Is it recommended to study for both CE and PA at the same time like Pcm and Pjm?
Welcome to the ARE Community, @guzmanelsa85! We are happy to have you here.
While all six divisions have some overlap with each other, I wouldn’t necessarily consider CE and PA to be directly related. Think of the design process sequence in relation to the ARE divisions - following the order PA → PPD → PDD → CE. There are several design decisions that occur between these two phases, which may take precedence when considering the overlapping content. In other words, PPD and PDD tend to have more overlap with CE than PA would.
I’ve typically seen candidates consolidate their studies for the professional practice divisions (PcM, PjM, and CE) and the technical divisions (PA, PPD, and PDD). I personally followed this sequence as well and I will say that transitioning from CE to PA was quite a shock, requiring a change in mindset from contract knowledge to more of the conceptual/technical thinking. I don’t think studying for them in tandem would have been helpful.
This approach can vary based on your levels of knowledge, experience, and comfort with the topics, so take this with a grain of salt. While consolidating study efforts for multiple divisions can be effective, it is important to also dedicate adequate study time to the specific objectives of each division at hand, as they are unique to each one.
Check out the recent ARE Live podcast episode: How to Pass the ARE 5.0 in 2025, where we talk about what order to take the ARE 5.0 (timestamp 14:22) various approaches in doing so.
Hope this helps!
Kiara Galicinao, AIA, NCARB
Black Spectacles