Preceptorship / AXP™
The AXP™ coordinator for the University of Oklahoma is Amber Brown. A preceptorship experience is required in the curriculum and can be used as hours toward the AXP™ requirement of licensure. To satisfy this requirement students must remember to enroll in the special zero credit hour course, Arch 4160. As the course description reads:
This preceptorship requirement corresponds with the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards Architectural Experience Program (AXP) and provides students with experience in an architecture office or in a related field. Students must follow the Division’s Preceptorship Program Guidelines in order to verify the appropriate experience is gained and documented.
News from NCARB:
After establishing a record with NCARB you can begin to log AXP™ experience hours. These hours are a required component of the NCARB program towards licensure.
It is important to take note of the time periods that hours must be reported within. To earn full credit for hours worked, you must submit experience within eight months: the experience submitted must be reported in periods of no longer than six months and within two months of completing each reporting period. Experience reported after this eight-month period (and as far as five years back) is still eligible to receive 50 percent credit towards the AXP™ record. Experience earned beyond five years will not count toward your AXP™ hours. Read more here.
You can now report hours for AXP™ credit with the My AXP mobile app! You can log hours, submit experience reports to supervisors, review your progress, and more. Read more here
AXP™ Q&A
Q: How do I start recording my AXP™ hours?
A: You need to start your NCARB Record. You can start earning hours after graduating from high school (or establishing the equivalent). Go to NCARB.org and click on the LOGIN button. Look for the Establish Record option, and begin to fill out the required fields. The fee to start your licensure candidate record is $100 and includes the first year. Each year after the initial is one annual fee of $85.
Q: How many total AXP™ hours do I need to fulfill the requirement for licensure?
A: The AXP™ identifies 96 key tasks that fall into six practice areas. The minimum requirement is a total of 3,740 hours across these six areas.
Important: Each jurisdiction sets its own requirements for initial licensure, so check with your board to ensure you are recording enough experience. Some jurisdictions require more hours than the minimum 3,740 hours. Read more here
Q: Does my foreign experience count toward fulfillment of the AXP™ program?
A: Yes. A maximum of 1,860 hours may be earned for work completed in a foreign country under the supervision of a licensed architect in that country. Read more (PDF)
Q: I am trying to get an unpaid internship with a well-known firm. Will that count toward AXP™ credit?
A: Unpaid internships are not eligible to earn experience hours with the exception of the approved Community-Based Design Center/Collaborative as defined in experience setting O. Read more (PDF)
Q: Who is my AXP Supervisor?
A: Your AXP supervisor manages you on a daily basis and is ultimately responsible for your work. Their main task is to assign projects that give you the opportunity to develop the knowledge and skills required by the AXP, as well as provide feedback that helps guide your professional development. Your supervisor will also review your experience reports and certify that your work meets the expectations and requirements of the AXP. Learn more about your supervisor’s role.
Q: When can I begin to take the ARE licensing examinations?
A: Before you can schedule an ARE exam, your jurisdiction’s board of architecture will need to approve your eligibility to test. Each jurisdiction sets its own rules regarding when you’re eligible to take the ARE, so be sure to meet your jurisdiction’s requirements before requesting eligibility.