Roadmap to Recognition: Precedents to help you tackle your ARB prescribed exams
In this article, NDSA Committee Officer and Chartered Architect Sara Saadouni gives us an insight into her personal journey throughout the process, and an outline of the support that has been collated for others.
My personal journey to register as an Architect in the UK has been a rollercoaster of emotions, from the realisation that my foreign architecture diploma wasn’t recognised in this country all the way through to my recent registration with the Architects Registration Board (ARB).
To get where I am today, I had to navigate a series of exams and produce materials to meet complex criteria.
Above: A range of the documents that need to be produced by candidates
In this process, there was a lot that I needed to work out on my own, but I do owe part of my success to good colleagues who gave me feedback and supported me along my path to recognition.
Today, when I look back at this whole experience, I cannot help but think that it did not have to be so complicated. Let me explain…
Pathways to register as an Architect in the UK
If you have studied architecture outside of the United Kingdom or the European Union, it is unlikely that your degree will be recognised in the UK. This is because the Architects Act of 1997 states that a person is entitled to be registered with the Architects Registration Board (ARB) if:
they hold qualifications and practical experience that are prescribed; or,
they have an equivalent standard of competence to those who register with prescribed qualifications.
But what does “prescribed” qualifications mean in practice? The Board publishes criteria that set out the minimum levels of knowledge, understanding and ability that architecture students must acquire at each stage of their training, which includes Part 1 (Bachelor’s degree), Part 2 (Master’s degree) and Part 3 (Professional Practice). These criteria form the basis upon which the Board makes decisions as to whether qualifications from any Schools of Architecture can be prescribed.
If you have not studied Architecture in a school that offers prescribed qualifications in the UK, then you will have to undertake the ARB prescribed exams at Parts 1, 2 and 3 to register as an Architect with the board. For Parts 1 and 2, this is done by:
presenting supporting material in the form of a portfolio of work, which may include design projects, technical essays and dissertations or any other material that the candidate deems relevant;
presenting a Comparative Matrix stating where and how the candidate believes the supporting materials demonstrate compliance with each of the criteria; and
sitting an oral examination to provide explanations on the Comparative Matrix and supporting materials.
When I first came to the UK from Morocco in September 2014 for my Master of Science degree, I knew none of this. It wasn’t until I graduated from the University of Nottingham that I realised that I could not apply for a job as an Architect with my Moroccan Architect diploma.
At this point, I had to step back and consider my options – with my background, I could pursue further academic studies, or work as a professional energy consultant. However, it was very clear to me that what I really wanted was to be an Architect and advance this career in which I had invested so much already.
What guidance is available on the ARB Prescribed Exams?
Whether you are going through the process yourself or just looking into it, you will probably agree with me when I say that the guidance out there is only a starting point: there are a few 2-to-5-minute official videos published by the ARB briefly explaining the process, and some of these show short extracts of work submitted by former candidates. Some more guidance in pdf form has also been published by the ARB, including frequently asked questions, and this gives additional written information about a couple of specific criteria. These resources are indeed useful to understand the overall process, but they do not go into detail about the specifics of the submission and what is required to pass the exams.
The Royal Society of British Architects (RIBA) offer a short preparatory course for the ARB prescribed examination and individual one-hour reviews conducted by a former examiner who will go through your work and give you some tailored advice for a fee. These go into a bit more detail than the ARB guidelines and the one-on-one could give you some useful feedback on the material you are planning to present.
Personally, I have reviewed all of these resources and took advantage of both paid training options.
Even so, it remains extremely difficult to really grasp the breath and depth of the work you need to present to pass the exams. I found that what really helped me personally was studying examples of work by applicants who had passed the exam.
Guidance currently available on the ARB Prescribed Exams from the ARB & RIBA
ARB: Before Examination - Architects Registration Board (arb.org.uk)
RIBA: Portfolio support services for the ARB prescribed exams (architecture.com)
Our contribution: Join us on YouTube!
I was extremely lucky and grateful that somebody was willing to share their work and experience with me, and I truly believe that this was instrumental for me to pass both prescribed exams at Parts 1 and 2. I do however believe that having the right tools and insights into this process should not be about luck: every candidate should be able to look at precedents before their submission and get the support of peers who have been through the same experience.
To that purpose, NDSA has put together a mini-series of three interviews with candidates who have been through the process and have passed. In the interviews, three amazing colleagues from different countries talk about their different backgrounds, experience of putting together the evidence and oral exam. They also share insights and tips for a successful submission, including extracts from their portfolios and comments on their experience of meeting specific criteria.
This project is all about this: being able to see precedents from three different countries, from candidates with different levels of work experience and stages in their careers.
We hope our interviews and resources will be useful to you, and we encourage you to engage in the comment sections on YouTube as well as on the blog posts here on the website. Our hope is to build a community that supports applicants in their journey and to help you draw your own roadmap to recognition.
Above: An extract from one of the interviews carried out by Sara Saadouni
Sara Saadouni
NDSA Committee Officer