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RGE Application Form
Explanatory Notes
(Stage 1 and Stage 2)
REVIEW OF GRADUATE EQUIVALENCE (RGE)
FINAL ASSESSMENT OF OVERSEAS ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS IN ARCHITECTURE (for those
without a student academic portfolio) FOR THE PURPOSE OF MEETING THE ACADEMIC
REQUIREMENTS LEADING TO THE PROCESS OF REGISTRATION AS AN ARCHITECT
Please read these Explanatory Notes carefully before completing the RGE Application Form.
This application form is to be used by those who:
o have overseas qualifications in Architecture and significant experience, but no longer have a
student academic portfolio; and
o have ten (10) years of experience under the supervision of an Architect immediately
preceding your application and subsequent to graduation from a professional qualification in
Architecture; and
o have obtained a positive AACA Provisional Assessment or Skills Assessment for migration
purpose; and
o are an Australian citizen or permanent resident of Australia; or have a visa granting
permission to work in Australia (without limitation).
1.
GENERAL INFORMATION
It is the law in Australia that if you wish to use the
title of, and offer services to the public as, an
Architect you must be registered.
To become eligible to register as an Architect in
Australia you are required to have a recognised
qualification in architecture of a minimum of five
years full-time academic study; undertake a
period of practice in Australia; and (where
prescribed) pass the AACA Architectural Practice
Examination.
If you have overseas academic qualifications in
architecture your qualifications must be assessed
to determine equivalency with a currently
accredited Australian qualification in architecture.
The Architects Accreditation Council of Australia
(AACA) is the recognised assessing authority. AACA
is not a registration authority; its role is to provide
an opinion by facilitating an assessment process.
This process is recognised by each of the state and
territory Architect registration authorities as a
prerequisite to registration. The decision to
register applicants is the sole prerogative of the
registration authorities.
The AACA assessment of overseas academic
qualifications in architecture for the purpose of
meeting the academic requirements leading to the
process of registration as an Architect in Australia
is a two-step process.
A Provisional Assessment or alternatively, a
Skills Assessment for Migration Purposes;
and
a final assessment – Review of Academic
Equivalence (RAE) or, if eligible, the Review
of Graduate Equivalence (RGE).
If you have not had a Provisional Assessment or
a Skills Assessment for Migration Purposes by
AACA you should visit the AACA website.
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By submitting an RGE application you:
a. acknowledge that you have read and
understood the information supplied in the
current RGE Explanatory Notes;
b. declare that all information and documents
provided are complete, correct and up-todate;
c. acknowledge that the failure to provide all
information required as indicated in the
current RGE Explanatory Notes will mean that
your application is incomplete and that AACA
is unable to complete its assessment and will
not be able to express an opinion as to the
status of your qualification;
d. authorise AACA to make any enquiries
necessary to assist in the assessment of your
qualifications and to use any information
supplied in your application for that purpose;
e. consent to the release of any information
provided to a state or territory Architects
registration authority; and
f. acknowledge that the provision of false or
misleading information may result in:
i that information being provided to a State
or Territory Architects registration
authority; and/ or
ii a decision by AACA to review any opinion
provided relating to your application.
g. undertake to inform AACA of any changes to
your circumstances (e.g. address) while your
application is being considered.
About these RGE Explanatory Notes
Please keep these RGE Explanatory Notes and a
copy of all documents and materials sent to AACA
in a safe place and refer to them for any queries
you may have. At the time of publication the
information is accurate but some changes may be
made over time. Please consult the AACA website
before you lodge your application to ensure you
have the current information and RGE application
form.
2.
RGE
An AACA assessment of your overseas academic
qualifications in Architecture through a Review of
Graduate Equivalence (RGE) is an opinion on the
status of your academic qualification in terms of
equivalency with a current Australian accredited
qualification in Architecture.
The RGE is a final assessment available to those
who have completed an overseas qualification
obtained by coursework and who have significant
experience, but no longer have a student
academic portfolio.
The process is intended for those who hold
professional overseas qualifications in Architecture
who have received a positive AACA Provisional
Assessment or Skills Assessment for Migration
Purposes, and who have 10 years of experience
under the supervision of an Architect immediately
preceding your application and subsequent to
graduation from a professional course in
architecture. The RGE is undertaken only in
Australia.
The RGE assessment is undertaken against The
National Competency Standards in Architecture
(NCSA).
