general tests aicp practice test

American Institute of Certified Planners

Last exam update: Nov 18 ,2025
Page 1 out of 12. Viewing questions 1-15 out of 170

Question 1

A city is working to create a form-based code for their commercial district. What standard is typically
included in this planning approach that would not be found in a Euclidean-based code?

  • A. Parking ratios
  • B. Use regulations
  • C. Setback restrictions
  • D. Building typologies
Mark Question:
Answer:

D

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Question 2

One of your city's most diverse zip codes is located in the subarea targeted for the next
neighborhood plan. To increase early involvement among the diverse population of this community,
the planner should:

  • A. Hold a charrette at the local middle school in the planning process.
  • B. Invite a diverse set of community leaders to a public hearing at city hall.
  • C. Send a multi-lingual brochure to registered voters in the community about the planning process.
  • D. Attend meetings of local organizations in advance of the planning process starting.
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Answer:

D

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Question 3

An environmental scan is used to identify which of the following?

  • A. External factors impacting a community
  • B. Factors affecting the natural environment
  • C. Resilience of the local economy
  • D. Quality of life in the community
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Answer:

A

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Question 4

A home rule state allows local governments to exercise all planning and zoning authority that is:

  • A. Approved by a local initiative.
  • B. Enabled by state legislation.
  • C. Not restricted by local referendum.
  • D. Not reserved to the state.
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Answer:

D

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Question 5

Under the "New Deal," the Federal Housing Administration facilitated segregation efforts by refusing
to insure mortgages in African-American neighborhoods while simultaneously subsidizing builders
who were mass-producing subdivisions for whites. What is this policy known as?

  • A. Redlining
  • B. Gentrification
  • C. Displacement
  • D. Sub-prime lending
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Answer:

A

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Question 6

An AICP planner, working in a public agency, is reviewing site plan applications when they notice that
many of the applicants are checking the box marked “no new surface water runoff.” The planner
knows, based on the site plans, that most of these projects feature new parking lots, increasing
runoff into nearby lakes. The planner reports this to their supervisor, also AICP, who tells the planner
to simply accept what the applicants are saying. According to the AICP Code of Ethics, what should
the planner do?

  • A. Tell the supervisor this would be an ethical violation to knowingly provide inaccurate information and refuse to sign off on the permits.
  • B. Tell a reporter friend this type of fraudulent activity is why area lakes are being polluted, hoping a news article will change public policies.
  • C. Request a written advisory opinion from AICP’s Ethics Officer.
  • D. Threaten to file an ethics misconduct complaint unless the supervisor agrees to further investigate the matter.
Mark Question:
Answer:

A

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Question 7

The influence and successes of the National Resources Planning Board can be explained by the
support given by all of the following EXCEPT:

  • A. Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
  • B. Daniel Burnham.
  • C. Federal funding.
  • D. Rexford Tugwell.
Mark Question:
Answer:

B

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Question 8

Which of the following is usually the direct responsibility of the planning director, rather than the city
manager?

  • A. Job growth/decline
  • B. Floodplain management
  • C. Property tax rates
  • D. Strategic goal setting
Mark Question:
Answer:

B

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Question 9

Which of the following is the primary objective of aligning multiple capital improvement projects in
land use planning?

  • A. To create funding competition among distinct projects
  • B. To increase the complexity of individual projects
  • C. To streamline financial auditing of projects
  • D. To achieve efficiency and effectiveness
Mark Question:
Answer:

D

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Question 10

One widely accepted technique used in the role of a mediator between two opposing parties in a
land use dispute is to:

  • A. Determine a middle ground between the opposing parties so that the mediator may formulate a resolution.
  • B. Ascertain which of the two parties’ positions is in the greater public interest to determine a recommended solution.
  • C. Document the position of both sides in a report to the governing board and let the board decide the matter following a hearing of the parties.
  • D. Try to move the opposing parties from their positions to their interests to see if a resolution can be formulated that adequately satisfies the interests of both.
Mark Question:
Answer:

D

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Question 11

Fixed costs are those resources that:

  • A. Must be committed to implement a project.
  • B. Are diverted from one project to make another one feasible.
  • C. Are associated with the impacts of a project.
  • D. Do not vary with the level of project output.
Mark Question:
Answer:

D

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Question 12

Which of the following is the correct sequence, from first to last, in the brainstorming process?

  • A. Identify issues -> Develop ideas -> Organize related ideas -> Assess ideas
  • B. Identify issues -> Develop ideas -> Assess ideas -> Organize related ideas
  • C. Develop ideas -> Identify issues -> Organize related ideas -> Assess ideas
  • D. Develop ideas -> Assess ideas -> Organize related ideas -> Identify issues
Mark Question:
Answer:

A

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Question 13

The key distinction between estimates and forecasts is that estimates:

  • A. Are generally done on small areas and forecasts are done on large areas.
  • B. Are made for present or past dates and forecasts are made for future dates.
  • C. Involve the use of data for other areal units of analysis and forecasts use data for the areal unit of concern only.
  • D. Imply a range of possible outcomes and forecasts imply an exact figure.
Mark Question:
Answer:

B

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Question 14

Which of the following are likely to be upheld legally as the public rationale for creating an office-
housing linkage program?
I . To counteract market forces that make it difficult for office workers to find affordable housing near
their workplace
II . To control random growth of office development in suburban areas
III . To provide a new source of revenue for local government
IV . To provide a better solution to the problem of jobs and housing, while easing regional traffic
problems

  • A. I and IV only
  • B. I and III only
  • C. I, III, and IV only
  • D. I, II, III, and IV
Mark Question:
Answer:

A

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Question 15

Which of the following strategies would significantly improve mobility in the city?

  • A. Implementing a carpooling incentive program for suburban commuters
  • B. Upgrading traffic signalization so that motor vehicles move at a higher level of service
  • C. Developing a comprehensive network of bike lanes and paths that connect with public transit hubs
  • D. Increasing the number of parking spaces in the downtown area and residential neighborhoods
Mark Question:
Answer:

C

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