Experienced Practitioners Assessment – Local (Australian) or OVERSEAS Qualification
The Experienced Practitioner Assessment – LOCAL program provides an alternate pathway to registration for eligible applicants who obtained an accredited Australian architectural qualification, with post-graduate experience at the Principal Decision-Making level.
The Experienced Practitioner Assessment – OVERSEAS provides an alternate pathway to registration for eligible overseas qualified applicants (resident in Australia) with post-graduate experience at the Principal Decision-Making level in complex projects* and who are not eligible for registration under existing mutual recognition agreements.
Australian citizens and residents who completed their professional education overseas should select Experienced Practitioner Assessment – OVERSEAS program.
Note: For the Experienced Practitioner Assessment – LOCAL program, AACA only assesses applications in ACT, NSW, NT, TAS, VIC and WA jurisdictions. Applicants in another state or territory, should contact the relevant State or Territory’s Architects Registration Board for further information.
Applicants must demonstrate an applied understanding of the required Performance Criteria in the 2021 National Standard of Competency for Architects (NSCA) at the Competency profile “Candidate for Registration” via a Portfolio of Complex Projects*, applicants must demonstrate eligible architectural post-graduate practical experience and practice of architecture at a Principle Decision-Making level on complex projects*.
*Complex Project: Typically, a project of medium scale or larger that requires the skill and knowledge to deliver the resolution and integration of complicated aspects including but not limited to siting, planning, structure, services, materials, composition and configuration. A complex project is demanding in its ordering and organisation of multiple occupancy and/or special purpose user requirements and requires the integration of cultural, social, environmental and technical issues.
The realisation of a complex architectural project requires an understanding of the significance of specialist input for the resolution of structural and technical design components and special purpose provisions if and where they occur; procurement options and an understanding of resources required for effective resourcing of project specialist input, and the collaboration of an experienced professional team for the preparation of project documentation and contract administration.
Single dwelling residential projects and Interior Fitout projects are not considered eligible as complex projects*.
The information on this webpage is a summary only and EPA applicants must follow the detailed information in the EPA Applicants Guide.
Key Documents
2025 EPA Program Update
New submission and eligibility requirements (indicated above) are included in the EPA Applicants Guide – July 2025. All applications submitted must comply with these requirements. Please review the EPA Applicants Guide and the Key Documents before submitting an application.
Eligibility
To be eligible to submit an Experienced Practitioner Assessment application, applicants must have:
- Minimum five-year professional qualification/s from an Australian accredited architecture program, or
- Overseas qualified applicants must have completed a 5-year full-time (10 semesters of university coursework) comparable architectural qualification awarded by an institution outside of Australia that will permit a graduate to proceed to registration as an Architect in the home country of the awarding institution. Evidence of accreditation/eligibility of the qualification for registration must be submitted.
- A minimum ten (10) years eligible architectural post-graduate practical experience, including a minimum of three (3) years providing architectural services on complex projects*, practising at the Principle Decision-Making level.
- A minimum twelve (12) months eligible architectural post-graduate practical experience in Australia, within the previous three (3) years practising at the Principle Decision-Making level (from date of the EPA application).
- Permanent or temporary residency in Australia
NSCA Criteria
- Practice Management and Professional Conduct: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16
- Project Initiation and Conceptual Design: 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 32, 33, 34, 35
- Detailed Design and Construction Documentation: 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47
- Design Delivery and Construction Phase Services: 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60
EPA Submission Checklist
Applicants must ensure you to complete and include the EPA Submission Checklist (Template) in the EPA application.
EPA Application Process
EPA Applications follow the process below.
- Submission
- Eligibility and content review
- Panel-based Competency Assessment Interview
- Outcome
Outcome
Generally, within 2 days of the completion of the Competency Assessment Interview, applicants will receive a written advice from AACA stating the Outcome of the Assessment:
- Successful candidates will be eligible to apply to the Architects Registration Board (ARB) in their jurisdiction for registration as an architect.
- On request, a Skilled Migration Assessment will also be issued for the purpose of a Visa application under the Australian Government Skilled Migration Program for the occupation ‘Architect’.
- Unsuccessful candidates will be advised of the NSCA Performance Criteria where they were assessed as unsatisfactory and unable to demonstrate the required competency and they will be advised as to what pathway remains open to them for registration.
- Unsuccessful applicants are not eligible to re-apply through the Experienced Practitioner Assessment Program.
FAQs
Applicants for the Experienced Practitioner Program must have completed a professional qualification in architecture of 5 years or equivalent and have experience as a Primary Decision-Maker in at least 4-6 complex projects. Refer to the EPA Applicants Guide for details. If you do not meet these eligibility criteria, please look for more information on all the pathways to registration as an architect in Australia.
Most commonly, you would have worked as a project leader in a Primary Decision-Making role, you may have reported to the director or other senior staff members, especially in a larger firm.
No. Only work experience gained post completion of the five years of professional study counts towards the required ten (10) years of post-graduation experience in the Experienced Practitioner Assessment program.
No. Single dwelling residential projects are not considered as complex projects. Single residences and other projects that do not meet the definition of complex projects in the Experienced Practitioner Assessment can be submitted as a fifth or sixth portfolio project in addition to the four complex projects. Refer to the EPA Applicants Guide for details.
The complex project experience in at least four projects must not be older than fifteen (15) years. Applicants may submit older projects for the two additional projects.
One or two projects that have at least passed the Authority Planning Approval stage or are under construction can be submitted in the portfolio as long as the majority of projects (four projects out of six) have been built.
The primary reference must be from an Australian registered architect (at time of the Portfolio Projects). The secondary reference could be from a consultant, builder or client who was involved in one or more of the portfolio projects.
The secondary reference could be from an architect registered overseas providing they can comment on your professional involvement in overseas projects. The primary reference needs to be from an Australian registered architect who can comment on your professional capacity to operate to the standard expected of an architect in Australia.
To ascertain the currency of the professional work experience, it is important that both required references are within the three-year period. In some cases, an older reference could be considered as a third reference, provided it is not more than ten years old.
The registered architect must be a practising architect. AACA may accept a non-practising architect only if they have moved into the non-practising category no longer than 6-12 months previous and their name is still on the register.
One of your referees must be a registered architect in Australia. This referee might not come from your current place of work, but the referee needs to be in a position to comment on your Portfolio Projects and professional capacity to operate to the standard expected of an architect in Australia.
At least one box needs to be ticked against each Performance Criteria and may relate to any of the projects listed in the Checklist.
No. The AACA does not accept references from family members.
To be eligible for this pathway, you must have project delivery experience on at least one of the complex projects submitted in your portfolio.
This is not acceptable, as the level of application in the EPA program requires the application of knowledge and skill.
No, you do not have to have worked directly under a registered architect. However, one of your referees must be a registered Australian architect who is required to comment on your Portfolio Projects and professional capacity to operate to the standard expected of an architect in Australia.
Applicants must have completed a 5-year full-time (10 semesters of university coursework) comparable architectural qualification awarded by an institution outside of Australia that will permit a graduate to proceed to registration as an Architect in the home country of the awarding institution. Evidence of accreditation/eligibility of the qualification for registration must be submitted.
No. You will first need to pass a modified version of the OQA – Stage 2 prior to submitting an application for the Architects Practice Exam (APE), including a logbook.