The applicable NCSA competencies for RGE
applicants are:
1.1 To create an Architectural design through
the
exercise
of
knowledge,
imagination,
judgement
and
professional responsibility.
1.2 To formulate an Architectural design in
response to a project brief, sufficient to
obtain endorsement of overall objectives
and design concept by a client and other
interested parties.
1.3 To develop a detailed design which is
consistent with the design concept.
1.4 To resolve a detailed design sufficient to
obtain agreement and authorisation to
proceed to documentation for its translation
into built form.
1.5 To continuously comply with the project
brief
and
meet
contractual
agreements throughout
the course of
implementation of a design project.
3.1 To confirm objectives and conditions at
inception of project.
4.1.4 To comply with the law and regulations
governing the conduct of an Architectural
practice.
4.1.5 To observe the standards of conduct
expected by the community of a
professional in the practice of Architecture.
The following documentation, containing further
information, may be accessed from the AACA
website, www.aaca.org.au/publications:
National
Competency
Standards
in
Architecture (NCSA)
Guide for Applicants (NCSA (GC)).
If, in addition to your overseas academic
qualification, you have completed Australian postgraduate qualifications in architecture by
coursework, and you wish to have these
qualifications considered, you should also submit
the
required
documentation
for
those
qualifications.
Please Note:
AACA assesses only completed academic
qualifications in architecture.
AACA only assesses qualifications obtained by
course work.
AACA Review of Graduate Equivalence Application Form – Explanatory Notes
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•
AACA will only assess complete applications,
including provision of an adequate work
experience portfolio. (Further information on
the portfolio requirements is provided in
Section 8. of these Explanatory Notes.)
AACA considers RGE applications on a case by
case basis. In forming its opinion on the status
of an overseas qualification AACA considers the
material submitted by the applicant along with
a range of factors, including the education
system in the country from which the
qualifications were obtained, the status of the
school and the level, structure and content of
the program of study undertaken.
The RGE process is conducted in two stages:
Stage 1: Submission of the RGE Application Form
Section 1 and your qualification documentation; a
Summary Matrix of Experience with ten (10) years
of experience under the supervision of an
Architect immediately preceding your application
and subsequent to graduation (RGE Application
Form Section 2); Employer References (RGE
Application Form Section 3); and a C.V. (RGE
Application Form Section 4).
Stage 2: Submission of your RGE Application Form
Section 5 and three (3) copies of your work
experience portfolio.
A failure to complete all procedural requirements
will result in your application being incomplete
(see Section 3. of these Explanatory Notes).
AACA accepts no responsibility for the judgments
made by individuals or third parties that may
disagree with its assessment.
3.
COMPLETING STAGE 1
You will need to complete the RGE Application
Form Sections 1, 2, 3 and 4, provide all the
information and documents asked for and pay the
required fee before your application for Stage 1
can be accepted.
Answer all questions in English, unless otherwise
requested. Initial and date any alterations on the
form.
If you have more than two qualifications in
architecture, and you wish to have these
additional qualifications considered, please
provide details of these in the same format as
required on the form but provide this information
on a separate sheet of paper and sign and date it.
Please send all required documents and your
assessment fee to AACA at the address shown on
the application form.
If the documentation is in order AACA will invite
you to lodge an application for Stage 2. Your
acceptance of that invitation must be received by
AACA within 3 months of the date of the offer by
AACA.
Please note: Applications which are incomplete
or do not conform to AACA’s requirements as set
out in these Explanatory Notes cannot be
processed and will be returned to applicants – in
particular see Sections 5,6,7 and 8 of these Notes.
4.
ENGLISH PROFICIENCY
English proficiency with the overall band score of
6.5 IELTS or equivalent is required. (Refer to
Section 3 of the RGE Application Form).
5.
DOCUMENTS TO BE PROVIDED (with
your RGE Stage 1 application)
Please note: Applicants must use the AACA forms
indicated below.
