the mixed-use development sidewalks. The plaza must provide space for bicycle parking and will serve as the future bus stop.
The site design addresses several challenges related to building orientation. The southeast facade, with excellent visibility from the highway, is the location of all service equipment. The
building entrance faces northwest, convenient to the parking but not visible from the highway.
The client believes future patient volumes will outgrow the clinic. The PD document allows for a planned Phase 2 development on the adjacent vacant site to the southwest. Phase 2 would
include a second building (2 story, 80,000 BGSF) and/or a parking deck.
Other considerations for the project include:
Protected tree requirements are defined in the PD document.
Easy pedestrian access must be provided from Sycamore Boulevard.
All required parking for the clinic must be accommodated on site.
Programmed area includes 109,450 Departmental Gross Square Feet (DGSF) / 130,184 Building Gross Square Feet (BGSF).
Exterior material percentages are dictated by the PD document and shall not exceed specific percentages for Primary and Secondary Finishes.
All service equipment needs to be screened; see PD document for restrictions.
Signage opportunities are important to the client.
Acoustical privacy is a concern of the healthcare system.
The following resources are available for your reference:
Drawings, including a perspective, plans, and exterior elevations
Building Program, including client's departmental program and detailed program for Treatment 01 (Infusion)
Exterior Material Cost Comparisons
Planned Development Document
IBC Excerpts, showing relevant code sections
ADA Excerpts, showing relevant sections from the ADA Standards for Accessible Design
Refer to the exhibit.
What is the required wall finish for rooms 1201 through 1206 on the first floor?
Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:
Rooms such as medical treatment or healthcare spaces require wall finishes that are smooth, scrubbable, and water-resistant to maintain hygiene and allow for regular cleaning and disinfection.
Tight, sealed seams (A) and absence of fissures (B) are important but part of broader requirements.
The key is surfaces that can withstand cleaning agents and moisture exposure without damage.
This ensures compliance with healthcare facility codes and infection control.
IBC -- Healthcare Facilities Chapter
ADA Standards for Accessible Design
ARE 5.0 PPD -- Codes and Regulations, Healthcare
An architect is commissioned to design a lodge in a location where the water service is insufficient for a sprinkler system. The architect plans to maximize sight lines by using exposed columns and roof structure in the primary assembly space.
Which of the following systems meet these requirements? Check the three that apply.
Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:
When designing in locations with insufficient water service to support sprinkler systems, architects must rely on inherently fire-resistant materials or assemblies that can provide passive fire protection while also meeting the aesthetic and structural needs of the space. This is especially critical in assembly spaces where sight lines are important and exposed structure is desired.
Option A: Steel columns with open web girders and joists are acceptable because steel does not combust and can be designed for fire resistance either by inherent fireproofing or applied fireproofing. The open-web design also supports maximizing sight lines by minimizing visual obstruction.
Option B: Large peeled log columns with glulam beams and wood decking are commonly used in lodge designs. Although wood is combustible, large timber members like glulam beams char on the surface and maintain structural capacity for a predictable duration under fire conditions, which often meets code for exposed timber in assembly spaces without sprinkler systems.
Option F: Cedar columns with light gauge steel purlins and fire retardant treated plywood decking can be suitable where fire retardant treatment extends the fire resistance of wood members. This is an accepted strategy in areas lacking sprinkler protection, particularly for visual warmth and compatibility with lodge aesthetics.
Options C and D: Concrete columns and beams are noncombustible but tend to be bulky and can obstruct sight lines. Additionally, precast planks with concrete may not fit the desired exposed wood or open aesthetic.
Option E: Light gauge steel columns with corrugated metal decking are lightweight and minimal, but 3' steel columns are structurally insufficient for large assembly spaces and metal decking without proper fireproofing is less common in exposed wood aesthetic projects.
These design choices align with NCARB's Project Planning & Design content regarding material selection for fire resistance, visual requirements, and assembly occupancy considerations. Specifically, the guidelines recommend using heavy timber, fire-retardant-treated wood, or protected steel systems where sprinkler systems are not feasible to comply with fire and life safety codes while addressing architectural intent.
ARE 5.0 PPD Content Outline: Building Systems, Materials, and Assemblies (NCARB)
The Architect's Handbook of Professional Practice, 15th Edition, Chapter 13: Building Codes, Standards, and Regulations
NCARB ARE 5.0 Guidelines: Fire Protection and Material Performance in Assembly Spaces
A 100,000-square-foot distribution warehouse has roof drains around the perimeter.
Which combination of structure and roofing system insulation is most cost effective?
Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:
Open web joists allow longer spans and reduce steel use, lowering structure costs.
