NCARB Practice Exam | Verified Exam Questions and Answers | Latest
Updated Study Material 2026
Question:
1. A local school board contracts an archi- $125,000
tecture firm to design and document
renovations to two wings of an existing CD will not change because the renovation areas
are already separated.
Permits and Bidding and CA will have to be com-
plete twice
Schematic Design: 15%
5% (Permits and Bidding) x $500,000 (design fee)
Design Development: 25%
= $25,000
Construction Documentation: 35%
20% (CA) x $500,000 (design fee) = $100,000
Permits and Bidding: 5%
$25,000 (Permits and Bidding) + $100,000 (CA) =
$125,000 additional fee request
opment phase when the school board
informs them that, due to funding, the
project will need to be constructed in
two phases. Each construction phase
will cover only one of the wings, will
start in May and finish in September,
and will need to be bid and permitted
before each phase begins.
What additional fee should the archi-
tecture firm request from the school
board?
Answer:
high school building. The contract calls
for a design fee of $500,000 with the
following distribution:
Construction Administration: 20%
The firm completes the design devel-
Question:
2. ABC Architects and their consultant
team have been working on a pro-
ject for several weeks. The construction
,documents were completed on the af-
Answer:
Request that the engineer update the drawings
and prepare for submission the next day.
The engineer must make their own corrections or
provide written consent otherwise. ternoon of the project deadline. During
the submittal of documents to the AHJ,
several electrical outlets are found to
be missing in the engineer's drawings
in locations required by code. ABC Ar-
chitects is unable to reach the electrical
engineer. ABC Architects must consider
the following variables:
The client has set a hard deadline with
possible damages if missed.
The AHJ requires all submissions to be
two sets of wet, stamped plans submit-
ted in person at the building depart-
ment.
The AHJ technician will allow the archi-
tect to add the missing outlets by hand
on the plans with a red pen.
The architect used an AIA B101 with the
project owner.
The architect used an AIA C401 with the
consultant team.
How should ABC Architects handle this
situation?
Question:
3. During the course of work on a project, Inform the building inspector of their concerns
an architecture firm and its client make with the decision made.
a decision that the project architect be-
lieves will adversely affect public safe- AIA Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, Rule
ty. The project architect expresses con- 2.105: If, in the course of their work on a project,
cern to their employer and the client
about the decision they made and says by their employer or client which violates any law
they cannot consent to following it. The or regulation and which will, in the Members'
employer tells the project architect that judgment, materially affect adversely the safety to
they must follow their decision and
prepare the construction documents
, accordingly or seek employment else-
Answer:
the Members become aware of a decision taken
the public of the finished project, the Members shall:
where. (a) advise their employer or client against the de-
cision, According to AIA 2020 Code of Ethics
and Professional Conduct, what should (b) refuse to consent to the decision, and
the project architect do? (c) report the decision to the local building inspec-
tor or other public oflcial charged with the en-
forcement of the applicable laws and regulations,
unless the Members are able to cause the matter
to be satisfactorily resolved by other means.
A fixed fee for the preliminary design, a fixed fee
4. A firm that specializes in senior hous- for the construction documents for each unit type,
ing is contacted by a developer who and a reuse fee for all subsequent units.
wants to build 50 townhouses for resi-
A fixed fee for the preliminary design is an ef- dents over 55 years old. The developer
ficient compensation method and appropriately is asking for a fee proposal to provide
compensates for the architect's expertise; the fixed the overall preliminary design as well
fee for the construction documents for each unit as construction documents for all the
type also eflciently covers the cost of the base units. Project details follow:
construction documents; and the reuse fee is a fair The project will be permitted and con-
way to compensate for repetitive use. structed in five phases.
The project will be built in clusters of
four-, five-, and six-townhouse units.
The units will have three-, four-, and
five-bedroom options.
Unit distribution will be determined by
sales.
The firm wants to make sure that their
fees capture the value of their exper-
tise as well as maximize cash flow and
profit.
Which fee proposal structure is most
appropriate?
