Gross Area and Exterior Spaces - When/what to include? and What about area Conversions?

Studying for my second PA exam try and hoping for some guidance/clarification about gross area based off my previous attempt and some practice questions I came across in preparing where I could not find an answer and those at my firm could not provide guidance.

I understand we have 3 Gross area definitions.

1. Gross BUILDING Area 
2. FLOOR Gross Area
3. Office/Construction Gross Area

IBC 2021 Chapter 2 Area, Buidling

"The area included within surrounding exterior walls, or exterior walls and fire walls, exclusive of vent shafts and courts. Areas of the building not provided with surrounding walls shall be included in the building area if such areas are included within the horizontal projection of the roof or floor above."

IBC 2021 Chapter 2 Floor Gross Area is

"the floor area within the inside perimeter of the exterior walls of the building under consideration, exclusive of vent Shafts and Courts, without deduction for corridors, stairways, ramps, closets, the thickness of interior walls, columns or other features. The floor area of a building, or portion thereof, not provided with surrounding exterior walls shall be the usable area under the horizontal projection of the roof or floor above. The gross floor area shall not include shafts with no openings or interior courts."

My understanding from this is per code Gross is all expected Occupiable space ie. you won't have people in a shaft hanging out everyday or doing a routine activity there so it doesn't count towards Gross Area. 

Gentler Circulation Defining and Planning - Office/Construction Gross Area per ANSI/BOMA Z65.1-1996, “Standard Method for Measuring Floor Area in Office Buildings

"includes exterior wall thickness, and all vertical
penetrations (mechanical/electrical, plumbing,
elevator shafts, stairwells, etc.), as well as
basements, garages, and penthouses. Excludes
parking lots and loading docks outside the
building line."

My understanding of this Gross Area is its for construction and office planning as the Contractor has to build the slab under the wall and the wall itself so his sqft is larger than Codes as code only deals with where people will be.

This brings us to where I have questions that I cannot find answers for and my firm could not answer.

• What's an exterior plaza considered under code? Is it a court? (per IBC a court definition is open to sky space enclosed on three or more sides by exterior walls or other device)
• How are exterior plazas considered as part of the Gross Building Area? 

My understanding per code definition Courts/Exterior Plaza's can only count towards Building Area if there's a roof over them and would be excluded from Floor Gross Area. 

For the purposes of the ARE Exam:

• If a problem gives a Building Gross Area, that includes Exterior Plazas/Courts/other space that would not be included per the definitions, such as dumpster enclosure, would I need to subtract this from the Given Gross Area? Or would the given area be assumed correct?
• Are accessible patios/porchs part of the Gross area? What about if they are on a second level like an exterior balcony?  The way I read code it only counts for Gross till the top floor if it does not have a roof or floor above it doesn't count. 
  
  

These questions may seem like they are getting into the weeds on interpretation but considering Gross SQFT, Net, Usable, and Rentable work together but are all different definitions, the distinction matter on the exam.

Any help/clarification would be helpful.