February 2018
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Research has shown that many graduates of architecture are not registered members of the Nigerian Institute of Architects as the number of registered members does not commensurate with the number of graduates produced each year by the schools of architecture present in the country. If the potentials of the many young graduates are to be tapped, then the backlog of unregistered graduates of architecture in NIA and ARCON need to be resolved. The study therefore assessed the examination process of the Nigerian Institute of Architects Professional Practice Examination with a view of understanding the current happenings and providing recommendation for future practice. It also highlights the major concerns of prospective candidates of the NIA professional practice examination considering the fact that some Architects repeat the examination several times. The study is more descriptive than analytical; it begins by looking at the theoretical and conceptual process of the NIA professional practice examination by an extensive review of literature which revealed the requirements, method of application, structure and relevance of the examinations. Using well-structured interview, a total of 9 respondents were sampled from the study area and the data was analysed using content analysis. Findings revealed that candidates have the misconception that they will be deliberately failed by NIA before the examination. Also, the research found out that the compulsory Seminar held before the examination has a huge role to play in the success of prospective candidates. Furthermore, the research revealed that it is imperative for candidates to be properly prepared for the oral examination as this poses to be a major difficulty for most candidates. The study makes further recommendations based on the findings to prospective candidates, the architects association (NIA) and the regulatory body (ARCON) with respect to the examination.