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Licensure Candidates
Explore new updates to our programs and initiatives along the path to licensure.
Following major updates to our key programs for licensure candidates, more candidates than ever before are completing the Architectural Experience Program® (AXP™) and Architect Registration Examination® (ARE®). Throughout FY18, we worked with our members, volunteers, and collateral organizations to continue implementing changes that allow the regulation of architecture to keep pace with the profession.
Education
Earning a degree from a program accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) is the first step toward licensure for the majority of candidates. In addition to helping promote the value of these programs, NCARB collaborated with individuals from every area of the profession on education-related initiatives in FY18.
First IPAL Graduates
Following years of research and development by NCARB members, volunteers, and staff, the Integrated Path to Architectural Licensure (IPAL) launched in 2015, giving students the opportunity to complete their experience and examination requirements while earning a degree. Now in its third year, the initiative celebrated its first graduates in May 2018. Three students—Justin Jablonski, Michael Germano, and Phillip Lantry—graduated from the University of Florida’s CityLab-Orlando IPAL option and received their licenses shortly after. Several additional students graduated from North Carolina State University’s IPAL option the week after CityLab-Orlando’s graduation.
“
IPAL really reinforces the idea of how powerful education can be in shaping a profession. [The program] requires a tremendous amount of personal discipline and organization, but it’s an extraordinary way to learn.”
— CityLab-Orlando Program Director
Frank M. Bosworth, Ph.D., AIA
To be successful, IPAL requires a combined effort from students, educators, licensing boards, and local architecture firms. By providing a holistic approach to earning a degree, gaining professional experience, and taking ARE 5.0, IPAL ultimately allows students to jumpstart their careers. Since the initiative’s launch, NCARB has accepted 26 programs at 21 colleges from around the country. In December 2017, NCARB began accepting proposals for IPAL options year-round, enabling more schools to consider taking part in this innovative approach to architectural education.
Interschool Design Competition
In September 2017, NCARB sponsored the annual Interschool Design Competition held at the National Building Museum, which gathers architecture students from six universities in the Washington, DC, area. Organized by the three local American Institute of Architects (AIA) chapters and the museum, the competition provides students with a firsthand look at how creative design solutions can improve their community.
With support from NCARB, students were able to earn AXP experience for their participation in the competition, and were provided with a free NCARB Record for one year.
In July 2016, NCARB began partnering with the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) Freedom by Design™ program. We continued that partnership in FY18, providing mentorship opportunities with members of state licensing boards and $50,000 in grants and funding to the community service initiative. Freedom by Design gives architecture students the opportunity to network and gain real-world experience that counts toward their AXP hours while improving the accessibility of their communities.
The competition not only helps bridge the gap between education and practice, it also raises awareness of the architect’s role and empowers students to think differently about their future profession.”
—NCARB CEO Michael Armstrong
American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS)
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Architect Registration Examination® (ARE®)
Following ARE 5.0’s successful launch in November 2016, NCARB staff and volunteers began exploring ways to improve the new version of the exam. Throughout this fiscal year, we implemented several updates for ARE candidates—including provisional feedback and the NCARB Approved Test Prep Provider Program—and worked to ensure ARE 4.0 retired smoothly.
NCARB also collaborates with the student organization by presenting at the annual AIAS Grassroots Leadership Conference, attending AIAS Forum, and meeting with AIAS leaders on a regular basis. In addition, past NCARB President Dennis S. Ward, FAIA, NCARB, serves as NCARB’s representative on the AIAS Board of Directors.
Provisional Feedback
As of November 1, 2017, exam candidates have the option to review provisional feedback immediately after taking an ARE 5.0 division. Made possible by ARE 5.0’s new web-based technology, provisional feedback allows candidates to view their overall likelihood to pass or fail the division before leaving the test center. While fully accurate, the feedback provided at the test center is not official, as the results have not yet undergone further statistical analysis. Because of this, provisional feedback does not replace the importance of the official score report, which will still be released per the rules of each jurisdiction.
@ThomLopesArch
#ARE5 done! Proud to have completed this process and thank you to @NCARB for providing the resources and path forward!
