Criteria & Procedures Review
To ensure the qualifications and practical training experience UK graduates need for registration as an architect are appropriate, the Board has established Criteria and Procedures which are used to prescribe qualifications. These documents are reviewed regularly and are updated as necessary.

As part of the Criteria review, throughout the autumn we have been working closely with the RIBA as well as the Criteria Task and Finish Group to develop a revised set of Criteria that our organisations can continue to hold in common. With support from the Procedures Task and Finish Group, we continue to develop a revised set of Procedures, based on the pre-consultation information gathered late last year.

Once we have a draft set of Criteria that both we and the RIBA are content with and a revised draft of the Procedures, they will be put forward to the Board for consideration. With their agreement a formal three month consultation will be launched.

More details on the progress of these reviews can be found on our website here.

Prescribed Examinations Review
The Prescribed Examination is a way for individuals who do not hold qualifications directly recognised by ARB to progress towards registering as an architect in the UK. This review aims to explore whether our current procedures are fit for purpose, efficient and as streamlined as possible while remaining robust.

Our September 2018 eBulletin we shared that the pre-consultation stage had concluded. We have now analysed the findings and will produce a report to present to the Board in December. The key insights to have emerged so far are around the impact of portfolio assessment procedures on candidates who do not meet the threshold for interview as well as exploring greater efficiency and transparency for the composition of the Examiner panels and the Independent Examiner role.

We will need to test any changes to the Prescribed Examination procedures against the outcome of the Criteria and Procedures review and look forward to the outcome of these reviews so we can begin this next phase of work.

You can find out more about this review here.

Section 14 Review
In May 2018, the Board accepted in principle recommendations arising from a pre-consultation exercise and internal review into the way we investigate allegations of serious misconduct and incompetence against registered architects.

Following a consultation on proposed changes to the rules, the Board decided to implement these changes. The changes will come into force from 1 February 2019. They will bring efficiencies in terms of time and cost and include the streamlining of the investigations process, the extension of the role of expert advisers, and the removal of the legal clerk from Professional Conduct Committee (PCC) hearings.