How to Track and Stay on Top of Your AXP Hours

NCARB’s Architectural Experience Program (AXP) requires candidates for licensure to document 3,740 hours of work experience, allocated among six practice areas that correspond with the divisions of ARE 5.0. Although half of the time must be accrued in an architecture firm (or firms) under the supervision of a registered architect, the other half can be obtained in a variety of practice settings, including engineering or construction companies, continuing education or certification programs, and community outreach, among others. To successfully complete the program, candidates must master 96 key tasks, which are fully described in the AXP Guidelines.

Although selected architecture schools offer students the opportunity to accelerate the licensure process by enrolling in Integrated Path to Licensure (IPAL) programs, architecture students in any US program can begin logging AXP hours as soon as they have graduated from high school and have participated in an experience that fulfills the requirements for AXP credit. College students’ employment during school breaks and internships may be counted as long as the positions satisfy the requirements.

To begin reporting, candidates must establish a My NCARB Login, and then open an NCARB Record. NCARB charges a $100 application fee to open a new Record, and an $85 annual fee to maintain the file, payable until the candidate receives their first professional license. After receiving a Record Number, candidates may use My NCARB’s online reporting system or log in to the free My AXP app (available for Apple or Android devices) to keep track of their work experience.

Candidates must recruit supervisors or mentors in each practice setting who can attest to satisfactory completion of the tasks and time reported. The candidate and AXP supervisor should work together to establish an appropriate review and reporting schedule; NCARB requires that hours be reported within eight months of the time that they are accrued to obtain full credit, and up to six months’ worth of time can be reported in one submission. The AXP Guidelines suggest that candidates submit a progress report to their supervisor every two months to stay on track.

Understanding the various skills that must be mastered and the types of activities that fit into each practice area will make it easier to assign categories to work hours. Candidates should become familiar with the information in the AXP Guidelines and use this resource to appropriately classify their experiences. This can be accomplished by logging time contemporaneously using the My AXP app, or by keeping records for a week or two and entering all of the data into the app or online recording tool. Remember that all of the time spent in the office may not fulfill the requirements for AXP experience (such as time spent traveling to a project site or sorting through the supply closet) and should not be included in the report. It is a good idea to keep documentation of the hours submitted until the time has been approved by NCARB and added to the Record.