The documents required are:
a. RGE Application Form Section 1 – this form
must be completed, signed and dated.
b. degrees or diplomas in the original language
c. official transcripts of educational courses
completed (or student book or mark sheets)
in the original language. A transcript is a list
of the subjects studied by the individual
student each year, the weighting of each
subject in hours or credit points, and the
marks obtained.
d. Summary Matrix (RGE Application Form
Section 2) – An analytical summary of your
work experience emphasising key projects
with ten (10) years experience under the
supervision of an Architect immediately
preceding your application and subsequent
to graduation, cross referenced to the NCSA
competencies and to employer references, as
well as to your work experience portfolio
which you intend to submit at Stage 2. You
must provide details of at least two projects
against each of the relevant competencies.
e. Employer References (RGE Application Form
Section 3) – References from employers,
validating your authorship/role in relevant
projects contained in your work experience
portfolio, as identified in the Summary Matrix
(RGE Form Section 2). References must be
from employers who are Architects.
Please note: The Summary Matrix AND
relevant documents need to be sighted by
the employer to enable them to validate the
evidence you are providing.
f.
Curriculum Vitae (CV) (RGE Application Form
Section 4) – A concise cv covering ten (10)
years experience under the supervision of an
Architect immediately preceding your
application and subsequent to graduation
g. evidence of English proficiency
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h.
i.
j.
evidence of change of name (where
applicable)
evidence of residence status in Australia
evidence of AACA Provisional Assessment or
Skills Assessment for Migration Purposes.
To support your application, you will need to
provide certified copies of all academic documents
listed. (Further information on certification is
provided at Section 6.). Please do not send the
originals of these documents or photocopies of
certified copies. AACA does not return original
documents.
Documents not in English must be translated and
certified copies attached to the documents from
which they have been translated.
(Further
information on translation requirements is
provided in Section 7.) Extract translations are not
acceptable.
printed below the signature. It must be
possible, from the details provided, for AACA
to contact the certifying officer if necessary.
7.
TRANSLATION
All documents you send to AACA must be
translated into English.
If the documents are translated in a country other
than Australia, the translator must be approved by
the authorities in the country where the
translation is made. Ask the Australian Embassy,
High Commission or Consulate for advice if you are
unsure.
Translators in Australia are listed in the Yellow
Pages telephone book and should be accredited by
the National Accreditation Authority for
Translators and Interpreters (NAATI).
All documents provided must be officially issued in
hard copy by the relevant institution or authority.
In AACA’s experience, it is unusual for an
educational institution or authority not to have
records.
Keep the original English translation for your
future use. Send only certified copies of the
English translation.
Documentation must be submitted in unbound
loose-leaf format. Documentation that is not
provided in the required format will be returned
without assessment.
8.
All personal information received by AACA will be
handled confidentially.
6.
CERTIFICATION
All copies of documents that you send to AACA
must be certified by an authorised person.
A certified copy is a copy of an original document
that is certified as a true copy by an authorised
person.
In Australia, AACA only accepts documents
certified by Justices of the Peace, legal
practitioners, and Admission Officers at all
Australian universities.
If certification is provided as a separate document,
you must send both the certification and the copy
of the document being certified. AACA will not
provide an assessment on the basis of certification
only.
To have your copies certified you will need to
provide both the original and the copy of the
document to the person certifying the documents.
Each copy of the document must be certified
separately, and must show clearly:
the words ‘certified true copy of the original’
the signature of the certifying officer, and
the
name
and
address
or
provider/registration
number
(where
appropriate) of the certifying officer legibly
Extract translations are not acceptable
STAGE 2 – PORTFOLIO REQUIREMENTS
If all documentation submitted in Stage 1 is in
order you will be invited to undertake Stage 2 of
the RGE application. Acceptance of that invitation
must be received by AACA within 3 months of the
date of the offer by AACA.
In Stage 2, you are required to forward to AACA
three (3) copies of your work experience portfolio
with ten (10) years experience under the
supervision of an Architect immediately preceding
your application and subsequent to graduation.
When lodging your work experience portfolio you
must complete and include RGE Application Form
Section 5. The portfolio must be legible and of
sufficient quality to evidence competence in each
of the NCSA criteria relevant to the RGE. If
relevant, you may include supplementary material
in the portfolio. All material lodged at Stage 2
must have been cited in, and cross referenced to,
the Summary Matrix (RGE Application Form
Section 2), Employer References (RGE Application
Form Section 3) and Curriculum Vitae (RGE
Application Form Section 4).
Applications which are incomplete or do not
conform to AACA’s requirements as set out in
these Explanatory Notes cannot be processed and
will be returned to applicants.
