Due to a back log on scheduling California Supplemental Exam (oral) for registration there are group of people who want to address this issue. Please go to areforum.org to participate in this campaign of letter writing, if this issue is effecting you or please post your comments here if you are interested in helping solve this problem. Thank you for your attention.
Dear Governor,
I am writing this letter to you as an architectural license candidate in California. California is unique in its licensing procedure due to special conditions our state deals with.
Let me explain this little better. Nationally, architectural license exams consist of nine parts and administrated by NCARB (National Council of Architectural Registration Boards). A candidate must successfully pass all these parts to be a licensed architect to practice architecture legally and responsibly. This is to protect health, safety, and welfare of the public.
In all other states, a candidate is given a license to practice architecture when he or she successfully completes these nine parts which cover the practice of architecture. These parts are;
1- Pre Design
2- General Structures
3- Lateral Forces (seismic conditions)
4- Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing Design
5- Building Materials and Methods
6- Construction Documents
7- Site Planning and Design
8- Building Planning and Design
9- Building Technology
These are difficult exams that require, a considerable amount of time for studying, and, dedication. They can take somewhere from a year to several years to complete.
However, my letter is really about the tenth exam which is only administrated in our state. It is called CSE (California Supplemental Exam) and it is given orally when a candidate passes all nine exams I've mentioned above. It is to cover the unique situations of architectural practice in our state. It is administrated every two months by CAB (California Architects Board) and current passing rate is a low %43 according to latest statistics. All this is fine. However, there is such a back log in scheduling this exam due to growing waiting list, sometimes a candidate have to wait another nine mounths to a year to schedule another try. This clearly shows something is wrong and must be fixed. While our counterparts are enjoying their status as registered architects by passing the same exams we California residents also passed, most of us candidates in California have to take and retake this exam due to low passing rates and must wait for a very long time to schedule.
For example; a first time candidate schedules for CSE. The next available exam is 9 mounths later, plus 2 mounths of waiting for the results makes it 11 mounths for the first try. If the candidate fails (see the passing rates), thats another 9 mounths and another 2 mounths for waiting the results. Therefore if a candidate fails the first exam it is 22 mounths from the initial application until he or she finds out the results of the second attempt. This configuration very clearly illustrates the problem with scheduling for a test that is administrated every 2 mounths. And, the numbers will grow each year for the candidates who are eligable to take the exam, adding more waiting time until it gets out of hand.
This is causing long delays in our professional development, holding our financial and mental well being at risk.
Dear Governor, please get in touch with Department of Consumer Affairs and California Architects Board and instruct them to come up with some practical solutions to this unpractical problem. we are asking to be able to take and retake this oral exam without the long delays explained above. Your help in this matter is appreciated. Thank you for your attention on this matter.
I totally agree and would love to sign - one thing though: are you going to spell check this thing before you send it on? Kind of looks like it was proofread by an Austrian bodybuilder. :)
Thank you for the feedback. The letter is now uploaded to areforum.org FTP section with spelling cleaned up. If you are interested you can download sign and send. Or, you can write your own letter about the issue if it concerns you.
Please do not hesitate to let them know of this problem which I would assume they (CAB) are also aware of. I've taken this exam and waiting for the result. It just makes me upset that the problem is not addressed yet. I would think CAB is working on the issue and our letters would, perhaps, speed up their efforts.
Please note, this letter is not about format, reason or content about the exam itself, it is just a constructive effort to speed up scheduling problems at hand and let them know candidates are put in disadvantage of their career development because of long wait. Not to mention the possible loss of focus to study for it.
This is a solvable problem on the short term.
I wish everyone the best of luck to pass this exam.
And here are some of my suggestions to solve the problem;
Short term,
a- increase the exam fee for another $50 if this will help with organizing expenses.
b- have two people panels to give the exam so more panels created.
c- administer the exams three days instead of two days.
d- administer more exams until back log is cought up.
Long term,
a- change format to a written exam. (mix of multiple choice and written answers)
b- eliminate it all together, but ask new licencees to attent mandatory seminars covering the special issues and laws concerning California practice, within a year after they are licenced.
I thought a California Oral Exam involved going to the Vivid Video Studios and telling them You were 18?
Just Kidding - You do need 2 years of College.
I think you should address this to the state office of proffesional licensure or regulation, etc. You'd get more luck navigating the beurocracy (sorry for the spelling) - Have you ever been an expeiditor for permits? Do they do that out west?
Mar 12, 05 10:49 pm ·
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CALIFORNIA ORAL EXAM
Dear Governor,
I am writing this letter to you as an architectural license candidate in California. California is unique in its licensing procedure due to special conditions our state deals with.
Let me explain this little better. Nationally, architectural license exams consist of nine parts and administrated by NCARB (National Council of Architectural Registration Boards). A candidate must successfully pass all these parts to be a licensed architect to practice architecture legally and responsibly. This is to protect health, safety, and welfare of the public.
In all other states, a candidate is given a license to practice architecture when he or she successfully completes these nine parts which cover the practice of architecture. These parts are;
1- Pre Design
2- General Structures
3- Lateral Forces (seismic conditions)
4- Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing Design
5- Building Materials and Methods
6- Construction Documents
7- Site Planning and Design
8- Building Planning and Design
9- Building Technology
These are difficult exams that require, a considerable amount of time for studying, and, dedication. They can take somewhere from a year to several years to complete.
However, my letter is really about the tenth exam which is only administrated in our state. It is called CSE (California Supplemental Exam) and it is given orally when a candidate passes all nine exams I've mentioned above. It is to cover the unique situations of architectural practice in our state. It is administrated every two months by CAB (California Architects Board) and current passing rate is a low %43 according to latest statistics. All this is fine. However, there is such a back log in scheduling this exam due to growing waiting list, sometimes a candidate have to wait another nine mounths to a year to schedule another try. This clearly shows something is wrong and must be fixed. While our counterparts are enjoying their status as registered architects by passing the same exams we California residents also passed, most of us candidates in California have to take and retake this exam due to low passing rates and must wait for a very long time to schedule.
For example; a first time candidate schedules for CSE. The next available exam is 9 mounths later, plus 2 mounths of waiting for the results makes it 11 mounths for the first try. If the candidate fails (see the passing rates), thats another 9 mounths and another 2 mounths for waiting the results. Therefore if a candidate fails the first exam it is 22 mounths from the initial application until he or she finds out the results of the second attempt. This configuration very clearly illustrates the problem with scheduling for a test that is administrated every 2 mounths. And, the numbers will grow each year for the candidates who are eligable to take the exam, adding more waiting time until it gets out of hand.
This is causing long delays in our professional development, holding our financial and mental well being at risk.
Dear Governor, please get in touch with Department of Consumer Affairs and California Architects Board and instruct them to come up with some practical solutions to this unpractical problem. we are asking to be able to take and retake this oral exam without the long delays explained above. Your help in this matter is appreciated. Thank you for your attention on this matter.
Sign
sign
sigh
i passed my last exam 6 months ago and have 2 more months 'til the may oral exam ...
my mental well-being is long gone :'(
don't expect this fat government bureaucracy to change.
*is pessimistic*
i better pass this sucka !!
I totally agree and would love to sign - one thing though: are you going to spell check this thing before you send it on? Kind of looks like it was proofread by an Austrian bodybuilder. :)
Not even the Canadians and Brits spell month with a "u".
This is a good effort, but please edit it down to a two or three paragraphs, most politicians won't bother reading this much.
Thank you for the feedback. The letter is now uploaded to areforum.org FTP section with spelling cleaned up. If you are interested you can download sign and send. Or, you can write your own letter about the issue if it concerns you.
Please do not hesitate to let them know of this problem which I would assume they (CAB) are also aware of. I've taken this exam and waiting for the result. It just makes me upset that the problem is not addressed yet. I would think CAB is working on the issue and our letters would, perhaps, speed up their efforts.
Please note, this letter is not about format, reason or content about the exam itself, it is just a constructive effort to speed up scheduling problems at hand and let them know candidates are put in disadvantage of their career development because of long wait. Not to mention the possible loss of focus to study for it.
This is a solvable problem on the short term.
I wish everyone the best of luck to pass this exam.
And here are some of my suggestions to solve the problem;
Short term,
a- increase the exam fee for another $50 if this will help with organizing expenses.
b- have two people panels to give the exam so more panels created.
c- administer the exams three days instead of two days.
d- administer more exams until back log is cought up.
Long term,
a- change format to a written exam. (mix of multiple choice and written answers)
b- eliminate it all together, but ask new licencees to attent mandatory seminars covering the special issues and laws concerning California practice, within a year after they are licenced.
I thought a California Oral Exam involved going to the Vivid Video Studios and telling them You were 18?
Just Kidding - You do need 2 years of College.
I think you should address this to the state office of proffesional licensure or regulation, etc. You'd get more luck navigating the beurocracy (sorry for the spelling) - Have you ever been an expeiditor for permits? Do they do that out west?
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