Approved Test Prep Provider Program
In April 2018, NCARB launched an Approved Test Prep Provider Program as part of our continued effort to help candidates prepare for the ARE. Through this initiative, companies that create study materials for ARE 5.0 can submit them to NCARB for review and approval. Each submission is reviewed by an NCARB committee of volunteer architects, who evaluate whether or not the materials meet NCARB’s criteria in each area.
In addition to ensuring ARE candidates have access to quality study materials, the program also benefits companies: approved providers receive detailed feedback on submitted resources and are recognized on NCARB’s website. Black Spectacles® was the first NCARB-approved provider of study materials for two divisions of ARE 5.0: Project Planning & Design and Project Development & Documentation.
“
NCARB and Black Spectacles are both committed to getting candidates licensed, so we’re excited to be their first approved test prep provider. Licensure candidates can now feel even more confident that our content is delivering the information they’ll need to successfully take the ARE.”
—Black Spectacles Founder and CEO Marc Teer
NCARB by the Numbers
ARE 4.0 Retirement
Following a 20-month period of dual-delivery, ARE 4.0 retired at the close of FY18. NCARB, Member Boards, and local AIA components kept up a steady stream of communication with ARE candidates, including emails, postcards, social media posts, webinars, and in-person engagement. Both ARE 4.0 and 5.0 test administrations remained strong throughout FY18, and thousands of candidates were able to transition strategically.
The 2018 edition of NCARB’s annual data report, NCARB by the Numbers, included exclusive insight into the number of U.S. architects, the time it takes to earn a license, diversity in the profession, and new analysis on attrition along the path to licensure.
This year’s publication revealed that while equity and diversity in the profession have been improving in recent years, new data shows that attrition along the path to licensure remains at least 25 percent higher for non-white individuals compared to their white peers. Comparatively, attrition rates for men and women have evened out as the proportion of women in the profession has increased.
Think Tank
For the sixth year in a row, NCARB gathered 11 licensure candidates from across the country to participate in its Think Tank, which explores the different aspects of becoming an architect and provides feedback to the organization on its programs and services. Members of the 2017 Think Tank had the chance to engage with NCARB committees and volunteers at the 2017 Committee Summit.
To learn more about data on the path to licensure and beyond, visit our interactive data center or download the 2018 NCARB by the Numbers.
Along with members of the FY18 Re-Think Tank and AIAS leadership, members of the FY18 Think Tank led a workshop at the 2018 Annual Business Meeting. During the workshop, attendees explored ways to engage with the next generation of architects, brainstorming solutions to several challenges including improving equity in the profession, serving communities through design, and exploring modern definitions of “welfare.”
Architect Licensing Advisors Community
Every year, NCARB’s experts travel to campuses, firms, AIA chapters, and industry events to share insights into the path to licensure. Through our outreach efforts, we’re able to reach new audiences, grow our community, and inform candidates and architects across the country.
Photos from the 2017 Licensing Advisors Summit in Chicago.
Architect licensing advisors include board members, architects, educators, and students who volunteer to guide candidates and architects through the process of earning licensure and reciprocity. Every two years, NCARB hosts Licensing Advisors Summits—sponsored in part by the AIA—to provide important tools and training, as well as give advisors the opportunity to network and share best practices.
From July 27-29, 2017, over 250 advisors gathered in Chicago to gain the valuable insight they need to confidently guide the next generation of architects. Equity by Design founder Rosa Sheng, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, delivered a keynote address encouraging advisors to explore new ways to make the profession more equitable by breaking down barriers in the licensure process.
Outreach
Every year, NCARB’s experts travel to campuses, firms, AIA chapters, and industry events to share insights into the path to licensure. Through our outreach efforts, we’re able to reach new audiences, grow our community, and inform candidates and architects across the country.
“
The largest percentage of people leaving the profession are recent graduates. We need to help them stay in the profession.”
—Equity by Design Founder Rosa Sheng, AIA, LEED AP BD+C
Outreach Presentations
In FY18, NCARB made 169 presentations to 8,913 people at:
82 Universities
48 AIA Components
12 AIA Conferences
10 Professional Conferences
7 AIAS Conferences
4 Career Fairs
6 Firms
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