AICP Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield AICP facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. Which document formalizes the short-range (4-year) program of federally funded transportation projects that an MPO has approved for implementation? → Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)
2. During a public hearing, a resident makes an angry personal attack on the planner. What is the most professional response? → Redirect the conversation to the substantive planning issues at hand
3. The AICP Code requires that planners 'provide full, clear, and accurate information.' This obligation is violated when a planner: → Selectively presents data to support a predetermined conclusion in a public report
4. Which functional area of practice encompasses the creation of affordable housing programs and inclusionary zoning ordinances? → Housing planning
5. In the context of transportation planning, what does 'level of service' (LOS) primarily measure? → The operational conditions of a roadway from the driver's perspective
6. The 'precautionary principle' in environmental planning suggests that: → Where there is uncertainty about potential harm, preventive action should be taken
7. The concept of 'ecosystem services' in planning refers to: → Benefits that humans derive from natural ecosystems
8. Which sort of land use generates the most trips? → Single-family detached home
9. Under the AICP Code of Ethics, a planner who discovers that a colleague has falsified environmental data in a public report is obligated to: → Report the misconduct through appropriate channels
10. Which population projection method uses historical cohorts tracked by age and sex over time? → Cohort-component method
11. Which technique do planners use to estimate the fiscal impact of a proposed development on local government revenues and expenditures? → Fiscal impact analysis
12. Which capital improvement programming (CIP) principle ensures that infrastructure investments are coordinated with land use plans? → Concurrency management
13. A legal nonconforming use is one that: → Lawfully existed before current zoning restrictions and is allowed to continue
14. What does a 'bicycle level of stress' (BLS) analysis measure? → The degree of traffic stress experienced by cyclists on road segments and intersections
15. A planner working on a 'complete streets' policy is primarily operating in which functional area? → Transportation planning
16. A city wants to reduce urban heat island effects. Which planning strategy is MOST effective? → Expanding green infrastructure including urban tree canopy and green roofs
17. A planner helping a city adopt a new zoning code with form-based standards is primarily engaged in which area? → Land use and zoning regulation
18. Which U.S. Supreme Court case established that a regulation goes 'too far' and becomes a taking when it denies an owner all economically beneficial use of land? → Lucas v. South Carolina Coastal Council
19. Which active listening technique involves restating what a speaker said in your own words to confirm understanding? → Paraphrasing
20. Which planning document typically guides the prioritization and funding of public infrastructure projects over a 5-6 year horizon? → Capital improvement plan (CIP)
21. Who wrote 'The Death and Life of Great American Cities' (1961), a seminal critique of urban renewal and modernist planning? → Jane Jacobs
22. A planner leading an interdepartmental task force on affordable housing encounters conflicting departmental priorities. The most effective strategy is to: → Identify shared values and frame affordable housing goals around common interests
23. A regional planning agency creating a coordinated land use and transit investment strategy is using which approach? → Integrated land use and transportation planning
24. Which federal legislation established the framework for metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs)? → The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1962
25. In benefit-cost analysis for a proposed highway project, which value would MOST appropriately be used to monetize time savings for commuters? → Value of travel time savings derived from wage rate studies
26. Under the AICP Code, which statement best describes the relationship between a planner's obligations to their employer and to the public? → Obligations to the public supersede obligations to the employer when they conflict
27. The 'pedestrian shed' concept used in New Urbanism and TOD planning typically defines an area within: → A quarter-mile to half-mile walking distance, or roughly a 5-10 minute walk
28. Which data source would a planner MOST likely use to identify patterns of residential segregation by race at the neighborhood level? → Decennial Census or American Community Survey tract-level data
29. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which planning document most directly governs a municipality's obligation to make public facilities accessible? → ADA Transition Plan
30. Which document is prepared when a federal action may have significant environmental impacts but it is unclear if an EIS is needed? → Environmental Assessment (EA)