How to Pass the PA (Programming & Analysis) Exam

I think PA is one of the exams that people underestimate the most. Everyone knows PPD and PDD are harder, and PJM and CE are easier, but when it comes to PCM and PA, the lines get blurry.  In fact, if you look at NCARB data over the years, the overall ARE pass rate hovers around ~55%, and PA sits right in that range.
That alone tells you something important.

This is not an “easy win” exam.

PA also has a high number of retakes compared to other divisions. This doesn’t necessarily mean people perform worse on retakes, but it does show that many candidates don’t pass on their first attempt and often need multiple tries to get through this exam.

And it’s usually not because they didn’t study.

It’s because they didn’t expect what this exam actually feels like.

This Exam is Wordy. And it is SLOW…

PA is not a fast exam.

You are given about 3 hours for ~75 questions, and many of those questions are long, layered, and sometimes include extra information you don’t even need.

That creates a very specific problem.

People start the exam feeling fine.
Then they slow down.
Then they realize they are behind.
Then they rush the last portion – usually the case studies.

Then they run out of time, sometimes unable to see the last 5 to 10 questions.

And once you rush on PA, your accuracy drops quickly because it relies on analyzing information carefully.

This is why timing is not just a “test strategy issue.” It’s built into the nature of this exam.

What is NCARB actually TESTING here?

If you look at the ARE 5.0 Guidelines for PA, the structure is very clear.

This exam is not about isolated topics. It is about evaluating multiple things at the same time.

You are working across four big areas:

  • environmental and contextual conditions
  • codes and zoning
  • site analysis
  • building analysis and programming (this is the largest section, up to ~40%)

That last part matters a lot.

You are constantly being asked to:

  • compare options
  • prioritize program needs
  • evaluate site constraints
  • interpret diagrams
  • and make early design decisions

Not recall.

Not recognize.

👉 Evaluate.

That is why this exam feels different (harder) from others.

Why do people get stuck on the PA exam?

There are patterns here. Very consistent ones.

A lot of candidates try to turn this into a “diagram exam.”
They memorize Sun, Wind, and Light diagrams, read a little bit of the Site Planning and Design Handbook or a third-party summary of topics, or watch some paid ARE video content and rely on them as being enough.

Then they sit in the exam and realize: nothing looks exactly like what they studied.

Another issue is reading too quickly. PA questions are long for a reason. They mix relevant and irrelevant information. If you don’t slow down, you either miss constraints or get distracted.

There is also over-reliance on summaries.
Short notes and videos make things feel familiar, but PA quickly exposes a shallow understanding.

And then there is endurance.

This exam is mentally tiring.
If you are not used to reading carefully for long periods, your performance drops as you go through the questions. That’s where many people lose the exam.

How I Recommend Studying for the PA Exam

For this exam, I strongly recommend starting with NCARB-listed books before anything else.

This is not about reading everything perfectly.
It is about building enough depth so that when you see a scenario, you can think through it.

Core books to study:

  • Site Planning and Design Handbook (Second Edition)
    Focus on site analysis, grading, circulation, and constraints. Read it cover to cover and do not skip the Appendix A: Environmental Site Assessment chapter.
  • Problem Seeking
    This is key to understanding programming logic and how to define priorities. A day or two spent on basic concepts and diagrams in this book should be enough. Especially focus on renatable/usable/net assignable..et. area types.
  • Sun, Wind, and Light
    Very important, but do not memorize diagrams. Understand why strategies work. Especially focus on Parts IV, V, and VI.
  • Planning and Urban Design Standards (Student Edition)
    Helps with zoning, planning relationships, and site-level decisions. Review as many of the diagrams as you can. Read related sections if diagrams don’t make sense.
  • The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties document: Read through the document, only focusing on the definitions of each historic treatment, and review all the tables that have correct and incorrect applications. Especially focus on the site images that show a problem, and explain what is recommended and what is not. These all can be scenarios in question.

Secondary (if time allows)

How to Practice (this is where things start clicking)

You need a lot of practice for PA.

Not just to test yourself, but to learn how to read questions properly.

Use multiple sources:

But here is the key:

Do not just solve questions.
Study how they are written.

NCARB questions follow patterns.
They give you extra information.
They hide the actual problem inside a longer setup.

You need to train yourself to:

  • filter information
  • identify what matters
  • ignore distractions

That is a skill. You can use this skill with only practice. Use PPD questions for studying PA exam as they have some overlap and I think the order of taking technical exams should be

PA → PPD → PDD

A note on my videos (and how to use them)

You can use my video lectures to support your studies, especially on topics such as sustainability, environmental strategies, and site response.

But more importantly, I have videos where I walk through NCARB-style questions step by step and show how I read and solve them.

This is where many candidates improve the most.

I also share similar strategies on my YouTube channel. Here is a free example.

Final weeks before the exam

This is where you shift gears.

At this point, you are not trying to learn new content.
You are trying to perform better.

Focus on:

  • longer question sets
  • reading without rushing
  • staying consistent through the entire exam

If you run out of time during practice, it will happen on the real exam too.

Final thoughts

PA is difficult, but it is not random.

It is predictable once you understand what it is asking from you.

This is not about memorizing more.
It is about reading better, thinking clearly, and managing your time.

That shift is usually what gets people through this exam.

I hope this post helps and you pass your PA exam next time! Good luck!

Elif Bayram, AIA