Archinect - News

Can architects really get away with cheating on their licensing exams?

2019-03-04T15:20:00-05:00

The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards recently named and shamed eight people it said shared or received content from its Architect Registration Examination, a grueling, six-part test required to become a licensed architect — and which it says ensures people’s safety isn’t put at risk by sketchy designs.

Licensing exams are standard in many professions. However, to what lengths will people go in order to pass? The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) announced that eight individuals had been outed for cheating by a whistleblower from the group. Test materials were said to be shared via email forwarding, however one of the individuals affiliated with the incident claims what they had done was common in the industry. "It’s not like we snuck into the exam and took photos. We didn’t remove any content from any of the exams. We just had conversations,” said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “In any office, people talk about exams."

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Board certification is a requirement for those who wish to practice legally as architects. NCARB's CEO Michael Armstrong expresses the license as "a contract between the state and government. [...] If somebody has been inappropriately qualified … then that contract between the government and the pub...

NCARB announces a commitment to diversity in leadership

2018-08-02T14:58:00-04:00

The NCARB Board of Directors recently announced a Policy for Diversity in which the organization states a commitment to greater diversity, with respect to gender, race, geography, age, perspective (architect vs. non-architect), and physical ability, when electing leadership positions. The NCARB has worked to diversify their volunteer pool, transformed key programs for inclusion, and promoted wider access to licensure. Yet, President and Chair of the Board states more can be done:

"While diversity at the licensing board level is largely controlled by governors or other appointing authorities, more can be done to influence the appointment process [...] And internally, we will strive to more fully utilize existing licensing board members who bring the perspective of under-represented groups."

Policy for Diversity

This Policy on Diversity is designed to encourage consideration of underrepresented groups when the NCARB Board of Directors or the Council membership selects individuals to p...

NCARB will phase out the "intern" title

2015-05-14T20:49:00-04:00

The great intern-titling debate has been resolved – "intern" is getting the boot.

This Thursday at the AIA National Convention in Atlanta, NCARB President Dale McKinney announced that NCARB's Board of Directors had unanimously agreed to "discontinue the use of the word intern, intern-architect, or any other regulatory "title" describing those pursuing licensure." The "sunsetting" of the term "intern" was proposed by the Future Title Task Force, a committee of interns and licensed architects, who devoted a year of research and discussion to evaluating the IDP program and specifically, the naming debate around the word "intern" and the different progressive phases around licensure. Under this proposal, there exists no specific title for those seeking licensure. The Task Force's proposal also included continuations of two policies: that "architect" can only apply to licensed architects, and that "architect emeritus" would continue to be used for identifying those who are licensed but no...