PPI ARE 5 Review Manual for the Architect Registration Exam (Revised, Paperback) – Comprehensive Review Manual for the NCARB 5.0 Exam First Edition

I find this book helpful. I have only taken (and passsed) one exam thus far however. I spent less than fifty bucks on it too. I don’t use this as a primary source for studying, but a general guide. It can be repetitive. I have the AIA docs, architects handbook of prof practice, graphic standards, architects studio companion, and a bunch of other books, plus I use online practice exams too.I have read seven chapters thus far. Just noticed one error in the chapter I just finished. That was the first error I noticed.All in all, I like the book and find it essential.

Some of the reviewers on here need to calm down. I just used this book coupled with its companion books, Practice Problems and Practice Exam to pass all six exams, first try. I used a couple other sources, but these books were my primary material. I felt that these gave good general knowledge needed for the exam I took. They do get a little heavy with some of the calculations, but if you have done your homework on the ARE, you should have a feel for what material is above and beyond what you need to know.Yes, occasionally you will hit a questionable problem/solution, but the fact that you can identify that something is off demonstrates you are grasping the material!These books will give you the concepts and the reasons - you need to really understand how to apply these to given situations.

Firstly this goes to the seller. My husband purchased this book to study for the ARE (I mean obviously I guess, why else would you buy it). He purchased a Like New version and it's perfect. It might as well be new. Came very quickly and was shrink wrapped with no dents or markings at all. In terms of content, I see the many negative reviews out there but he says it seems fine. At the end of the day the are just practice materials and for a new form of the test, but he's seems okay with what he's learning from the book.

This book is definitely the general overview of the material. Some things they go into magnificent and unnecessary detail, while other topics that feel important get glossed over. While it may feel like the first necessary purchase in studying for the exam, it may be worth considering your other options. I don't think anyone is saying you can just read this book and be prepared for the exams. But with so many other helpful resources available in different media - like Architect Exam Prep, Amber book, Black Spectacles, etc - I've stopped referring to this book altogether. For me, reading that much text was so daunting. If you're considering any of those courses and depending on how you learn best, you might consider skipping this purchase entirely and go for the practice exam book instead.

I passed all 6 of my ARE 5.0 tests on the first try (except for C&E), and I read this book for each one. Yes, it is littered with minor and major typos and the print quality inside isn’t perfect, but if you are noticing incorrect information in the book, that means you’re learning, right? This is the perfect resource to kickstart what you need to know for each test. It should NOT be your one and only study resource for the ARE; otherwise, you’ll fail. Use this as a road map to know what to study from other resources.

I own this book and the Ballast ARE 5.0 Practice Exam. I use them about 80% of my preparation for the exams in addition to the AHPP, NCARB ARE 5.0 Handbook and google. So far, I've passed PjM last year, CE last month and CE 3 days ago. And I am going to take PA next month.I do notice a few errors here and there. But if you're able to look past them, these Ballast books are great for the ARE preparation. The materials covered are spot on with the exams.

I used the ARE 4.0 version of this book (and ArchiFlash) to pass two tests on the first try.I am disappointed that in this version, the text is a single column, meaning each line is 6.5" long. I preferred the two-column layout of the previous book, as each line was 3.5" - 4", and much easier to speed read.The content seems robust, we'll see how the tests go.EDIT AFTER A MONTH OF STUDYING: This book has numerous grammatical, punctuation, and content errors. The editor should be fired. In at least one instance, nearly an entire paragraph appears in two parts of the same page.  The second instance of the paragraph is copied into the middle of a sentence, hopefully content was not lost. In other locations, at least the first word of a sentence (though likely more) is completely missing, which is confusing and potentially omitting content. In other locations, a maximum or minimum dimension is given in one sentence, and in the next sentence a larger or smaller dimension is given as 'most common'.Examples:Page 18-21:"The most common method of preliminary sizing is to calculate the depth-to-span ratio, because this can be done even if only the structural layout and the basic use of the system are known. and use this approach."And use what approach?Page 19-12:"The inverse square law, , states that... [passage continues]"Double comma, arguably the most benign error I have come across.Page 21-8 ends with a complete sentence, page 21-9 begins:"being extended to a lower level."What is being extended to a lower level, and why is it important? The world may never know.Page 22-11:"For exterior cladding, precast elements can be as thin as 5/8 in. For textured panels, a 3/4 in or 1/18 in thickness is used."If 5/8" is the minimum for a smooth panel, it seems strange that a textured panel would be less than that, and even more strange it would be only 1/18". Also, I have never seen 18ths of an inch used for anything before.Page 22-21:"When used as wall panels in one-story buildings, they usually reach from the foundation to the roof framing.two panels must be placed end to end, they are butt-jointed with flashing between."Going to guess the missing word is 'If', but why do I need to guess?This is only a sample of the errors I have found, and only while studying for a single test. I can't imagine the issues are isolated to the section I have read. It is disappointed that this was published, appalling that they are charging $250, and embarrassing that I bought it.After a month of use, I can only offer one suggestion: DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK!