Archinect - News

AIA and NCARB join other professional organizations to push professional licensing

2019-08-13T12:00:00-04:00

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) are among several organizations who have helped found the Alliance for Responsible Professional Licensing (ARPL)—a new coalition of technical professions focused on educating policymakers and the public about the importance of rigorous professional licensing standards.

In a press release announcing the creation of ARPL, NCARB CEO Michael J. Armstrong said, “Complex professions are at risk of being swept up in broad calls to reduce licensing requirements for occupations and vocations. It is important for us to work with other technical professions to ensure public safety isn’t compromised by broad brush deregulatory efforts.”

AIA CEO Robert Ivy echoed the sentiment, adding, “The best way to maintain the public’s confidence is to continue to require that architects demonstrate rigorous and ongoing education, examination, and experience. Attempts to weaken or undermine professional licensing requirements for architects not only harm our profession, but could potentially endanger public health, safety, and welfare."

ARPL members include the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards (CLARB), the National Association of State Boar...

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...

The six-month countdown begins until ARE 4.0's retirement

2018-01-23T13:05:00-05:00

Candidates seeking licensure will have until June 30, 2018 to test in ARE 4.0, after which ARE 5.0 will be the only accepted exam. The NCARB first announced the retirement of ARE 4.0 in 2014 providing testers with enough time to make the transition. Many have already switched to the latest version since the launch of ARE 5.0 in 2016. Up until this summer, candidates have the option of taking either exam or a combination of both to complete licensure.

If you haven't switched your testing strategy yet, now is the time to do so. The ARE 5.0 features six divisions organized around the phases of a typical architecture project. The exam incorporates testing methods of case studies, hotspots, and drag-and-place questions.

NCARB has developed free resources including a Transition Calculator showing how ARE 4.0 credits will transfer to the new exam.

NCARB opens up official certification to much wider field of architecture students

2017-02-14T18:50:00-05:00

If you didn't get a degree from a NAAB-accredited program, but have spent years accumulating Architectural Experience Program-worthy hours, you may now receive an official NCARB certification. How? Well, the details are spelled out in the press release below, but think of it as a potential reward for years spent working in the field while trying to pay for your education so you could work in the field. Some call it The School of Hard Knocks; others, "practical experience." Now feast your eyes on the full release:

NCARB Streamlines Path to Certification for Architects
Architects without a degree from an accredited program can pursue NCARB certification through a new path.

Washington, DC—The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) has launched the first phase of its revised certification path for architects without a degree from a program accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). The NCARB Certificate facilitates reciprocal licensure among t...