The Architects Registration Board (ARB) is introducing a new, streamlined approach to joining the Architects Register, an approach ‘designed to be clearer, fairer, and more accessible for competent individuals, while continuing to ensure that the Register protects the public.’
ARB writes
These changes will be implemented by?spring 2027. The changes being introduced include a new Registration Assurance Process (RAP) and new routes to registration, relevant for individuals seeking to join the Register who:
- Hold ARB-accredited Part 2 and Part 3 qualifications but are without an ARB-accredited Part 1,
- Left the Register more than two years ago,
- Completed their ARB-accredited Part 3 or Practice Outcomes qualification more than two years ago,
- Have been removed from the Register for failing to comply with ARB’s CPD scheme
The RAP ensures that prospective applicants to join the Register can?demonstrate?that they meet the required standard for registration in a way that is proportionate to their individual circumstances, while?maintaining?confidence that all architects entering or re-entering the Register are competent to practise.?
The?RAP?forms part of ARB’s broader programme to modernise routes to registration, alongside:
- A?new Prescribed Examination, which will align with the Academic Outcomes
- A new?Readiness for Practice UK (RfPUK)?online module which will replace the current UK Adaptation Assessment for those applicants seeking to join the UK Register under one of ARB’s international Mutual Recognition Agreements
Together, these reforms will modernise how architects join the Register, while maintaining high standards of competence and public protection.
