ARE Professional Practice and Ethics 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under the AIA Code of Ethics, which obligation takes the highest priority when conflicts arise?
- Obligations to the client
- Obligations to colleagues
- Obligations to the public (Correct answer)
- Obligations to the profession
Correct answer: Obligations to the public
The AIA Code of Ethics places public health, safety, and welfare above duties to clients, colleagues, or the profession.
Question 2: Which firm ownership structure provides the most personal liability protection for individual architect-owners?
- Sole proprietorship
- General partnership
- Limited Liability Company (LLC) (Correct answer)
- Informal joint venture
Correct answer: Limited Liability Company (LLC)
An LLC separates personal assets from business liabilities, protecting individual members from claims against the firm.
Question 3: What does NCARB's Architect Registration Examination (ARE) test?
- Design portfolio quality
- Minimum competency to practice architecture independently (Correct answer)
- Graduate-level academic knowledge
- Specialization in a building type
Correct answer: Minimum competency to practice architecture independently
The ARE assesses whether a candidate has the minimum competency required to protect public health, safety, and welfare as a licensed architect.
Question 4: An architect who seals drawings for work they did not prepare or supervise is committing:
- A billing irregularity
- Fraud and a violation of professional standards (Correct answer)
- A minor procedural error
- An acceptable time-saving practice
Correct answer: Fraud and a violation of professional standards
Sealing drawings without responsible control over their preparation is professional fraud and violates state licensing laws.
Question 5: What is the primary function of a state architectural licensing board?
- To market architecture services to the public
- To protect the public by regulating architectural practice (Correct answer)
- To train intern architects
- To set national fee schedules
Correct answer: To protect the public by regulating architectural practice
State licensing boards exist to protect the public by ensuring only qualified individuals are authorized to practice architecture.
Question 6: In the AIA's standard owner-architect agreement, the architect's basic services are typically organized into phases. Which phase comes immediately after Schematic Design?
- Construction Documents
- Bidding and Negotiation
- Design Development (Correct answer)
- Construction Administration
Correct answer: Design Development
Design Development follows Schematic Design and further refines the approved scheme with more detailed drawings and specifications.
ARE Professional Practice and Ethics 1
Under the AIA Code of Ethics, which obligation takes the highest priority when conflicts arise?