HKIA/ARB PA Paper 2 study guide
HKIA/ARB PA Paper 2 · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The HKIA/ARB Professional Assessment (PA) is the professional assessment route administered jointly by The Hong Kong Institute of Architects (HKIA) and the Architects Registration Board (ARB) for candidates who have completed an HKIA/ARB accredited architectural programme and wish to proceed toward registration as an architect in Hong Kong. Registration itself is governed by the Architects Registration Ordinance (Cap. 408); the ARB website frames the registration route around applicants who have met the qualifications set out in section 13(1) of that Ordinance. The PA is therefore a milestone on the pathway to becoming a Registered Architect, not a separate licence. Topics on this exam: Case Study and Professional Interview. The HKIA/ARB PA Paper 2 study guide has 2 sections and about 811 words.
01Case Study: Statutory, Design and Delivery Reasoning
The Case Study domain of HKIA/ARB Professional Assessment Paper 2 tests whether you can act as a project architect on a realistic Hong Kong brief. You are expected to identify statutory approvals, coordinate consultants, test buildability and programme, and explain decisions in professional language. The examiner is not looking for one fixed design; marks come from a defensible process that links brief, site constraints, regulations and risk. Start with the site's legal and planning status: OZP zoning, a s.16 planning application under the Town Planning Ordinance (Cap 131), lease conditions, and any modification or waiver from the Lands Department.
416 words, about 2 min02Professional Interview: Judgement, Ethics and Evidence
The Professional Interview domain tests whether you can speak and reason as an architect, not merely recite facts. The panel will probe your training record, project experience, understanding of your role, ethical judgment and awareness of when to seek specialist advice. Answers should be concise and structured: issue, facts, action, reason. The panel is assessing professional maturity and public protection.
395 words, about 2 min