Routes to Registration

5. Time Lapsed Professional Experience

The Architects Act 1997; Section 9 and Rule 20 of the Board’s General Rules - Competency Standards state-

Section 9(1):

“Where the Board is not satisfied that a person who –

1. Applies for registration in pursuance of section 4 (1);
2. Wishes his name to be retained or re-entered in Part 1 of the Register;
3. Applies for his name to be re-entered in part 1 of  the Register under section 18,

has gained such recent practical experience as the Board may prescribe, his name shall not be entered or re-entered in Part 1 of the Register, or shall be removed from it, unless he satisfies the Board of his competence to practise.”

Rule 20

“Any person who falls within the categories described in Section 9 (1)(a), (b) or (c) of the Act who has not been engaged in the practice of architecture for a continuous period of two years immediately prior to the date of application, may be required by the Board to satisfy them of his competence to practice.”

A Competency Standards Panel of ‘expert registrants’ has been appointed by the Board to carry out the assessment of such an applicant. The Panel then advises the Registrar. The criteria that the Panel uses are kept under continuous review and are periodically updated. These findings are published from time to time and will be made available to applicants on request.

The Panel comprises several, but not normally less than 4 members.

Procedures

All applicants are required to complete an application form and to provide:

• A comprehensive CV detailing work experience to date, indicating roles, responsibilities and the stage to which projects were developed;
• Reference(s) from employer and or client;
• Evidence of undertaking continuing professional development.

This information is then sent to two members of the Competency Standards Panel for review. In the event of those two members having different views, a third Team member is appointed so that a decision by a majority may be made.  If the information provided is not thought to be acceptable, a brief report will be drafted outlining deficiencies, and where appropriate, what action needs to be taken by the applicant to better support their application. The Team then decides either

• That the applicant is considered to be competent to practise

or,

• That the Team cannot make a recommendation without further evidence, if upon receipt of which, the Panel is satisfied, they will advise the Registrar that the applicant is competent to practise;
• That the Team cannot make a recommendation but that they can recommend in writing further action which will be required from the candidate.

If the applicant is considered competent to practice the Registrar may register the applicant provided that all other requirements have been met.

The Panel's Code of Conduct is set out in Annex 2

Application

If you would like a set of application papers, please contact the ARB (info@arb.org.uk)

Appeals

The Architects Act 1997 (As amended by The Professional Qualifications Directive) states:
“A person may appeal to the High Court or, in Scotland, to the Court of Session if he is aggrieved by –
- his name not being re-entered in, or his name being removed from Part 1 of the Register by virtue of section 9;

Please refer to section 2 above for further information on the appeals process.