NCARB prerequisites
The following are the requirements for the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) exams if you have:
| NCARB exam prerequisites: Degrees and work experience |
|---|
| If you have… |
Requirements |
Summarize law? |
Oral exam? |
|---|
| NAAB accredited degree |
- Education: 5 years credit for a NAAB-accredited degree
- IDP training: 3 years
- Exams: Pass the ARE, including the seismic exam
|
Yes |
No |
USA architectural degree
or
Foreign degree with EESA-approved equivalent |
- Education: 4 years’ maximum credit
- IDP training: 3 years
- Mentored work experience: 1 year
(doesn’t have to be under the direct supervision of a licensed architect)
- Exams: Pass the ARE, including the seismic exam
|
Yes |
Yes |
USA degree in a related field
or
Foreign degree with EESA-approved equivalent |
- Education: 3 years’ maximum credit
- IDP training: 3 years
- Mentored work experience: 2 years
(all but 1 year under the direct supervision of an architect licensed in an NCARB jurisdiction: US, Canada, Guam, Northern Mariana Island, Puerto Rico, or US Virgin Islands)
- Exams: Pass the ARE, including the seismic exam
|
Yes |
Yes |
| Degree in an unrelated field |
- Education: 2 years’ maximum credit
- IDP training: 3 years
- Mentored work experience: 3 years
(all but 1 year under the direct supervision of an architect licensed in an NCARB jurisdiction: US, Canada, Guam, Northern Mariana Island, Puerto Rico, or US Virgin Islands)
- Exams: Pass the ARE, including the seismic exam
|
Yes |
Yes |
| No degree |
- IDP training: 3 years
- Mentored work experience or education: 5 years’ credit
- Credit hours totaling 1 year of full-time education in:
- An architectural degree program = 1 year of education credit (3 years’ maximum credit).
- A non-architectural degree program = 6 months of education credit (2 years’ maximum credit).
- All but 1 year of work experience must be under the direct supervision of an architect licensed in an NCARB jurisdiction: US, Canada, Guam, Northern Mariana Island, Puerto Rico, or US Virgin Islands.
- Exams: Pass the ARE, including the seismic exam
|
Yes |
Yes |
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| NCARB exam prerequisites: Reciprocity |
|---|
| If you have… |
Minimum requirements |
Summarize law? |
Oral exam? |
|---|
NCARB council record
(including the Broadly Experienced Architect and the Broadly Experienced Foreign Architect certificates) |
NCARB transmits your council record to us for review |
Yes |
No |
At least 2 years of licensure in another NCARB-recognized jurisdiction
(No NCARB council record or IDP) |
- 2 years of licensure in another NCARB-recognized jurisdiction
- Meet the requirements for the NCARB exam listed above (2 years of licensure = 3 years of IDP)
|
Yes |
Only if you don’t have an NAAB-accredited degree or IDP |
| No IDP and less than 2 years of licensure in another NCARB-recognized jurisdiction |
Not eligible for reciprocity. Without IDP, you must have at least 2 years of licensure in another NCARB-recognized jurisdiction. See the NCARB exam prerequisites table (above) for your requirements. |
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