Why Aren't We Allowed Partial Credit for Multi-Answer Questions.

Hello ARE 5.0 Community,

My name is Max Perez and I am an Architectural Associate who works for the City of Los Angeles.

Just a brief summary, I have been studying and taking the first 3 exams, PcM, PjM, and CE, since per my city employer, in order for me to stay onboard, I am required to pass 2 out of the 6 National Exams. I have fortunately passed 1, that being PcM but unfortunately have failed the other two with PjM logging 3 fails and CE logging 2, with my most recent exam being a 515. I believe that based on my studying with practice material such as Amberbook, to PPI, to NCARBs practice exams, and AREQuestions, that getting no credit for multi-answered questions, especially when you have answered 2 out of 3 or 3 out of 4 correct is detrimental to the exam process.

I say this because, although accuracy is what NCARB may be looking for, it hinders the true ambiguity of what is conducted through real practice within multiple work sectors. As we understand Architecture, not all fields within the practice carry with them the same weight as the other. For instance, I work for the City which is a public entity. The capacity to which I practice architecture is completely different then to one who works in their own private practice working on residential projects. Same can be said for someone who works on a Commercial project for a large firm whose capacity is only in Project Management or Construction Admin compared to someone who does Design and Planning.

I guess what I'm trying to say is why have such a system where partial credit isn't given for missing 1 answer out of 3 or 4? To me I think that it would be best to implement something like this considering we do have a shortage of Architects in the United States. Not knowing 1 answer out of 3 or 4 isn't going to break the practice or cause for the standards to be lowered. In the end, through experience and continuing education (to which is required for our practice) we could alleviate the moments in our exams where we missed 1 out of however many was required for us to choose.

Thank you for allowing me this platform to voice my concerns and hope someone from the NCARB Team or staff could respond.

kkgalicinao January 09, 2026 19:36

perezm First off - congratulations on embarking on this ARE journey! It is a challenging and overwhelming endeavor (as you know) and it shows your dedication to becoming a licensed architect. Congratulations on passing PcM! I know it is disappointing to have to retake PjM and CE, but your PcM pass shows that you know what it takes to pass an exam and are making progress towards the finish line! Every division is a beast in itself, so it's common to have a different experience from exam to exam.

I totally understand your frustration with the check-all-that apply item types, because I also wish that partial credit was awarded. Unfortunately, most standardized tests are scored this way - making these item types some of the most challenging amongst test-takers (myself included)! It's important to remember that the ARE tests your general architectural knowledge and is not jurisdiction-specific. With that said, you will often encounter questions that may not align perfectly with what you've seen in real life. Always ask yourself "What would NCARB do?" so that you are answering questions "by the book" rather than by your personal preference or experience. We don't have to 100% agree with the answers - we just need to know them and provide the answers NCARB is looking for so that we can pass and become licensed :)

While we can be hopeful that NCARB might consider changing this in the future based on candidate feedback, it isn't something we have control over in the near future. Therefore, I'd recommend you practice various strategies for how to approach check-all-that apply items so that you can develop a method that works best for you and ensures that you are confidently answering this questions on the exam - in the way that NCARB wants you to. Check out our blog about How to Approach Each Item Type on the ARE 5.0 for some tips!

Best of luck to you!

Kiara | Black Spectacles | Community

Why Aren't We Allowed Partial Credit for Multi-Answer Questions.

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