AXP Is the Professional Experience Requirement You Document Alongside the ARE
Passing all six ARE divisions demonstrates that you can apply architectural knowledge on an exam. But licensure requires more than exam performance - it requires evidence that you have actually practiced architecture under supervision, developing the judgment that only comes from real project experience. The Architectural Experience Program (AXP) is NCARB's structured framework for documenting and verifying that experience. Understanding how AXP works - what counts as qualifying experience, how it is documented, and how it relates to the ARE - is essential for any architecture graduate navigating the path to licensure.
Total Hours and the Six Experience Areas
AXP requires a total of 3,740 hours of qualifying experience documented across six experience areas. Each area has a required minimum number of hours:
| Experience Area | Required Hours |
|---|---|
| Practice Management | 160 hours |
| Project Management | 360 hours |
| Programming & Analysis | 260 hours |
| Project Planning & Design | 1,080 hours |
| Project Development & Documentation | 1,520 hours |
| Construction & Evaluation | 360 hours |
Hours beyond the minimums in any area count toward the 3,740-hour total regardless of which area they are in. Most working architecture graduates accumulate hours primarily in Project Planning & Design and Project Development & Documentation - the areas most closely aligned with typical office work - while sometimes needing to make deliberate efforts to accumulate adequate Construction & Evaluation hours if their firm's practice does not include significant construction administration.
How Hours Are Documented
Candidates log their hours directly in their NCARB record through the AXP portal. Hours must be logged within 6 months of when they were earned - late reporting results in the hours being disqualified. For each log entry, the candidate specifies the experience area, the number of hours worked, the tasks performed, and the date range. This requires keeping your own contemporaneous records of your work - most candidates track hours in a spreadsheet or calendar and then transfer them to the NCARB portal monthly.
After the candidate logs hours, a supervisor (a licensed architect who has directly observed the candidate's work) must review and approve the reported hours through their own NCARB account. The supervisor does not need to be your direct manager at the firm - any licensed architect who can verify the work qualifies. Supervisors must approve hours within 6 months of when they were logged by the candidate.
Where Hours Can Be Earned
AXP hours can be earned in a variety of settings: in a traditional architecture firm (most common), in a government agency that performs architectural functions, in a construction management firm (for certain types of work), in an academic setting (research or design-build programs), or in international practices (subject to NCARB's international experience policies). Not all work experience qualifies - the work must align with one of the six AXP experience areas and must be supervised by a licensed architect. Administrative, clerical, or purely business management work does not count, nor does most construction site labor.
AXP and the ARE: The Relationship
Most states allow candidates to sit for the ARE while still accumulating AXP hours. This means you can - and should - begin studying for and taking ARE divisions while you are working to complete your experience requirement. The two programs are complementary: AXP experience in Construction & Evaluation makes the CE division more intuitive; experience in Project Development & Documentation builds the foundation for PDD exam success. Candidates who are studying for and taking ARE exams while actively working in architecture firms consistently report that the real-world experience makes the exam content more meaningful and easier to retain.
Key AXP Points
- 3,740 total hours required across six experience areas with defined minimums per area.
- Project Development & Documentation has the highest minimum (1,520 hours); Practice Management the lowest (160 hours).
- Hours logged in NCARB portal within 6 months of earning; supervisor approves within 6 months of logging.
- Hours can be earned in architecture firms, government agencies, and certain other qualifying settings.
- Most states allow ARE testing while AXP is in progress; all hours must be complete before license issuance.
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