NCARB lets you take the six divisions in any order. Here are the three strategies candidates actually use, and what the pass-rate data says about each.
Checked against official sources on September 24, 2026 · Sources
Strategy 1
Content pairs
Take divisions that share material back to back, so one round of study covers two exams.
PcM51%
→PjM63%
→PA59%
→PPD48%
→PDD54%
→CE61%
+Most study guides are organized this way
+Business pair first builds momentum on shorter exams
+PA builds directly into PPD
–Leaves the two 100-item exams (PPD, PDD) for the middle and end
Strategy 2
Hardest first
Start with the long technical exams while design and documentation knowledge is fresh from school or practice.
PPD48%
→PDD54%
→PA59%
→CE61%
→PjM63%
→PcM51%
+Tackles PPD (48% pass rate) when you have the most energy
+PPD and PDD overlap heavily
+Easier-feeling exams come at the end
–A failed first exam can hurt momentum
–Retakes need a 60-day gap, so an early failure can push your timeline
Strategy 3
Follow your AXP
Take each division within about three months of finishing the matching AXP experience area.
Your most recent experience area first
+NCARB reports candidates perform better on a division taken right after finishing the related experience area
+59% of candidates already test while completing AXP
–Order depends on your firm and projects, not the exam
Percentages are each division's 2025 pass rate (all attempts) from NCARB.
What NCARB's data actually supports
No official study shows one order beats another. Three findings from NCARB's 2025 data are worth building your plan around:
Timing with experience matters. Candidates performed better on a division when they took it right after finishing the related AXP experience area — NCARB suggests within about three months.
First attempts pass most often. 60% of first attempts passed in 2025, versus 51% of second attempts. Schedule each division when you're ready rather than to "see what it's like."
Practice exams help. Taking NCARB's free practice exam first raised pass rates by 15 points on average.
The content pairs, explained
Practice Management + Project Management — the business of running a firm, then running a project: contracts, fees, risk, scheduling, quality control.
Programming & Analysis + Project Planning & Design — site and program analysis feeding into design decisions, building systems and codes.
Project Development & Documentation + Construction & Evaluation — detailing, specifications and documents, then bidding and construction administration.
Common questions
Does the order of ARE divisions matter?
NCARB lets you take the six divisions in any order, and there is no official recommended sequence. What NCARB’s data does show is that candidates tend to do better when they test soon after finishing the related AXP experience area.
Which ARE division do most people take first?
Practice Management is the most-taken division — more than 21% of all attempts in 2025. NCARB notes many candidates start there because it is listed first in its materials.
Which ARE divisions go together?
The usual pairs are Practice Management + Project Management (running a practice and running a project), Programming & Analysis + Project Planning & Design (site, program and design), and Project Development & Documentation + Construction & Evaluation (detailing, documents and construction administration).
Should I take the hardest ARE division first or last?
Both work. Project Planning & Design has the lowest pass rate (48% in 2025). Taking it early leaves more time for a retake; taking it later means your other studies have already covered much of its content.
Sources
All figures on this page were checked against these sources on September 24, 2026. Found something out of date? Tell us.