ARE 5.0 Programming and Analysis Exam Prep

Turn PA Confusion Into Clarity

We demystify NCARB’s Programming & Analysis exam so you can tackle this challenging exam with ease.

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PA 101 Programming and Analysis exam prep with bubble diagrams and building footprints

*Pictures of our actual students

Our Students Are Now Registered Architects at These Firms:

Thornton Tomasetti
Ware Malcomb
McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture
AECOM
Corgan
Gensler
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
LS3P
Perkins & Will
Hord Coplan Macht
stantec
TVA Architects
HDR Architecture
Cannon Design
HKS
Little Diversified Architectural Consulting
architechtonica
HOK
Lionakis
ZGF Architects
di Domenico + Partners
Hunton Brady Architects

Walk Into Your PA Exam With Complete Confidence

Our systematic approach transforms overwhelming PA concepts into clear, manageable steps you can apply immediately.

Imagine sitting down on exam day knowing exactly how to approach every Programming & Analysis question. 

You will.

Master These PA Exam Topics

Evaluating environmental constraints, site opportunities, and sustainability principles

Analyzing zoning requirements building codes, and regulatory compliance

Mastering site programming, spatial relationships, and project feasibility assessments

Understanding building analysis, area calculations, and functional programming requirements

Breaking down complex PA questions and identifying key information

Everything You Need to Pass the PA Exam

All organized and ready to help you pass on your next attempt.

Strategic Practice Questions

265 ARE questions that start with basics and gradually increase in difficulty to accelerate your growth

NCARB-Focused Video Lessons

14+ hours covering every PA objective with clear explanations

In-Depth Case Studies

Practice site evaluation and programming with two comprehensive project scenarios

Building Codes 101 Course

Proven codes training that makes the difficult IBC simple

PA Flashcards

260+ mobile-friendly cards covering all essential terminology and concepts

Virtual Tutor Support

24/7 instant help when you need clarification on complex topics

PA exam sections: environmental conditions, codes and regulations, site analysis, and building programming

What Our Customers Our Saying About PA 101

Study Smarter. Pass Faster.

Get PA 101 + Full ARE Prep Access

You’re not just buying one course. You get a membership with all our ARE prep courses – because passing PA requires more than just PA knowledge.

Why This Matters for Your PA Prep

PA questions pull from multiple knowledge areas. Our membership gives you everything you need:

Building Codes 101 – Master the regulatory requirements and zoning analysis essential for PA questions

Mechanical Systems 101 – Understand building systems integration during predesign.

PPD/PDD Concepts – Learn site planning and environmental analysis topics that overlap with PA.

ARE 101 Course Membership

Ideal for independent learners

$129/mo

Includes: 

  • Access all ARE 101 Courses
  • 1000’s of Practice Questions
  • Interactive Video Lessons
  • In-Depth Case Studies
  • 24/7 Virtual Tutors
  • Cancel Anytime
Get Instant Access

ARE 101 Course Membership

Over 140 hours of video lessons, 2,000+ practice questions, and everything you need to pass all ARE exams.

Click any course below to see what's included

Meet Your PA 101 Exam Prep Instructors

Learn from licensed architects who’ve mastered Programming & Analysis and helped thousands pass the PA exam.

 

Michael Riscica, registered architect and CCCA instructor.

Michael Riscica
RA, CSI, CDT

A registered Architect in Florida and Oregon, Michael is the founder of Young Architect Academy and ARE Boot Camp. His passion is demystifying the Architect Registration Exam.

Layla Qarout, PhD, AIA, WELL AP, ARE instructor

Layla Qarout
PhD, AIA, WELL AP, CTD

A registered Architect in Wisconsin, Layla has extensive healthcare and laboratory design experience. After using the ARE Boot Camp to get licensed, she now helps others master the subjects she knows best.

Emily Hobbs, registered architect and CCCA instructor.

Emily Hobbs
RA, CDT

A registered Architect in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands where her passion for environmentally responsible design shines through. Her work focuses on building her community with respect to the islands' unique history, climate, and culture.

PA 101 FAQs

Meet the experienced instructors guiding your preparation.

Can I cancel my membership anytime? 

Yes, cancel anytime with no penalties. Your access continues through your current billing cycle.

You get ALL our ARE 101 courses – PA + PPD, PDD, CE, PcM, PjM, Building Codes 101, Mechanical Systems 101. That’s why it’s a monthly membership.

PA 101 was built from scratch in early 2025 and released in May 2025. Completely new content made specifically for today’s ARE 5.0 exam.

No everything aavailable through the browser

Completely self-paced. No deadlines or scheduled classes – study when it works for you.

The ARE 101 Membership gives you self-paced access to all our course content and virtual tutors. The ARE Bootcamp is our 10-week intensive coaching program with live group sessions, personalized feedback, and direct access to me. The Bootcamp is for candidates who want more hands-on guidance and accountability.

