The Architectural Practice Board of South Australia is the statutory authority established to administer the Architectural Practice Act 2009 (the Act).
It is the law in South Australia, as in the other states and territories of Australia, that only people who are registered as architects may use the title "architect" or description such as "architectural" which derive from it.
The Act sets out the general qualifications and requirements for registration in this state and the Architectural Practice Board of South Australia is responsible for evaluation of applications for admission to the Register of Architects which it maintains.
The requirements for registration as an architect are an approved academic qualification in architecture, a period of training through experience; and completion of an examination in architectural practice.
This circular of information sets out the conditions and procedures for the AACA Examination in Architectural Practice, which is accepted by the Board as the final requirement for registration.
The requirements for registration as an architect in South Australia are
The purpose of the AACA Architectural Practice Examination is to ensure that persons admitted to the Register of Architects have an adequate knowledge and understanding of the practice of architecture in Australia and a capacity to exercise professional skill.
All State and Territory Registration Boards accept the results of the AACA Architectural Practice Examination. It is recognised by The Architectural Practice Board of South Australia for registration in South Australia and by all other State and Territory Registration Boards.
The examination is a composite examination conducted in three parts broadly as follows:-
Part 1 Eligibility
Part 2 National (NEP) Examination Paper
Part 3 Examination by Interview
The examination is conducted nationally twice a year, in April and August.
You must have the following qualifications:
Application and information for examination is available from the Board's office. You must submit a completed application form and the required supporting documentation with the prescribed fee on or before the closing date for application.
Your statement of practical experience and other submissions must be clearly typed or handwritten using A4 paper. The application form must be fully completed and signed.
All applications must include a Statutory Declaration attesting to the accuracy of all documentation.
Examination fees are payable in two parts:
These documents must be submitted with your application:
Original and two copies of each
Candidates are encouraged to have all Log Books and summary sheets signed by yourself and your supervising architect/employer.
A Briefing of Candidates is held by the Board to inform candidates of what to expect during the examination process. This is of approximately 1 hour duration.
This is the appraisal of your Log Book and Statement of Practical Experience to verify that you have met the mandatory criteria for admission to subsequent parts of the Examination.
Admission to the AACA Architectural Practice Examination is conditional upon your completion of at least two years practical experience
One year experience must be undertaken in Australia after graduation.
The Board will consider practical experience of those candidates who have not worked under the direction of registered architects, on the proviso that the practical experience must be submitted in its required format and supported by a Statutory Declaration duly signed by a Justice of the Peace.
You are required to submit a Log Book of Practical Experience which records your experience in accordance with the instructions set down in the Log Book.
You are required to obtain varying levels of experience in a range of activities relating to the seven mandatory competencies in the practice of architecture and record them in the AACA Log Book.
Your architect supervisors or other employers are asked to countersign each relevant page of the Log Book to confirm the self assessment you have made.
Three levels of experience are identified and defined: Executive, Participant and Observer. These must be recognised in your records.
Diaries are not accepted as replacement of Log Books for examination purposes. Entries which have been "backdated" by more than six months will only be accepted in special circumstances.
If mandatory experience requirements have not been satisfied you will be refused admission to subsequent examinations and you will be advised in writing immediately.
Log Sheets must be submitted electronically to the Architectural Practice Board of South Australia via email to mim.pargeter@au.gt.com and three hard copies must be provided to the Architectural Practice Board of South Australia on lodgment of your application.
The Statement of Practical Experience consisting of a maximum of 2000 words should present a chronological record of your experience, preferably those gained in the two years immediately preceding your application.
The Statement should be headed with your full name on each page. Relevant pages should also contain the name of your employer, and where appropriate that of the supervising architect and his/her registration number. It is mandatory to have your Statement of Experience certified by your employer/supervising architect.
Your Statement must relate your experience to the Described Elements of Competency. The information should include an indication of your role and level of responsibility in a particular project stage that has been identified. Sufficient project details must be provided to allow the Examiners to appreciate the scope of work, its cost, floor area and nature of construction.
A National Examination Paper will be held at the beginning of each examination session. It is a one-hour 'closed book' multiple choice question paper. A pass in the NEP is a prerequisite for admission to Part 3 of the Examination. Please refer to NCSA/REF/G for further details. Sample paper.
You will be notified in writing whether you have 'passed' or 'failed' the Part 2 process. Counselling will not be provided.
The Examination by Interview comprises one examination only. This will be an oral assessment conducted by two examiners from the SA Examination Panel. It will assess your knowledge and experience using the Contexts, Elements and Performance Criteria of the National Competency Standards in Architecture (NCSA), and will refer to your documentary submission as well as to The Competency Standards booklet. The examiners will form an overall view of your experience and ability to deal with practice issues in a mature professional manner. The interview will typically take forty-five minutes to one hour.
If you are successful in Part 3 you will be invited to apply for registration.
If you are unsuccessful you will be advised in writing; this advice will include the areas in which weaknesses have been identified.
There are no supplementary examinations.
Examination results will be issued in writing within two weeks of all interviews being conducted. Board staff are unable to discuss examinations with candidates. Examination results will not be released over the telephone. If you are successful you will be issued with an AACA Certificate confirming your completion of the examination. The Board will advise you of registration requirements and applicable fees.
The AACA Architectural Practice Examination conducted by this Board will be accepted by any State or Territory in Australia as completing the requirements for registration as an architect.
It is also recognised by the Architects Registration Board of New Zealand under the terms of the Trans Tasman Mutual Reciprocity Agreement (TTMRA).
If you are aggrieved by the outcome of any Part of the APE you must lodge your grievance in writing to the Board within 21 calendar days of the date of notification of the result to which your grievance relates. Counselling is not available.
The Architects Accreditation Council of Australia (AACA) is a national organisation comprising of representatives of all State and Territory Registration Boards. The AACA promotes national standards for registration for architects throughout Australia and is responsible for the assessment of overseas qualifications in architecture.
In pursuance of this function, AACA is involved in the inspection of schools; it is the recognised authority in the assessment of qualifications; it is the conducting authority for the architectural practice examination; and it negotiates international agreements with similar authorities overseas.
The registration boards hold the examinations in each State and Territory capital city and some regional centres, but all decisions of content and policy rest with the AACA. The acceptance of AACA standards by all Australian Boards facilitates the portability of registration of architects around Australia and with other countries where registration is a requirement.
Information on the National Competency Standards in Architecture and assessment processes is contained in the following documents that may be downloaded from the Architects Accreditation Council of Australia (AACA) website: www.aaca.org.au
The National Competency Standards in Architecture.
This booklet contains general guidance notes for those applying for accreditation, the NPrA, RAE and the APE.
Reference Guide for Candidates
This booklet sets out the guidelines and procedures of the AACA Architectural Practice Examination (APE).
Log Book of Experience in Architectural Practice
The Log Book is used to record practical experience in architecture. Candidates are required to submit a recent passport sized photograph in the ID section of the application form when applying for the examination. (Log Book can be accessed from AACA website - www.aaca.org.au/Publications.