ARE 5.0 scoring
ARE 5.0 Passing Score: Cut Scores by Division
There's no single passing score. Each division — and each version of each division — has its own cut score, and NCARB publishes the range.
Checked against official sources on September 24, 2026 · Sources
| Division | Items | Share of scored items to pass | 2025 pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practice Management | 65 | 59%–71% | 51% |
| Project Management | 75 | 59%–71% | 63% |
| Programming & Analysis | 75 | 65%–71% | 59% |
| Project Planning & Design | 100 | 65%–71% | 48% |
| Project Development & Documentation | 100 | 58%–66% | 54% |
| Construction & Evaluation | 75 | 58%–66% | 61% |
Bars span 50%–80% of scored items. Ranges from NCARB (updated June 2025); pass rates from NCARB's 2025 data.
How ARE scoring works
When you sit for a division you get one of several forms — different sets of questions covering the same content. Because some forms are slightly harder than others, NCARB sets a separate cut score for each form so every candidate is held to the same standard. That's why NCARB publishes a range rather than one number.
Cut scores are set in advance from real candidate data, with input from practicing architects and psychometricians. They are not curved: the passing standard doesn't depend on where you test, how many people take the exam, or how other candidates perform.
Not every question counts. Each exam includes some unscored "pretest" items that NCARB is trying out for future forms, and you can't tell which ones they are. The percentages above refer to scored items only.
What the ranges tell you
- Project Development & Documentation and Construction & Evaluation have the lowest bar (58–66%), because their questions are harder on average.
- Programming & Analysis and Project Planning & Design have the highest bar (65–71%). Project Planning & Design still has the lowest pass rate — a high bar on long, 100-item exams.
- A lower cut score doesn't mean an easier division. It reflects question difficulty, not leniency.
Common questions
What percentage do you need to pass the ARE?
Is the ARE graded on a curve?
What score do I need on the NCARB practice exams?
Do I get a numeric score?
Sources
All figures on this page were checked against these sources on September 24, 2026. Found something out of date? Tell us.