Transition FAQs and glossary for students

Currently, you need to hold Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 qualifications that we have accredited, in addition to completing the minimum two years’ professional experience.

Under the new system, you will need to hold an ARB-accredited master’s-level qualification and an accredited practice qualification (or an accredited combined qualification) that show you have met the necessary Competency Outcomes (the threshold competencies that we expect of all architects on the Register) and have the practice experience required to join the Register of Architects and become an architect. 

Under the new system we will no longer accredit undergraduate degrees, and we won’t require you to have an undergraduate degree in architecture to become an architect. However, most people considering a career as an architect at A-Level will choose to begin their journey to registration through an undergraduate degree, and we expect this to continue even as we move to the new system. ARB expects that an undergraduate degree in architecture (or a related subject) will continue to be a requirement for entry to the qualifications needed to become an architect.  

Our changes won’t affect your Part 2. Depending on when you wish to progress your journey to the Register after graduating, you will need to apply for either a Part 3 or a practice qualification (which will replace Part 3 from 2028 onwards). 

The new practice qualification will replace the Part 3 as soon as they are developed by the schools. In some cases, they may be available before 2028 depending on how quickly they can be developed. 

No. The UK Government are introducing the Lifelong Learning Entitlement which will replace the current tuition loan system. The key change is that instead of £9,250 being paid out each year to students, the same amount will be paid out on a per-module basis. 

Students studying an undergraduate degree in architecture who then study an accredited master’s-level qualification in architecture will still be eligible for the same amount under the Lifelong Learning Entitlement; the fact that we won’t be accrediting undergraduate degrees under the new system doesn’t affect this. 

The UK Government will release more information on how and when the changes will come in due course. 

Under our new system you won’t need an accredited undergraduate qualification in architecture to join the Register. From 2028 onwards you will need an ARB-accredited master’s-level qualification and a practice qualification, which will replace the Part 2 and Part 3, respectively. You will also need to demonstrate that you’ve completed at least two year’s professional experience. We expect that Part 2 and Part 3 will be fully phased out from the end of 2028 onwards. It will be at the discretion of individual universities and learning providers to decide what the entry requirements are for the courses they run, including what undergraduate degrees they seek for master’s-level courses.  

The new system will be phased in and it is expected that new master’s-level qualifications, practice qualifications and combined qualifications will start to be offered in the second half of 2026. Accreditation of Part 1 qualifications is expected to cease from December 2027 onwards, and accreditation of Part 2 and Part 3 will cease from December 2028. Universities and learning providers will be free to continue to deliver what will by then be old-style Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 qualifications after that time, but they will be unaccredited. 

Yes – you will still need to demonstrate you’ve completed at least two years of practice experience. An independent Professional Practical Experience Commission is currently reviewing these rules and will be recommending changes to us, so we expect to make changes from 2025 onwards. We will publish information about any changes once they have been confirmed, and until that time the current practical training requirements and rules remain in place. 

Yes, but entry to an accredited master’s-level qualification is at the discretion of the learning provider. 

Yes, but entry to an accredited practice qualification is at the discretion of the learning provider delivering that qualification. 

The Prescribed Exam process will be changed to align with the new rules. Instead of a Part 1 and a Part 2 exam there will be a single exam. This will allow those without an accredited master’s–level qualification in architecture to demonstrate that they have met the Academic Outcomes. You will still require a practice qualification to join the Register. 

You cannot access the Register with experience only; you will need to hold appropriate qualifications that we have accredited. If you hold qualifications as an architect in countries that have a mutual recognition agreement with ARB you will be able to apply for mutual recognition with us so you can practice as an architect in the UK. 

Our rules require that you complete your Part 3 up to two years in advance of joining the Register. If you completed your Part 3 more than two years ago, you don’t need to repeat it; instead, you can apply to join the Register via the Competency Standards Group (CSG) Process. 

No. The Academic Outcomes must be achieved (in a master’s-level qualification) before the Practice Outcomes (in a practice qualification). Therefore, an accredited master’s-level or equivalent qualification will be a requirement for entry to a practice qualification. Alternatively, you may choose to participate in a combined qualification that covers both the academic and practice outcomes. 

The changes won’t impact apprenticeships. Whether you complete an architect apprenticeship now or under the new system, it won’t affect your eligibility to join the Register and become an architect.

ARB is the regulator for the architect’s profession for the whole of the UK, and these reforms will take effect in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.