NCARB’s Architectural Experience Program® (AXP®) is a required component of the licensure process in almost all U.S. jurisdictions. The AXP is designed to equip candidates with the skills to practice architecture competently by providing a framework for earning and reporting professional experience.
2022 data suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact candidates’ AXP progress. The number of candidates starting the program fell dramatically, and the number of candidates completing the program continued to decline.
Time to complete the program also showed evidence of the pandemic’s ongoing impact, as the average length of time for completion increased by one month.
In 2020, the number of candidates beginning the AXP, which is often one of the first steps toward earning a license, fell dramatically as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. By 2021, the number had increased by 85%. In 2022, the number of candidates starting the experience program fell by 22%, still above the number seen during the COVID-19 pandemic but significantly fewer than the number of candidates starting the AXP in the years leading up to the pandemic.
However, because candidates can backdate experience up to five years, this number may shift upward over time.
For the sixth consecutive year on record, the number of candidates completing the experience program fell in 2022.
The launch of the AXP in 2016 accelerated candidates’ progress and created a peak in the number of completions, leading to a steady decline in AXP completions over the subsequent years. Because it takes an average of 4.8 years to complete the program, the decline in program starts in recent years may lead to a decline in program completions in the future.
In 2022, the average candidate took 4.8 years to complete the experience program. This is a one-month increase compared to 2021 and an approximate five-month increase compared to 2020. The average time to complete the AXP has been on the rise since the program launched in 2016.
Similar to 2021, the increase in time to complete the experience program in 2022 is likely an ongoing result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In comparison to 2021, the proportion of candidates who completed the AXP in less than four years has decreased. Thirty-two percent of candidates completed the AXP in under four years—a 4 percentage point drop compared to the proportion seen in 2021.
The proportion of candidates who completed the AXP in four to six years in 2022 increased a percentage point to 35%. The remaining 33% of candidates finished the AXP in six or more years—a three percentage point increase from last year.
Of white candidates who completed the AXP in 2022, 29% did so in less than four years—the lowest proportion of all racial and ethnic groups. By comparison, 41% of Asian candidates who completed the AXP in 2022 did so in less than four years.
This aligns with NCARB’s data regarding when candidates start the AXP, which indicates that white candidates are most likely to start reporting experience while still in school. This can draw out their average time to complete the program, since many students report intermittent hours rather than full-time experience.
In 2022, nearly equal proportions of men and women completing the AXP did so in less than four years: 32% for women versus 31% for men. Additionally, 37% of women who completed the AXP in 2022 did so in four to six years, compared to 34% of men. Compared to women, men were 4 percentage points more likely to take six or more years to complete the program.
Thirty-nine percent of 23-29-year-old candidates completed the AXP in less than four years—the highest proportion seen based on age group. As candidates get older, the proportion of candidates completing the program in longer time frames increased, with 61% of candidates 55 or older completing the program in six or more years.
