NPrA successful applicant Cesar Taboada

NPrA successful applicant Cesar Taboada

The National Program of Assessment (NPrA) is a competency based assessment for practitioners who have substantial industry experience, but do not have a recognised architectural qualification.  Successful completion of the NPrA provides entry to the Architectural Practice Examination required prior to applying for registration as an architect.

Almost 70% of submissions in the 2016 National Program of Assessment were successful. AACA talked to successful applicant Cesar Taboada about his experience of the program and his pathway to registration as an architect in Victoria.

 NPrA successful applicant Cesar Taboada

Photo Credit: Frances and Lena Taboada

Cesar Taboada arrived in Australia in 2002 from Peru after completing his architectural qualifications. After receiving advice that his  overseas architectural degree assessed by AACA was not equivalent to an Australian architectural qualification, Cesar decided to gain some local experience working with a couple of boutique architect firms prior to landing a Senior Designer role with Kadar & Bradley Architects.

It was at this point Cesar considered he was prepared to undertake the National Program of Assessment.

Cesar answered the two questions always asked of NPrA candidates:

 

Q:  Realistically how much time did you commit to the program?

A:  For the first stage of the program I allocated an average of 15 hours per week. At the beginning of stage 2, I was doing 20 hours per week which increased to 25 towards the end of Stage 2. 

 

Q:   What advice would you give to anyone else considering applying for NPrA?

A:    My advice is to be 100% committed and passionate about the design project you have been given, and to manage your time and resources efficiently taking into account your strengths and weaknesses. An extra piece of advice – become very familiar with the required components of the National Standard of Competency for Architects to make sure your design meets the relevant criteria.

“The NPrA is a program that demands a great amount of effort but the rewards make all the effort well worth it”

 

 

About Cesar

  • Graduated from Ricardo Palma University with a Bachelor of Architecture in 2002.
  • Moved to Australia in 2002.
  • Between 2004-2005 worked in two boutique architectural firms in Melbourne, focused mainly on high end residential and alpine projects.
  • Joined Kadar & Bradley Architects in 2005, where he currently works as a project architect overseeing from conception to completion a variety of health, commercial and residential projects.
  • Registered Architect with the ARBV since 2016 and Member of the Australian Institute of Architects since 2016
  • Passionate about architecture, music, the arts, nature, gastronomy, traveling and sailing, spending time with my two daughters and my wife. Avid reader of anything to do with design and the creative process.

 

Applications for the 2017/18 NPrA are closing soon.   See here for more information see or email [email protected] with your enquiry.

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