Question:
5. An architecture firm is approached by The project is for a long term client.
a long-term client with an RFP for a
hospitality project. The firm has been force.
in practice for 10 years and has con-
centrated on multifamily projects that
Updated Study Material 2026
Question:
1. A local school board contracts an archi- $125,000
tecture firm to design and document
renovations to two wings of an existing CD will not change because the renovation areas
are already separated.
Permits and Bidding and CA will have to be com-
plete twice
Schematic Design: 15%
5% (Permits and Bidding) x $500,000 (design fee)
Design Development: 25%
= $25,000
Construction Documentation: 35%
20% (CA) x $500,000 (design fee) = $100,000
Permits and Bidding: 5%
$25,000 (Permits and Bidding) + $100,000 (CA) =
$125,000 additional fee request
opment phase when the school board
informs them that, due to funding, the
project will need to be constructed in
two phases. Each construction phase
will cover only one of the wings, will
start in May and finish in September,
and will need to be bid and permitted
before each phase begins.
What additional fee should the archi-
tecture firm request from the school
board?
Answer:
high school building. The contract calls
for a design fee of $500,000 with the
following distribution:
Construction Administration: 20%
The firm completes the design devel-
Question:
2. ABC Architects and their consultant
team have been working on a pro-
ject for several weeks. The construction
,documents were completed on the af-
Answer:
Request that the engineer update the drawings
and prepare for submission the next day.
The engineer must make their own corrections or
provide written consent otherwise. ternoon of the project deadline. During
the submittal of documents to the AHJ,
several electrical outlets are found to
be missing in the engineer's drawings
in locations required by code. ABC Ar-
chitects is unable to reach the electrical
engineer. ABC Architects must consider
the following variables:
The client has set a hard deadline with
possible damages if missed.
The AHJ requires all submissions to be
two sets of wet, stamped plans submit-
ted in person at the building depart-
ment.
The AHJ technician will allow the archi-
tect to add the missing outlets by hand
on the plans with a red pen.
The architect used an AIA B101 with the
project owner.
The architect used an AIA C401 with the
consultant team.
How should ABC Architects handle this
situation?
Question:
3. During the course of work on a project, Inform the building inspector of their concerns
an architecture firm and its client make with the decision made.
a decision that the project architect be-
lieves will adversely affect public safe- AIA Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, Rule
ty. The project architect expresses con- 2.105: If, in the course of their work on a project,
cern to their employer and the client
about the decision they made and says by their employer or client which violates any law
they cannot consent to following it. The or regulation and which will, in the Members'
employer tells the project architect that judgment, materially affect adversely the safety to
they must follow their decision and
prepare the construction documents
, accordingly or seek employment else-
Answer:
the Members become aware of a decision taken
the public of the finished project, the Members shall:
where. (a) advise their employer or client against the de-
cision, According to AIA 2020 Code of Ethics
and Professional Conduct, what should (b) refuse to consent to the decision, and
the project architect do? (c) report the decision to the local building inspec-
tor or other public oflcial charged with the en-
forcement of the applicable laws and regulations,
unless the Members are able to cause the matter
to be satisfactorily resolved by other means.
A fixed fee for the preliminary design, a fixed fee
4. A firm that specializes in senior hous- for the construction documents for each unit type,
ing is contacted by a developer who and a reuse fee for all subsequent units.
wants to build 50 townhouses for resi-
A fixed fee for the preliminary design is an ef- dents over 55 years old. The developer
ficient compensation method and appropriately is asking for a fee proposal to provide
compensates for the architect's expertise; the fixed the overall preliminary design as well
fee for the construction documents for each unit as construction documents for all the
type also eflciently covers the cost of the base units. Project details follow:
construction documents; and the reuse fee is a fair The project will be permitted and con-
way to compensate for repetitive use. structed in five phases.
The project will be built in clusters of
four-, five-, and six-townhouse units.
The units will have three-, four-, and
five-bedroom options.
Unit distribution will be determined by
sales.
The firm wants to make sure that their
fees capture the value of their exper-
tise as well as maximize cash flow and
profit.
Which fee proposal structure is most
appropriate?
Question:
5. An architecture firm is approached by The project is for a long term client.
a long-term client with an RFP for a
hospitality project. The firm has been force.
in practice for 10 years and has con-
centrated on multifamily projects that
