SLIA Part III study guide
SLIA Part III · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The SLIA Part III is the final professional examination stage of the Sri Lanka Institute of Architects, the body incorporated by the Sri Lanka Institute of Architects Law No.1 of 1976, which succeeded the Ceylon Institute of Architects founded in 1956. Part III is the gateway from graduate or associate-level membership to independent professional practice: it asks whether a candidate can carry a project from client brief to completion while remaining lawful, ethical and financially sound. The SLIA Part III study guide has 5 sections and about 1,688 words.
01Architectural Practice and Professional Conduct
Part III tests practice, not just design: whether you can be appointed, paid, and disciplined lawfully. Expect questions on engagement terms, fee stages, conflicts of interest, certification duties and the Institute's code of conduct.
342 words, about 2 min02Building Law
Building law tests whether you know which instrument controls a decision, which body issues it, and what happens when a neighbour or an authority disagrees. Planning: the Town and Country Planning Ordinance and the Urban Development Authority Act govern zoning and development permission; in declared UDA areas the UDA is the approving body, elsewhere the local authority.
341 words, about 2 min03Statutory Approvals and Institute Regulation
Approvals questions test the sequence, the applicant, and the evidence produced at the end - plus what the Institute can do to a member who cuts corners. Title and survey, then planning clearance, then development or building permit from the UDA or local authority, then clearances from fire, water, electricity, roads and environment, then construction under stage inspections, then a certificate of conformity or occupancy, then utility connections.
344 words, about 2 min04Project Management and Contract Administration
Contract administration tests whether you can run a project to time, cost and quality using the contract's own machinery rather than goodwill. The architect designs and administers; the architect does not arbitrate.
328 words, about 2 min05Design, Technology and Professional Competence
Competence questions test technical judgement: whether the design can be built, coordinated and maintained, and whether you know the limits of your own expertise. Set a single grid and datum, then coordinate structure, services and architecture: beam depths against ceiling voids, drainage falls against slab soffits, shafts, plant rooms and maintenance access, expansion and movement joints, waterproofing at upstands and thresholds.
333 words, about 2 min