Archinect - News

AIA chapters voice concern over proposed regulations on architects in California

2022-12-09T11:22:00-05:00

Several chapters of the AIA in California, including AIA California and AIA Los Angeles, have published an open letter to the California Architects Board (CAB) in opposition to proposed changes in how licensed architects in the state must advertise their license number. California Code of Regulations 135 (CCR 135) would require licensed architects to include their license number on “all forms of advertisement presented to the public in connection with an offer to provide architectural services.”

According to CAB, the new regulations are designed to raise public awareness of the difference between unlicensed and licensed architectural services by requiring architects to display their licensure numbers in advertising.

The open letter in opposition to CCR 135 sets out four areas of concern on behalf of the AIA chapters. The first takes aim at the initial estimate by CAB that “lice...

NOMA/NCARB report exposes exam disparities for people of color and older candidates

2021-09-13T13:28:00-04:00

The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) and National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) have released a report focused on disparities in architectural licensing examination. Titled Baseline on Belonging: Examination Report, the study seeks to explore factors that impact equity, diversity, and inclusion for candidates taking the Architect Registration Examination (ARE).

Infographic via NOMA/NCARB

The 100-page report is centered on survey data from the experiences of people preparing for or taking the ARE, including obstacles in the areas of financial support, mentoring, and overall cost. More than 5,000 people submitted responses to the survey, including over 2,800 people of color and almost 2,500 women. The report also features an analysis of a multi-year collection of NCARB data, which as we previously reported, indicates that people of color have significantly lower pass rates in the ARE than their white peers.

Infographic via NOMA/NCARB

Among th...

White and male candidates more likely to pass the ARE, says NCARB study

2021-07-22T12:23:00-04:00

The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) has, for the first time, published data on Architect Registration Examination (ARE) pass rates that are broken down by demographics. The statistics show that white candidates are more likely to pass the ARE than candidates of color, that men are more likely to pass than women, and that younger candidates have higher pass rates than older candidates. The findings will also be included in an upcoming joint report between NCARB and the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA).

The ARE, which is developed and administered by NCARB, is a key step on the path to professional licensing and is required by all state licensing boards in the United States. To generate the latest statistics, NCARB analyzed the pass rates from more than 32,700 ARE exam participants, studying information on race, ethnicity, gender, and age. NCARB says that releasing the findings is an effort to “help inform essential discussions about eq...

Man convicted for falsely claiming to be an architect

2019-08-14T18:00:00-04:00

Paul Lyon, director of Warwickshire, Coventry and London-based company Lyson Architecture, was fined for referring to himself as a ‘Residential Architect’ on his website. He was also fined for using the Twitter handle @LysonArchitect ’despite having no architects at the pracitce’.

According to NCARB, the number of Architects in the U.S. has increased

2019-06-07T10:13:00-04:00

According to the upcoming July 2019 issue of NCARB by the Numbers, there are now over 115,000 licensed practitioners across the 55 U.S. jurisdictions. And with 5,000 individuals completing their final core licensure requirement in 2018 and almost 41,000 candidates actively working toward licensure, the architecture pipeline remains strong.

Since 2018, the percentage of licensed architects in the U.S. has increased by 2%. NCARB has collected data from its 55 Member Boards in all 50 states, including the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

Image courtesy of NCARB

"The number of architects has risen over 13 percent in the last decade, while the total U.S. population has only risen 7 percent, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Compared to the population, there is now roughly one architect for every 2,800 people in the United States. [...] number of candidates completing their final core requirement for licensure dipped to almost 5,000 in 2018. However, this number still remains the second highest on record."

Image courtesy of NCARB

Architect to Architect? to Jail.

2017-11-29T13:16:00-05:00

The stamp, forged signatures, false paperwork — they were like the scaffolding of a building of his own design, one with no firm foundation.

A fake architect named Paul J. Newman has been sentenced to 2 1/3 to 7 years in state prison for posing as an architect in eastern New York.

Newman also was ordered Tuesday in Saratoga County Court to pay more than $115,000 to his victims in Albany, Rensselaer, and Saratoga counties.

