Exam guide · ARE 5.0 / PPD

Project Planning & Design (PPD)
exam prep.

PPD is about the big early decisions — where the building sits, which systems hold it up and keep it comfortable, and how the program, the code and the budget fit together.

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01

What is the PPD exam?

Project Planning & Design covers the schematic and early design phase. Its focus is the preliminary design of sites and buildings.

PPD is one of the two longest divisions, and much of its difficulty comes from integration. A question might combine a site constraint, a code requirement and a structural or mechanical choice, and ask which design option satisfies all of them at a reasonable cost. Knowing each system separately is not enough; you need to see how a choice in one affects the others.

PPD sits between Programming & Analysis (PA), which defines what the project needs, and Project Development & Documentation (PDD), which develops and documents the chosen design in detail. In PPD you are still choosing and comparing; in PDD you are sizing, detailing and specifying.

02

What does PPD cover?

The division is organized into five content areas:

  1. 1
    Environmental Conditions & ContextResponding to site, climate and context: building placement, orientation, daylighting, passive strategies and site design.
  2. 2
    Codes & RegulationsApplying codes during design: construction type, allowable area and height, occupancy, egress, fire and life safety, and accessibility.
  3. 3
    Building Systems, Materials, & AssembliesChoosing structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing and envelope systems and materials suited to the project.
  4. 4
    Project Integration of Program & SystemsBringing the program, site and systems together into a coordinated design that meets the project’s goals.
  5. 5
    Project Costs & BudgetingUnderstanding how design decisions drive cost, and evaluating options against the project budget.
03

A concept worth understanding: choosing a structural system by span

A classic PPD decision is selecting a floor or roof framing system. The single most useful idea: as the clear span grows, the structure has to get deeper — and that depth has consequences for floor-to-floor height, building height limits, ceiling space for ductwork, and cost.

Structural depth increases with span Three framing options side by side. A short span uses shallow joists, a medium span uses a deeper beam, and a long span uses a much deeper truss. Below each, the factors that change with the choice are listed. Short span Shallow joists or slab Medium span Deeper beams or girders Long span Trusses or joist girders Span grows → structural depth grows → Check: floor-to-floor height · height limits · space for ducts · fire rating · lateral system · cost
Relative structural depth as the span grows. Not to scale; actual depths depend on loads, spacing and material.

Consider a single-story gymnasium that needs a column-free floor about 90 feet across. Short-span joists cannot do it, so the realistic options are long-span systems such as steel trusses or joist girders. Their depth is substantial — and because the roof structure is deep, the design team can run mechanical ductwork through the open web of the trusses instead of below them, keeping the overall building height down.

For an office floor plate with columns every 30 feet, the same deep system would waste height on every floor. A shallower beam-and-girder system, or a concrete slab system, makes more sense, and the choice between them then depends on factors like construction type, fire resistance, schedule and local construction practice.

04

How to study for ARE PPD

  1. Compare alternatives side by side. For structural, mechanical and envelope systems, make tables of when each one fits, what it costs in depth or space, and what it implies for code compliance.
  2. Practice code analysis as a sequence: occupancy, construction type, allowable height and area, egress, then accessibility. Many questions are faster when you follow the same order every time.
  3. Read site and climate diagrams with a design decision in mind — orientation, shading and daylighting choices follow directly from them.
  4. Keep PPD and PDD separate: if a question asks you to choose or compare a system, think PPD; if it asks you to size, detail or specify it, think PDD.
  5. Finish with full-length practice exams under timed conditions, then review the latest ARE 5.0 Guidelines so your preparation matches the current objectives.
05

How KPath supports PPD

KPath’s structured PPD + PDD course is live: a day-by-day roadmap of illustrated lessons, where each knowledge point has a code and an importance rating. PPD practice includes a 200-question fixed set and AI-generated questions drawn from the course’s knowledge points, and each question links back to the exact lesson and knowledge point it tests. Explanations go through every option, in English, English + 中文 or English + Español. KPath is currently in private beta.

06

PPD FAQ

What is the difference between PPD and PDD?

PPD covers preliminary design — choosing and comparing site strategies, building systems and assemblies. PDD covers developing and documenting the chosen design — integrating systems in detail, construction documents, specifications and cost estimates.

Which building systems matter for PPD?

Structural framing and lateral systems, mechanical (HVAC), plumbing and electrical systems, and the building envelope — mainly at the level of choosing an appropriate system and understanding its spatial, code and cost consequences.

Do PPD and PDD overlap?

Yes. Both include codes and building systems, which is why many candidates study them together. The difference is the depth of decision: selection and integration in PPD, detailing and documentation in PDD.

How should I practice integrated design questions?

Take one small building and change one thing at a time — a longer span, a different occupancy, a stricter budget — and trace how each change affects the structure, systems, code requirements and cost.

Keep studying

Explore another exam guide.

PACourse + practiceProgramming & AnalysisSite, context, zoning and programming before design begins.Open the guide ↗PDDCourse + practiceProject Development & DocumentationAssemblies, construction documents, specifications and estimates.Open the guide ↗PcMCourse + practicePractice ManagementFirm operations, finances, risk and the ethics of practice.Open the guide ↗PjMCourse + practiceProject ManagementTeams, work plans, contracts, schedules and quality control.Open the guide ↗CECourse + practiceConstruction & EvaluationBidding, submittals, site observation, changes, payment and closeout.Open the guide ↗CSEPractice · course soonCalifornia Supplemental ExaminationCalifornia-specific practice: contracts, approvals, CEQA, codes and construction.Open the guide ↗

Study PPD with KPath

Compare the options before you commit to one.

KPath’s PPD + PDD course takes the design-phase topics day by day, with illustrated lessons, coded knowledge points and practice questions that link back to the lesson behind each answer.

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