The Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) is the provincial association that regulates the profession of architecture in Ontario. The OAA sets standards for admission, issues Licences to practice architecture, and regulates the practice of architecture in Ontario. The OAA functions under provincial legislation: the Architects Act, R.S.O. 1990, c.A.26 and Ontario Regulation 27 under the Architects Act as amended. To practice as an architect in Ontario, you must obtain a Licence as an architect and a Certificate of Practice from the OAA.

For more information about the OAA, click here.

The Canadian Architectural Certification Board (CACB) is the national body responsible for assessing and certifying the academic credentials of individuals who have a professional degree or diploma in architecture. All individuals in Canada must have their academic qualifications certified by the CACB before they can apply for a Licence with the provincial or territorial associations of architects. To practice as an architect in Ontario, CACB certification is your first step.

For more information about the CACB, click here.

There are three steps left:

• You must attend the OAA Admission Course
• You must submit an Application for Licence to the OAA (licensing)
• You must be the holder of a Certificate of Practice. Visit the Certificate of Practice page on the OAA Web site to obtain an Application for Certificate of Practice.

The following documents must be included with the Application for Licence:

1. the completed and signed Application for Licence
2. proof of Canadian citizenship or permanent residence in Canada; submit photocopies of your documents
3. proof of CACB certification; attach a copy of the CACB certificate to your application
4. proof of the required work experience; submit any sections of the Canadian Experience Record Book that have not been reviewed and approved
5. application fee
6. annual Licence fee

For help in completing the Application for Licence, you can download the document Guidelines for Completion of an Application for Licence from the OAA Web site

You will receive the notice of the OAA decision regarding licensure by mail, approximately 3 to 5 weeks after you submit the Application for Licence and all of the accompanying documents. All internationally trained/educated architects who include experience gained outside of Canada or the USA as part of their total experience submission are required to attend an interview with the Experience Requirements Committee (ERC). Before the interview, you will be requested to submit architectural working drawings, specifications, and contract administration documents for review. Once the documents have been received, an interview time will be arranged.

These fees change each year; contact the OAA before you submit payment.

OAA Licensing Fees

OAA Certificate of Practice Fees

Architects do all kinds of work. Some of the jobs performed by architects include:

• Architectural critic
• Architectural programmer
• Building inspector
• CAD coordinator
• Carpenter
• Contractor
• Construction inspector
• Construction manager
• Environmental planner
• Facilities manager
• Furniture designer
• Graphic designer
• Heritage planner
• Interior designer
• Landscape architect
• Market researcher
• Property assessor
• Real-estate agent
• Set designer
• Technical writer
• Urban planner

Employment in architecture is closely tied to construction activity in the residential, commercial, and institutional sectors. As of 2005, these sectors of the economy are performing well and are expected to remain strong over the next 5 years. Computer-aided design (CAD) is prevalent in this occupation and is being used to produce a wider choice of designs for customers. It is suggested that you contact local colleges for information on CAD courses.

Architects may practice alone or as part of small, medium, or large firms. Approximately 2,500 architects are employed in Ontario, mostly around Toronto and Ottawa. About 87% of these architects are self-employed as a principal in firms of one or two architects. Others work for architectural firms, government, real-estate developers, or large corporations. Most of these architects (94%) work full time.

For an example of current employment opportunities in Ontario, click here.

For more information on labour market conditions see Ontario Job Futures on the Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) Web site listed on the Contacts and Resources page. In Ontario, this information is available at public libraries or HRSDC Employment Resource Centres in your community.

Architects' salaries vary according to their levels of experience. Click here for the latest salary survey.

If you are certified by the CACB, this means you have completed the education requirement, which is Step 1 in the licensing process. Step 2 is to complete the work experience requirement. You must apply for appointment as an Intern Architect with the OAA and purchase the Canadian Handbook of Practice. All Intern Architects in Ontario must complete the Intern Architect Program (IAP) to fulfil the experience requirements of the OAA. To take part in the IAP, you must find an architect who agrees to be your mentor, and complete the Canadian Experience Record Book. All licensed members of the OAA are eligible to serve as mentors. .0 Step 3 involves completing the Architect Registration Examination, and Step 4, attending the OAA Admission Course.

