# Upcoming changes to ARE exams objectives and case studies

**URL:** <https://community.blackspectacles.com/t/upcoming-changes-to-are-exams-objectives-and-case-studies/7786>\
**Category:** Project Planning & Design\
**Created:** [April 12, 2026, 6:34pm UTC](https://community.blackspectacles.com/t/upcoming-changes-to-are-exams-objectives-and-case-studies/7786 "2026-04-12T18:34:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![haneen.m.khader](https://blackspectacles.com/uploads/images/14.png) [@haneen.m.khader](https://community.blackspectacles.com/u/haneen.m.khader)\
**Post date:** [April 12, 2026, 6:34pm UTC](https://community.blackspectacles.com/t/upcoming-changes-to-are-exams-objectives-and-case-studies/7786/1 "2026-04-12T18:34:52Z")

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Are the upcoming changes to the PPD exam going to change any of the questions or the content for the PPD?

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**Author:** ![kiaragalicinao](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/community.blackspectacles.com/kiaragalicinao/32/1607_2.png) [@kiaragalicinao](https://community.blackspectacles.com/u/kiaragalicinao)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2026, 7:01pm UTC](https://community.blackspectacles.com/t/upcoming-changes-to-are-exams-objectives-and-case-studies/7786/2 "2026-04-13T19:01:58Z")

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Hey @haneen.m.khader! The upcoming changes to the ARE (effective April 27, 2026) include minor adjustments to some exam objectives/descriptions and formatting changes to the case studies. More information about these updates can be found here: \* [Updated ARE Guidelines for April 2026 Exam Changes Now Available | NCARB - National Council of Architectural Registration Boards](https://www.ncarb.org/blog/updated-are-guidelines-april-2026-exam-changes-now-available)\*

These updates may have a slight impact on the actual questions themselves, but I’d imagine that they’d be unnoticeable to the typical test-taker. You can see in the article that the adjustments to the objectives are essentially refining the focus, so it’s more so changes to wording rather than actual content.

I wouldn’t worry too much about these updates, as what you’ve been studying will definitely continue to be relevant for the PPD exam 🙂

Good luck!

Kiara Galicinao, AIA, NCARB  
Product Coordinator  
**[Black Spectacles](https://www.blackspectacles.com/en-us/)**