Your PA Success Starts Here

Join thousands of ARE candidates who’ve used this comprehensive approach
to pass the ARE.

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PcM 101

The business side of architecture nobody taught you in school, broken down objective by objective.

What’s inside:

  • 17+ hours of video, organized by NCARB objective
  • 490+ practice questions sorted into beginner, intermediate, and hard
  • 60 financial calculation questions plus 6 deep dive videos on the math
  • 15 case studies built like the real ones, with reference documents
  • The AHPP reading chart plus companions that show you how to get the most out of each reading
  • 200+ flashcards
  • AIA Contracts 101, covering the contracts PcM actually tests
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PjM 101

Everything that happens after the client signs, broken down objective by objective. PcM is how you run the business. PjM is how you run the project.

What’s inside:

  • 16+ hours of video, organized by NCARB objective
  • 300+ practice questions sorted into beginner, intermediate, and hard
  • 15 case studies built like the real ones, with reference documents
  • The AHPP reading chart plus companions that show you how to get the most out of each reading
  • AIA Contracts 101, covering the contracts PjM leans on hardest
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CE 101

What the architect actually does once construction starts, broken down objective by objective. Submittals, site visits, change orders, payment, and closeout, all governed by A201.

What’s inside:

  • 15+ hours of video, organized by NCARB objective
  • 200+ practice questions sorted into beginner, intermediate, and hard
  • 15 case studies built like the real ones, with reference documents
  • The AHPP reading chart plus companions that show you how to get the most out of each reading
  • AIA Contracts 101, where A201 gets taught article by article
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PA 101

Before anybody designs anything, somebody has to figure out what the problem actually is. PA is site analysis, codes and zoning, and building the program, broken down objective by objective.

What’s inside:

  • 14+ hours of video, organized by NCARB objective
  • 240+ practice questions sorted into beginner, intermediate, and hard
  • 2 case studies built like the real ones, with reference exhibits you have to read
  • 260+ flashcards
  • Building Codes 101, where the code and zoning material gets taught from the ground up
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PPD 101

The program is set. PPD is where you actually design the building: the structure, the envelope, the systems, and making all three agree.

What’s inside:

  • 18+ hours of video, organized by NCARB objective
  • 500+ practice questions sorted into beginner, intermediate, and hard
  • 375+ flashcards
  • Building Systems 101, covering the systems PPD asks you to select and size
  • Building Codes 101, covering the code questions that run through the whole division
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PDD 101

The design is settled. PDD is about turning it into drawings, details, and specifications somebody can actually build from.

What’s inside:

  • 16+ hours of video across 17 objectives
  • 500 practice questions sorted into beginner, intermediate, and hard
  • 250+ flashcards organized by section and level
  • Building Systems 101, covering the systems PDD asks you to detail and coordinate
  • Building Codes 101, covering the code questions that run through the whole division
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Mechanical 101

Plumbing, lighting, fire protection, electrical, conveying, acoustics, sustainability, and mechanical. You don’t need to be a master plumber, you need to be a master coordinator.

What’s inside:

  • 24+ hours of video across 8 system modules
  • Plumbing, lighting, fire and life safety, electrical, conveying, acoustics, sustainability and energy, and mechanical systems
  • Every video flags which ARE objectives it connects to
  • Built to support PPD, PDD, and PA, where the systems questions actually show up
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Codes 101

Occupancy, heights and areas, construction types, rated walls, egress, and fixture counts, taught from the ground up. Not a tour of the IBC, an actual working knowledge of it.

What’s inside:

  • 4.5+ hours across three live workshop sessions, with candidates working real problems out loud
  • Occupancy classification and why the stringency rankings are built the way they are
  • Building heights and areas, and how to read all three tables against a construction type
  • The five construction types and the five rated wall types, sorted by where each one stops
  • Means of egress, occupant load, and sizing stairs and doors
  • Plumbing fixture counts
  • 180+ practice questions sorted into beginner, intermediate, and hard
  • Flashcards covering code vocabulary across all three levels
  • Built to support PA, PPD, and PDD, where the code questions actually show up

AIA Contracts 101

The contracts define how a huge number of processes on a project actually work. Which means a lot of exam questions that don’t sound like contract questions are contract questions. That’s why we built an entire course to sit alongside PcM, PjM, and CE. Once you understand how the contracts work, everything else gets a lot easier. This is the most thorough resource anywhere for understanding AIA contracts for the architect exam.

What’s inside:

  • 15 hours of video, organized by contract document instead of by exam division
  • B101 and A201 in depth, article by article, the two documents everything else is built on
  • A101, C401, A701, A305, A133, the G-series forms, and the IPD family
  • Built to be watched with the contract open in front of you
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