The Architectural Experience Program® (AXP®) is designed to help you gain the knowledge and skills you need to competently perform various tasks essential to the protection of the public’s health, safety, and welfare.
As you start your journey toward satisfying AXP requirements, some program requirements may take more work to achieve than others. Depending on your firm, the projects you work on, and your role, you may need assistance navigating best practices to achieve all AXP requirements.
Unsure about how to meet all AXP requirements? Check out these common issues candidates experience and our tips on how to keep your journey going:
Obtaining Experience in All Areas
We know that depending on your firm and the projects you are assigned, you may only have access to work in some experience areas. If you haven’t already, talk to your AXP supervisor about the experience areas, you’re missing to develop a plan together to satisfy the missing requirements.
In addition, keep in mind that while most candidates complete the AXP through experience setting A, setting O offers various opportunities to gain experience under any of the six experience areas—including some opportunities you can take advantage of outside of traditional employment. Experience setting O offers a number of opportunities that can help you round out your professional development and progress through the AXP. The AXP Guidelines provide more details on all setting A and setting O opportunities available.
Collaborating With Your Supervisor
AXP supervisors are essential for gaining and reporting AXP experience. As you begin your path to obtaining experience, schedule time to talk to your AXP supervisor regularly. Having weekly check-ins not only ensures that you are both aware of your plan to gain experience, but also ensures you are equipped with all the information you need as a candidate to meet requirements successfully. We’ve created the Licensure Progress Worksheet to help you and your supervisor identify top priorities, goals, and expectations together.
As candidates, you rely on your supervisor to assign work that will give you the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills in all experience areas and tasks required. And while it can be difficult to establish expectations as you first start, for candidates and supervisors alike, it is essential for you both to be familiar with the ins and outs of the program to develop a plan together. We’ve developed our AXP Candidate and Supervisors Expectations document as a resource for candidates and supervisors to quickly discuss shared and individual responsibilities.
Reviewing All Resources
The best way for candidates and supervisors to confidently begin or continue gaining experience is by reviewing and understanding resources such as the AXP Guidelines, which outline the program’s requirements, experience settings, and reporting policies. Candidates and supervisors alike use the Licensing Requirements Tool to identify state-specific requirements. Our Continuum Education Program offers free supervisor training courses that are eligible for Health, Safety, and Welfare (HSW) Learning Units (LUs). Our page dedicated to supervisors and mentors provides details on what supervisors can expect in their role as an AXP supervisor and how to best support candidates at all stages of their professional careers.
Interested in more resources for candidates or supervisors? Check out our recent webinars and recent updates on our blog!
