The Royal Institute of British Architects plans to regularly test architect's competence as part of an overhaul of architectural education and continuing professional development in the UK.
Published in a document called The Way Ahead, RIBA's Education and Professional Development Framework outlines "a new direction for architectural education and continuing professional development, with a greater emphasis on health and life safety, the climate emergency and professional ethics".
A major change contained in the document is that architects will need to be tested on four "mandatory competences" every five years to retain the right to be RIBA accredited.
Architects will be tested on fire safety every five years
Under the new rules, architects will be tested on health and safety knowledge with a focus on fire safety as the first competence. "In effect, all chartered architects will be re-accredited every five years in respect of mandatory competencies ? with an initial focus on demonstrating a minimum level of health and safety knowledge, including fire safety," explained RIBA.
"RIBA Council has approved the introduction of a mandatory level of health and safety knowledge, including fire Safety, for all chartered architects, to be tested every five years."
The testing, which will have to be undertaken online on the institution's RIBA Academy platform, will need to be passed for members to continue being chartered in 2022.
A further th...