Newman pleaded guilty in June to grand larceny and fraud after an investigation by New York's attorney general dubbed "Operation Vandelay Industries." Attorney General Eric Schneiderman's office said Newman had rendered fraudulent architectural services since 2010. Victims included municipalities and businesses.

Schneiderman dubbed the operation to nab Newman "Vandelay Industries" in reference to a long-running joke on "Seinfeld" about a fictional company by that name. A character named Newman was Jerry's nemesis on the sitcom.

Architecture employees don't think supervisors think it's important they get licensed

2017-03-21T13:25:00-04:00

Combining all the tension of a passive-aggressive relationship with the clarity of survey-derived data, a new study released by the AIA and NCARB reveals that while both employees and supervisors think attaining licensure is important, employees don't think supervisors think it's important.

Dubbed the "perception gap," this disparity is quite sharp: as the NCARB blog notes,

While the results revealed that almost all supervisors surveyed (98 percent) believe it is important for emerging professionals to obtain licensure, just 66 percent of emerging professionals reported believing that their supervisor thinks it is important for them to become licensed. In fact, just 27 percent of emerging professionals indicate they believe it is “very important” to their supervisors for them to obtain licensure, while 88 percent of supervisors indicated that it was “very important” to them for the emerging professionals they supervise to get licensed.

Why We’re Thankful for Licensed Architects

2016-11-21T09:00:00-05:00

This post is brought to you by PPI.

Being able to call yourself an architect is just one perk of becoming licensed. After hours of studying, practicing, and testing, licensed architects can confidently take on unique design projects with knowledge and experience to back up their choices. This is why their clients trust them with important decisions, and why we are thankful every day for their expertise. Here are a few reasons we are thankful for licensed architects.

1. They make choices you can trust.

High-level knowledge of design practices and how to best avoid errors only comes with practice and studying, two things with which every licensed architect is intimately familiar. After participating in Architectural Experience Program (AXP) and passing the Architect Registration Examination (ARE), involving hours of studying, testing, and practicing in the field, licensed architects are equipped for success. Architects utilize their arsenal of knowledge to inform the decisions they make...

The ARE 5.0 Loophole You Should Know

2016-08-15T09:00:00-04:00

This post is brought to you by PPI.

If you are on the path to becoming a licensed architect, you may already be aware that the Architecture Registration Exam (ARE) is being updated starting November 1st, 2016. You may not know that there could be significant benefits in store for you if you adopt a strategic approach to the update from ARE 4.0 to ARE 5.0. You could be among a group of candidates who can take advantage of a special loophole that may save you considerable time and money.

This “loophole strategy” (or Combo Strategy) involves taking a combination of division exams from both exam versions by beginning your testing with three specific divisions from ARE 4.0 and then completing your requirements with two divisions from ARE 5.0. The key to saving time and money is that you will complete just five divisions total, instead of the required seven for ARE 4.0 and six for ARE 5.0. Completing fewer divisions will subsequently save you time and money. But you’ll need to act before ...

Upcoming Architect Registration Exam® (ARE®) Change

2016-03-15T09:00:00-04:00

This post is brought to you by PPI.

As an aspiring architect, you are required to pass the ARE for initial licensure in all U.S. jurisdictions.

The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) have just released new information regarding their upcoming release of ARE version 5.0.

There will be six divisions, compared to seven in ARE 4.0. As a result, an aspiring architect can expect to spend up to eight hours fewer completing ARE 5.0 divisions.

Though the exam will continue to use multiple-choice, check-all-that-apply, and quantitative fill-in-the-blank question formats, it will replace ARE 4.0 vignettes with new problem types, including:

Case Studies
Hot Spots
Drag-and-Place

Each division will include at least 80 questions, along with one to two case studies.

ARE 5.0 Timing and Planning Tools

NCARB will begin the final stages of ARE 5.0 exam development this spring, which will determine the official launch date of ARE 5.0 in late 2016.

If you have already started ARE 4.0, th...

ARE 5.0 Is Coming—Why Start Studying Now?

2016-01-11T08:00:00-05:00

This post is brought to you by PPI.