Level roofs with tapered rigid insulation direct water toward drains without requiring sloping of the structure, reducing structural complexity and cost.
Sloped structures (B, D) require more framing and labor.
Tapered insulation effectively provides slope for drainage on a flat roof.
Therefore, level open web joists with tapered rigid insulation provide the best cost-efficiency.
ARE 5.0 PPD -- Building Systems and Assemblies, Roof Systems
The Architect's Handbook of Professional Practice, 15th Edition -- Roof Design
________________________________________
Refer to the exhibit (urban commercial site sketch).
In the urban commercial site shown in the sketch, which is the most convenient location for a truck entrance and exit from the site?
Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:
When planning truck entrances and exits on an urban commercial site, several key factors are considered: traffic flow, safety, convenience, and minimizing interference with customer parking and pedestrian areas.
Option C is located on a one-way street that allows trucks to enter or exit smoothly without conflicting with two-way traffic or customer parking. Since the street next to point C is one-way with traffic moving away from the intersection, trucks exiting at C can merge safely and efficiently into traffic.
Option A is adjacent to customer parking, and a truck entrance here would interfere with customer access and create safety hazards.
Option B is positioned near a traffic light on a two-way street, which may complicate truck maneuvering and increase congestion at the intersection.
Option D is on a two-way street and near an intersection, which could disrupt traffic flow and cause potential safety conflicts with turning vehicles and pedestrians.
NCARB's ARE 5.0 PPD content emphasizes locating service and delivery entrances away from customer areas and at points that allow safe, efficient truck access without disrupting primary pedestrian and vehicle circulation.
ARE 5.0 Project Planning & Design Content Outline: Project Integration of Program and Systems --- Site Planning and Vehicular Circulation
The Architect's Handbook of Professional Practice, 15th Edition, Chapter 7: Site Design and Vehicle Circulation
NCARB PPD Study Guide: Urban Site Planning and Circulation
________________________________________
An architect has just received client approval of the Schematic Design documents for a three-story, outpatient medical clinic. The clinic is located within a mixed-use development governed by
a City-approved Planned Development (PD) document. The medical clinic design utilizes standardized departmental layouts and includes outpatient clinics, as well as treatment spaces,
administrative spaces and public/lobby spaces.
The site needs to accommodate four different vehicular traffic flows: patient traffic, staff traffic, service and delivery traffic, and emergency services traffic. In addition, a pedestrian plaza
must connect to the mixed-use development sidewalks. The plaza must provide space for bicycle parking and will serve as the future bus stop.
The site design addresses several challenges related to building orientation. The southeast facade, with excellent visibility from the highway, is the location of all service equipment. The
building entrance faces northwest, convenient to the parking but not visible from the highway.
The client believes future patient volumes will outgrow the clinic. The PD document allows for a planned Phase 2 development on the adjacent vacant site to the southwest. Phase 2 would
include a second building (2 story, 80,000 BGSF) and/or a parking deck.
Other considerations for the project include:
Protected tree requirements are defined in the PD document.
Easy pedestrian access must be provided from Sycamore Boulevard.
All required parking for the clinic must be accommodated on site.
Programmed area includes 109,450 Departmental Gross Square Feet (DGSF) / 130,184 Building Gross Square Feet (BGSF).
Exterior material percentages are dictated by the PD document and shall not exceed specific percentages for Primary and Secondary Finishes.
All service equipment needs to be screened; see PD document for restrictions.
Signage opportunities are important to the client.
Acoustical privacy is a concern of the healthcare system.
The following resources are available for your reference:
Drawings, including a perspective, plans, and exterior elevations
Building Program, including client's departmental program and detailed program for Treatment 01 (Infusion)
Exterior Material Cost Comparisons
Planned Development Document
IBC Excerpts, showing relevant code sections
ADA Excerpts, showing relevant sections from the ADA Standards for Accessible Design
Pink granite is specified as an exterior material for the outpatient medical clinic. The owner directs the architect to propose alternate, less expensive materials to be used in lieu of the pink granite.
Which of the following materials should be considered to reduce cost? Check the two that apply.
Alternatives to expensive natural stone like pink granite include materials that provide similar aesthetic and durability at a lower cost:
Architectural precast (A) concrete panels offer a durable, customizable, and less expensive alternative.
Brick (F) is also cost-effective, versatile, and widely accepted as an exterior finish.
Black granite (B) and slate (D) remain expensive natural stones.
Ashlar veneer (C) may still be costly.
Metal panels (E) are typically used as accent materials and may not be allowed extensively per PD requirements.
Planned Development Document
ARE 5.0 PPD -- Project Integration of Program and Systems
The Architect's Handbook of Professional Practice, 15th Edition -- Exterior Finishes
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