Board approves eight AR passers, removes one name; denies request to sit for AR before degree

The board approved eight applicants who passed the Architect Registration exam and removed one applicant from the approved list after confirming he had not passed. Members also decided not to allow another applicant to sit for the AR exam before completing degree and AXP requirements.

During the meeting the chair corrected an earlier list to note Jacob Bitner had not passed the AR; the board then moved and approved licensure for eight passers (June, Karen, Justin, Noah, Sarah, Payne, Stephen and Nathaniel). Members treated that approval as a routine licensure action.

Separately, a candidate requested permission to take the AR before finishing his NAB-accredited degree. A board member read the candidate's statement that he had "been in the field since 1997" and was "currently enrolled in a master's program at Arizona State." The board reviewed staff attorney Cynthia Robinson's written guidance, which the chair described as indicating that allowing an exam before degree completion "would not be a normal course of procedure." Based on that guidance and the candidate's incomplete AXP, the board agreed the candidate should wait until degree and AXP requirements are complete. Maggie was asked to draft and send the board's response to the applicant.

Why it matters: Board licensure approvals and eligibility determinations affect who may legally represent themselves as licensed architects in the jurisdiction. The board emphasized adherence to degree and experience requirements in line with existing procedures rather than creating a special exception.

Next steps: Staff will notify approved applicants and will send the formal denial/response to the applicant seeking early exam access.