Presentation of your work experience portfolio
for Stage 2
You must submit three (3) labeled legible
sets of your work experience portfolio. Each
copy of your work experience portfolio must
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be provided in (and not exceed) an A4 plastic
document wallet as shown below. Large scale
material may be reduced to A3 and folded to
fit into the A4 plastic document wallet. All
pages of your work experience portfolio must
be numbered and cross referenced to the
RGE Summary Matrix.
The fee is payable to “AACA” and is to be paid by
one of the following methods:
a bank cheque drawn by an Australian bank
a money order issued by Australia Post.
AACA does not accept cash, personal cheques,
travellers cheques, payment by credit card or
electronic funds transfer. AACA is not responsible
for the loss of cash if sent.
A receipt will be issued to acknowledge AACA has
received your application.
11.
Note: if you do not have originals of these
documents
a
Commonwealth
Statutory
Declaration, stating that the documents are true
copies of the originals must be included.
You are encouraged to submit your own work
only; if evidence represents the output of a team
in which you were a member, your specific
contribution to the collaborative work must be
clearly identified, and validated by the
employer’s reference.
9.
RGE INTERVIEW REQUIREMENTS
The RGE assessment requires you to attend an
interview with an RGE Panel. The interview is
usually held at the office of the Architects
registration board in the state/territory in which
you are living.
If all the documentation and material you forward
to AACA is in order, AACA will notify the relevant
Architect registration board and request an
interview to be arranged. You will be advised of
the time and place for the interview. AACA will
forward documentation and material that you
submitted with your Stage 1 and Stage 2
application to the assessors.
It is essential that you bring to the interview:
The original degree certificates and
academic transcripts. If you do not provide
the originals of these documents, the
interview will be concluded and you will need
to apply for a second interview. An additional
fee will apply.
Please note: The interview is not an opportunity
for the presentation of additional material.
Material which was not included at the time of
application will not be considered in the interview.
10.
FEES
Please consult the AACA website for current
information about fees. Fees are subject to change
without notice and are not normally refundable.
ASSESSMENT OUTCOME
AACA will write directly to you with its decision,
normally within three weeks of the interview
informing you whether or not, in the opinion of
AACA, your qualifications are assessed as
academically equivalent to a currently accredited
architectural qualification from a recognised
school of architecture in Australia, which is the
standard required for registration in Australia.
Equivalent Qualification
If your qualifications are assessed as equivalent
and you wish to become registered as an Architect
in any state or territory of Australia you will need
to have your RGE assessment accepted by the
relevant registration authority. You should also be
aware that before being eligible to apply for
registration as an Architect, you must have
completed a period of approved Architectural
practice and have obtained a pass in the AACA
Architectural
Practice
Examination
(APE).
Successful RGE applicants may claim relevant
Australian practical experience from the date of
their arrival in Australia.
Non-equivalent Qualification
If your qualifications are assessed as not
equivalent to a currently accredited architecture
qualification in Australia, the subject areas in
which you are deficient will be identified so that
you may undertake further study in these subjects
from a professionally accredited architecture
course at a recognised Australian school of
architecture, in order to raise your qualification to
equivalence. Alternatively you may consider
applying for the National Program of Assessment
(NPrA), if you meet the eligibility requirements.
Information about the NPrA is available on the
AACA website.
12.
APPEALS
If you disagree with the assessment provided you
may appeal to AACA against the outcome. The
appeal must be lodged in writing with the Chief
Executive Officer of AACA within 28 days from the
date of notification of the result. Applicants must
state clearly the grounds for appeal.
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Further information may be obtained from the
Publications section on the AACA website, Booklet
2: Guide for Candidates (NCSA GC).
Please consult the AACA website for current
information about the appeal fee. Fees are subject
to change without notice and are not normally
refundable.
13.
PENALTIES
By submitting your RGE application you
acknowledge that the provision of false or
misleading information may result in:
•
That information being provided to a state or
territory Architects registration authority;
and/ or
•
a decision by AACA to review any opinion
provided relating to your application.
AACA reserves the right to contact educational and
government institutions, professional bodies and
agencies for additional information and/or
verification of the authenticity of the material
presented.
14.
HOW TO CONTACT AACA
For information or advice on completing the RGE
form contact:
Architects Accreditation Council of Australia
(AACA)
PO Box 236
Civic Square
CANBERRA ACT 2608P
Ph: 02 6230 0506
Email: mail@aaca.org.au
Web: www.aaca.org.au
January 2014
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