Yes. You may work in an architectural office in Ontario without having CACB certification or being appointed as an Intern Architect with the OAA, but only under the personal supervision and direction of an architect licensed to engage in the practice of architecture in Ontario. However, if you plan to use this work experience to fulfil the OAA experience requirements, you must find a mentor who is an architect, and submit the work experience for review by the OAA within the time frame outlined in the Intern Architect Program Manual. This experience must be recorded in the Canadian Experience Record Book.

You must complete 5,600 hours of experience. This must include 940 hours of experience in Ontario in an architectural practice under the personal supervision and direction of an architect licensed to engage in the practice of architecture in Ontario within three years of an Application for Licence, and at least 2,780 hours of experience under the personal supervision and direction of an architect licensed to engage in the practice of architecture in Ontario. You may be eligible for credit for up to 4600 hours of your international work experience.

Section 31.5 of Ontario Regulation 27 of The Architects Act states:

"The person must have completed a total of 5,600 hours of experience that meets the requirements of the Intern Architect Program published by the Association. The experience must include,

• "i. at least 940 hours of experience in Ontario under the personal supervision and direction of a person licensed to engage in the practice of architecture in Ontario, which must be completed within the three years before the date on which the person applies for the Licence, and
• "ii. at least 2,780 additional hours of experience under the personal supervision and direction of a person authorized to engage in the practice of architecture. O. Reg. 430/97, s. 1."

Record all international architectural experience in the Canadian Experience Record Book and submit this proof of your work experience in countries outside Canada and the USA to be considered towards the experience requirements. Your work experience will be reviewed by the OAA and may be considered for part of the Intern Architect Program requirements. You may be eligible for credit for up to 4660 hours of your international architectural work experience.

You may apply for the ARE only after obtaining CACB certification and being appointed as an Intern Architect with the Ontario Architects Association (OAA). When you have obtained certification and appointment as an Intern Architect, you should contact the OAA. OAA staff will then prepare an eligibility form and forward it to the USA-based Test Consultants who administer the ARE. You must receive the Authorization to Test before you can write the ARE. This will be sent to you by mail.

You can also obtain information about the Architect Registration Examination (ARE) from outside of Canada. The ARE is conducted by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), an organization based in the United States. To contact NCARB, click here.

You may also download the Intern Architect Program (IAP) Manual, Appendix B to the IAP Manual and the Experience Summary Form (CERB) the OAA's Web site .

You may record your Internationa l architectural work experience and have it signed by your supervising architect in jurisdiction in which the work is/was gained.

Note that experience will be NOT reviewed until you have been appointed to the Intern Architect status.

The ARE has 9 divisions. Six divisions contain multiple-choice questions, the other 3 consist of problem-solving questions. The multiple choice divisions are: pre-design; general structures; lateral forces; mechanical and electrical systems; materials and methods; construction documents and services. The problem-solving questions appear in the graphics divisions, which include site planning; building planning; building technology. The ARE is administered by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB).

French-language examinations are available at test centres in Canada, and ARE guidelines in French can be requested from the OAQ.

Click here to contact NCARB for detailed information about the ARE.

For helpful information on the ARE as part of Ontario licensing, click here to visit the OAA Web site about the ARE.

No. You do not have to take all divisions of the ARE at the same time. Once you have been approved to take the ARE, you have the opportunity to take the exam in any order at any time you choose during your eligibility period. If you fail a division, you must wait for 6 months before you can retake this division.

A test information package will be sent to you by the USA test consultants when they receive your eligibility form from the OAA. The information package contains:

• the ARE guidelines, which include a detailed description of the exam, information on testing centres and scheduling, and references
• a practice program for the graphics components of the exam
• an up-to-date list of testing centres
• your "Authorization to Test" letter

Practice problems (vignettes) are available at the NCARB Web site. To download free ARE practice software, click here. To download free ARE guidelines, click here. A free tutorial is also offered 30 minutes before the exam. Prior knowledge of computer-aided design (CAD) or other drawing software programs is not necessary.