In 2016, NCARB announced a change to the ARE exam format. The goal is to align the ARE with current practice management, project management, and project design activities in the architecture profession.

The new exam will be launched late 2016, but you have will until June 2018 to pass the ARE 4.0 divisions. Now is a great time to plan and start studying so that you can pass all seven divisions before the exam changes. You can still find study tips from architects who have already taken and passed the ARE. Click here to download a side-by-side chart showing topics covered by the seven ARE 4.0 divisions.

You can visit the NCARB web page to learn more about the upcoming transition to ARE 5.0.

Studying for ARE 4.0

There are no requirements from NCARB regarding the order in which examinees should take the seven divisions. Examinees often choose to assess division subject matter and schedule the exams in order from easiest to most difficult (as ranked by t...

Becoming an Architect

2015-09-28T10:00:00-04:00

This post is brought to you by PPI.

A 2014 Survey of Architectural Registration Boards reported the highest number of aspiring architects to date. More than 37,000 aspiring architects were testing and/or reporting hours. The 3,543 candidates who completed the Intern Development Program (IDP) are ready to start taking the Architect Registration Examination® (ARE®). Last year, 3,719 exam candidates completed the ARE, which was the highest number of completions for all sections since 2008.

Worried About the ARE?

PPI publishes a comprehensive exam review series for the ARE, authored by David Kent Ballast, FAIA. Click here to learn more about this best-selling author and how his books can help you prepare to pass your exam. PPI is committed to helping architects and engineers pass their licensing exams. Visit ppi2pass.com to learn how you can get started today.

In 2016, the ARE exam format is changing to align the ARE with current practice management, project management, and project design ...

IDP Change: Effective July 1, 2015

2015-06-22T11:00:00-04:00

This post is brought to you by PPI.

If you would like to become a licensed architect one day, you will need to fulfill your state’s experience requirements for Architect Registration Exam® (ARE) qualification. Each state requires work experience under the direct supervision of a registered architect for a specific period of time prior to registration for the exam.

Most states have adopted the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) Intern Development Program (IDP) as the experience requirement for exam registration. IDP guides interns and is the standard means of completing the requirement in almost all U.S. jurisdictions.

On July 1, 2015, NCARB will streamline the IDP by no longer requiring elective hours.
Click here to visit your State Board website to learn more about its particular requirements.

Professional Publications, Inc. (PPI) publishes a comprehensive exam review series for the ARE, authored by David Kent Ballast, FAIA. Click here to learn more about thi...

Architecting Your Career: It’s Time to Pursue Licensure

2014-11-14T17:16:00-05:00

This post is brought to you by PPI.

Just as a doctor, lawyer, dentist or engineer require licensure to protect public health, safety, and welfare—architects must also be licensed. A significant part of becoming licensed is taking and passing the Architecture Registration Exam® (ARE).

National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) administers the ARE. NCARB is an organization that regulates the practice of architecture through the development and application of standards for architect licensure. Its members represent architectural registration boards across the United States and U.S. territories.

Why Become Licensed?

You can go to college, graduate, and earn a degree in architecture, but the road to becoming an architect doesn’t stop there.

Benefits of Becoming Licensed

Without the license, you aren’t a legally sanctioned architect. You are not legally allowed to call yourself an architect until you are licensed.
With a license, you have the legal right to sign, seal or stam...

NCARB's "licensure at graduation" announcement rubs Archinectors both ways

2014-06-04T21:13:00-04:00

Last week we reported on NCARB's announcement that it would offer a path to licensure through academic programs, making it possible for architecture students to be licensed upon graduation. The proposal prompted a pretty divisive set of reactions from Archinect commenters, some excited by the opportunities inherent in the proposal, others despairing over its potential long-term effects.

At the time of this post, the original news piece had 61 comments, the major issues raised including impact on educational standards, earning potentials and the profession's reputation. What also surfaced was a generational bias, with those already firmly set in the practice (but still not licensed) feeling disadvantaged by an opportunity that came too late for them. We've gathered the gist of the commenter's opinions here.

The PROS:

According to davvid, this new path to licensure will make it easier for graduates to get higher paying jobs more quickly after graduating, which "also increases their earni...