Overseas Educated

ASSESSMENT OF OVERSEAS QUALIFICATIONS IN ARCHITECTURE

Generally, all qualifications in architecture obtained outside Australia must be assessed in terms of equivalence with an Australian qualification.

A. Provisional Assessment
Many intending migrants receive a provisional assessment of their qualification from the AACA as part of the evaluation of their migration application before they come to Australia. This provisional assessment is for guidance only and is not sufficient for registration purposes.

For registration purposes a final assessment, known as a Review of Academic Equivalence (RAE), must be made by AACA after you have arrived in Australia and it may differ from the provisional assessment.

If you have not received an AACA provisional assessment before arriving in Australia you will be required to obtain one after arrival in order to be eligible for a RAE. Currently, the fee for the Provisional Assessment of Overseas Qualifications in Architecture is $AUD1,050. Application forms (Form R) for the assessment may be downloaded from this site (Adobe Acrobat PDF) by clicking here.

B. Final assessment (RAE)
The final assessment of an overseas architectural qualification is undertaken by AACA, using a system of Competency Based Assessment. This assessment is only available in Australia.

The Review of Academic Equivalence (RAE)
The Review of Academic Equivalence (RAE) is the assessment of overseas academic qualifications through an interview process, in which the interviewers examine in detail the content of the course leading to the qualification to determine the extent to which it delivers the competencies required. These are contained in The National Competency Standards in Architecture - NCSA 01, and form the basis for accreditation for Australian courses, as well as the assessment of overseas qualifications.

If you have professional qualifications in architecture obtained overseas, and have obtained an AACA provisional assessment you may undertake the RAE which is only available in Australia.

Alternatively, if you do not wish to undertake the RAE, you may apply for the National Program of Assessment.  Please refer to the No Recognised Qualifications page for further information on this process.

The Procedure
If you wish to apply for a RAE assessment you should obtain an application form from AACA. In support of the application, you will need to provide certified copies of all documents listed below.

1. The degree or diploma in the original language;
2. official transcripts of educational courses completed (or student book or mark sheets) in the original language. A transcript lists the subjects studied by the individual student each year and marks obtained;
3. evidence of English proficiency
4. evidence of registration/licensure, if any;
5. evidence of change of name (where applicable);
6. evidence of residence status in Australia
7. evidence of AACA provisional assessment.

The fee is $750.

All documents not in English must be translated and certified copies attached to the documents to which they refer.

The RAE requires you to attend an interview with a RAE Panel. The interview is usually held at the office of the Architects' Registration Board in the State/Territory in which you are living.

The Interview
AACA will notify the Architects Registration Board when the preliminary evaluation of documentation forwarded with the application has been completed. The Board in turn will advise you of the time and place of the interview. Allow 4 - 6 months for this process.

It is important that you bring to the interview an adequate portfolio of academic material completed as a student as this is a review of academic equivalence, not of work experience. This material should include original degree certificates and course transcripts, projects, drawings, and other documentation illustrating course work undertaken in obtaining academic qualifications.

In addition, you are required to bring to the interview one A4 photocopied duplicate set of EVERY document presented to the assessors at the interview (e.g. degree certificate, course transcript, projects, drawings). This duplicate set will remain with AACA. You and the assessors will jointly certify the documentation presented. If you do not provide an exact duplicate set of the documentation presented, the interview will be concluded and you will need to re-apply for a second interview. An additional fee will apply.

The assessors will retain the duplicate set and forward these to AACA at the conclusion of the assessment process. AACA will retain the duplicate set for such period as AACA considers appropriate. The duplicate set provided may be disposed of at the expiration of the appeal period and would not normally be retained for a period in excess of 12 months.

If the documentation presented at the interview is insufficient for an assessment to be made, the interview will be concluded. You will need to re-apply for a second interview when you have the required documentation. An additional fee will apply.

The recommendations of the interviewing panel are referred back to AACA. AACA will write directly to you with its decision, normally within two or three weeks of the interview.

Knowledge of English
An adequate knowledge of English, including the technical aspects relevant to Architecture, is a requirement for registration. If you are not confident of your knowledge of English you are advised to defer your application for a RAE until you have had time to improve.

Equivalent Qualification
If your qualification is found to be equivalent, therefore meeting the academic requirements for registration as an architect, you must complete a minimum of 2 years acceptable practical experience and obtain a pass in the AACA Architectural Practice Examination before you may seek registration. One year of the practical experience must be post-graduate and undertaken in Australia. Refer to "Experience and APE" page for further information.

Non-equivalent Qualification
If AACA finds that your qualification does not meet the required standard for registration, you will be advised by letter of the subject areas which are deficient so that you may undertake further study in these subjects at an Australian school of architecture to satisfy the academic requirement needed for registration.

Alternatively you may apply to undertake the National Program of Assessment which allows you to demonstrate equivalence through experience. Please refer to the "No Recognised Qualification" page for further information on this process.