Project Development & Documentation (PDD) assesses objectives related to the integration and documentation of building systems, material selection, and material assemblies into a project.
The division will focus on issues related to the development of design concepts, evaluation of materials and technologies, selection of appropriate construction techniques, and appropriate construction documentation. Candidates must demonstrate an understanding of and abilities in integration of civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and specialty systems into overall project design and documentation.
Preparing for Project Development & Documentation?
NCARB has created a full-length, scored practice exam specific to Project Development & Documentation now available for free in your NCARB Record.
You can also find more details and suggested references in our ARE 5.0 Guidelines and test prep video series.
Project Development & Documentation Details
- Number of items: 100
- Test duration: 4 hr 5 min
- Allowed break time: 45 min
- Total appointment time: 5 hr
PDD includes sections on the following content areas:
Integration of Building Materials & Systems (31-37% of exam items*): In this section, you’ll focus on resolving and detailing architectural systems and assemblies, building materials, and engineering systems. Objectives include:
- Analyze the integration of architectural systems and technologies to meet project goals
- Determine the size of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems and components to meet project goals
- Determine the size of structural systems to meet project goals
- Integrate specialty systems such as acoustics, lighting, fire suppression, conveying, security, and communications to meet project goals
- Determine how to detail the integration of multiple building systems and technologies
- Coordinate mechanical, electrical, plumbing, structural, and specialty systems and technologies
Construction Documentation (32-38% of exam items): In this section, you’ll focus on project documentation necessary to assemble a set of drawings and update these drawings over the course of a project. Objectives include:
Read the ARE Guidelines
Understand all the policies you’ll need to follow in order to take the Architect Registration Examination® (ARE®), as well as an overview of the exam’s six divisions and other exam candidate resources.
- Determine appropriate documentation of building design
- Determine appropriate documentation of site features
- Determine appropriate documentation of detailed building drawings within individual architectural systems
- Apply standards required to assemble a set of clear and coordinated construction documentation
- Determine impact of project changes on documentation requirements and methods to communicate those changes to owner and design team
Project Manual & Specifications (12-18% of exam items): In this section, you’ll focus on the development of documentation beyond construction drawings—the project manual and specifications. Objectives include:
- Identify and prioritize components required to write, maintain, and refine project manual
- Identify and prioritize components required to write, maintain, and refine project specifications
- Coordinate specifications with construction documentation
Codes & Regulations (8-14% of exam items): Codes and regulations appear in several divisions, but in this division, you’ll look at codes and regulations at a detail level and determine how they pertain to project documentation.Objectives include:
- Determine adherence to building regulatory requirements (IBC) at detail level
- Determine adherence with specialty regulatory requirements at the detail level
Construction Cost Estimates (2-8% of exam items): In this last section, you’ll consider the construction cost of a project by analyzing an estimate. This section contains only one objective and is the smallest section in the division:
- Analyze construction cost estimates to confirm alignment with project design
Find more information about all divisions of the ARE on our website or in the ARE 5.0 Guidelines.
*The percentages shown for each section and objective represent a typical form of this division. The specific form you experience may vary slightly, as adjustments are made from form to form to balance factors such as overall form level of difficulty and average time to answer the assembled items.