Test results are sent directly to the OAA. The OAA forwards the results to you.

It usually takes between two to five weeks to find out the results of the ARE. The multiple-choice exam scores usually come in more quickly than the graphic exam results. The OAA sends you the results immediately upon receiving them from NCARB.

Yes. In Canada it is illegal to use the title "Architect" or offer the services of an architect before being licensed and being issued a Certificate of Practice by a provincial or territorial architectural association. To begin work as an architect in Ontario you must complete a six-step process:

• Step 1: Education Requirements
• Step 2: Experience Requirements
• Step 3: Examination Requirements
• Step 4: OAA Admission Course
• Step 5: Membership in the OAA (Licensing)
• Step 6: Certificate of Practice

Before you immigrate to Canada, you can obtain information about the licensing procedures for architects from the OAA. The first step to becoming licensed as an architect in Ontario is to receive certification of your education from the CACB. You may complete this first step from abroad. Applications for certification of academic qualifications may be obtained from the CACB. Contact the CACB at info@cacb.ca to request an application or download it from its Web site (see Regulatory Bodies page).

You can also obtain information about the Architect Registration Examination (ARE) from outside of Canada. The ARE is conducted by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), an organization based in the United States. To contact NCARB, click here.

You may also download the OAA's Web site the Intern Architect Program (IAP) Manual, Appendix B to the IAP Manual and the Experience Summary Form (CERB).

You may record your International architectural work experience and have it signed by your supervising architect in jurisdiction in which the work is/was gained.

Note that experience will NOT be reviewed until you have been appointed to the Intern Architect status.

You must have a professional degree or diploma in architecture from a post-secondary institution, and your education must meet the Canadian Education Standard. To begin the assessment process you must send certified copies of all your degrees, an official transcript of record, and a university calendar to the CACB, along with a completed application form and the application fee. You can begin this in the licensing process from abroad.

You do not have to pass a language proficiency test. However, the licensing process may involve interviews and exams that require excellent oral and written English-language skills. If you feel uncomfortable participating in formal interviews, reading complex documentation, and writing reports in English, you might consider upgrading your English skills before applying. See the Support for Newcomers section of this e-Career Map for information on where you can take English-as-a-second-language courses in Ontario.

Yes, if your original documents are not in English or French, you must include certified copies of the original documents in their original language and you must provide official translations certified by the emitting institution, a lawyer, a notary, or a commissioner of oaths.

CAN$ 1,050.00 plus GST. The fees change each year, so contact the CACB before you submit payment.

It takes a minimum of two months from the time that the CACB receives your complete application, accompanying documents, and the applicable fee, to the time that you receive the results of the assessment. If your application package is incomplete it will take longer, so make sure that you include all the necessary documents. You will receive the results of the assessment by mail.

• a CACB certificate may be issued if your academic qualifications meet the Canadian Education Standard
• you may be required to eliminate deficiencies in particular subject areas by successfully completing courses recommended by the CACB
• your academic credentials may be rejected (you may appeal or consider related occupations)

You can find the necessary courses through the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) Syllabus or at one of the accredited programs at a Canadian university school of architecture. The CACB certifies the academic credentials of syllabus graduates, and refers other candidates for academic certification to the RAIC Syllabus to complete courses to address identified academic deficiencies. For application instructions about the RAIC Syllabus click here (Adobe Acrobat PDF format) or email info@raic-syllabus.ca.

If the CACB assessment results in the rejection of your academic qualifications, or you are asked to eliminate deficiencies and you wish further information please contact the CACB.

• a CACB certificate may be issued if your academic qualifications meet the Canadian Education Standard
• you may be required to eliminate deficiencies in particular subject areas by successfully completing courses recommended by the CACB
• your academic credentials may be rejected (you may appeal or consider related occupations)