Transitional Arrangement for Eligibility of the HKIA/ARB Professional Assessment following the HKIA’s withdrawal from the Commonwealth Association of Architects (CAA)
日期：2026年2月06日
The Hong Kong Institute of Architects (HKIA) has announced its formal withdrawal from the Commonwealth Association of Architects (CAA), effective retroactively from 20 October 2025.
HKIA has been a member of the CAA since 2001. Under this arrangement, graduates from architectural programmes recognised by the CAA were eligible to apply for the HKIA/ARB Professional Assessment. Following HKIA’s withdrawal from CAA, the recognition of qualifications for candidates previously recognised solely through CAA membership after 20 October 2025 was reviewed. To ensure fairness and minimise disruption, HKIA/ARB will implement a two-year transitional arrangement as follows:
- HKIA/ARB will continue to recognise the architectural programmes listed in the CAA-accredited list (as of 2020, please see here for the list) for the purpose of PA eligibility for a period of TWO (2) years, commencing from the date of formal announcement of HKIA’s withdrawal from CAA in 2025, i.e. 20 October 2025. Graduates who commence an architectural programme on the said list during 20 October 2025 to 19 October 2027 will be regarded as having fulfilled the required educational qualifications for taking the HKIA/ARB Professional Assessment.
- This arrangement applies to both pre-professional and professional degree programmes.
- The above condition will be incorporated into the HKIA/ARB list of recognised equivalent professional degree programmes offered by institutions in Mainland China and overseas.
|
Date of Commencement of the Programme |
Status |
Upon Graduation |
|
20 October 2025 to 19 October 2027 |
Same as the non-local pre-professional and professional architectural programmes currently recognised by HKIA/ARB |
Graduates will be recognised as having attained architectural education qualifications for applying for the HKIA/ARB Professional Assessment. |
|
20 October 2027 and after |
Programmes from the CAA list are no longer recognised by HKIA/ARB |
Graduates will need to go through the individual assessment (Academic Qualification Assessment/Portfolio Assessment) on the eligibility for Professional Assessment and/or make up the shortfall in education by additional recognised practical experiences and/or other supplementary requirements as requested by PAC/BEdA. For details, please refer to: |
Candidates who enrol in and are admitted to the listed CAA programmes after the conclusion of the grace period, i.e. 20 October 2027 will not have their qualifications automatically recognised for the HKIA/ARB PA. For details, please refer to: https://www.hkia.net/en/professional-assessment/eligibility.
HKIA remains committed to upholding the integrity and international alignment of its professional standards while ensuring a fair and transparent transition for all affected candidates. This decision aligns HKIA's international recognition policy with its strategic partnerships and ensures a consistent, programme-based accreditation standard. The two-year transitional arrangement is designed to provide ample time for students and their parents to make informed choices about their studies.
HKIA and ARB Hong Kong reserve the right to make the final decision on the eligibility of any candidate and to amend or update this transitional policy as deemed necessary.
We thank you for your attention. Should you have any enquiries regarding this announcement or its implications, please contact HKIA Secretariat at +852 2511 6323, joinhkia@hkia.org.hk .
