Oral examination
questions

A commercial client strikes out the net contribution clause from your draft RIBA Standard PSC 2020, claiming it is unfair. They want you to take full joint and several liability. How do you advise them and protect your practice?

Your practice has completed RIBA Stage 3 for a housing developer under a RIBA Standard PSC 2020. The client terminates the appointment, pays your outstanding fees, and demands you transfer the copyright ownership of your CAD models so another architect can build it. How do you respond?

You are engaged under a RIBA Standard PSC 2020 for a Design and Build project. At Stage 4, the employer wishes to novate your appointment to the successful D&B Contractor. The contractor proposes using a bespoke novation agreement rather than the CIC Novation Agreement. What are your concerns and how do you proceed?

A client appoints you using a very briefly worded email exchange rather than a formal RIBA appointment, simply stating 'provide architectural services for our office extension.' Later, they withhold fees, claiming you failed to provide detailed cost estimates, which they assumed were part of your role. What is your legal position here?

You are working on a commercial development under the RIBA Concise PSC 2020. The client has repeatedly failed to pay your last two invoices despite multiple reminders, and communication has broken down. You need to stop work. Walk me through the contractual steps you must take to suspend or terminate your services.

You are appointed on a project with multiple contractors. The client asks you to explain the distinct differences between the Principal Designer and Principal Contractor regarding the Construction Phase Plan. How do their duties interact?

Your client is developing a higher-risk building and asks you to take on the Principal Designer role. They ask if the Principal Designer role under CDM 2015 is identical to the Principal Designer role under the Building Safety Act 2022. How do you respond?

Your client is planning a commercial fit-out. They estimate the work will take 40 working days, using a maximum of 15 workers at any one time, totaling around 450 person-days. The client asks if they need to notify the HSE. What is your advice?

The construction phase of a multi-contractor project is nearing completion. The client is unsure about what the Health and Safety file is, who prepares it, and what happens if you, the Principal Designer, finish your appointment early. Explain this to the client.

You are appointed to design a large residential extension for a homeowner (a domestic client). The homeowner is unaware of CDM 2015 and asks what their duties are and who is responsible for managing the site safety.

A contractor submits an interim application for payment. The client feels the work is defective and wants to withhold money. As the CA, how do you handle this?

The contractor on an Intermediate Contract (IC) project informs you they will finish four weeks late because of exceptionally adverse weather and a variation you issued last week. Walk me through your assessment process.

Following an extension of time granted for a delay caused by the employer's failure to provide access to the site, the contractor submits a massive, un-itemised claim for loss and expense. How do you respond under SBC?

On a Minor Works project, the client asks you on site to change the specified flooring to a much more expensive imported tile. They want it done immediately. How do you administer this?

The contractor has offered the building for Practical Completion. During your inspection, you notice several minor aesthetic defects and one major issue: the fire alarm system has not been commissioned. Do you certify Practical Completion?

You administered a standard building contract signed as a deed for a commercial office building. Practical completion was certified 8 years ago. The client contacts you today stating that severe structural cracks have just appeared, which an independent engineer has confirmed are due to your negligent design. They want to sue your practice. Can they still bring a claim against you after this length of time?

You designed a new residential dwelling for a developer client, which was completed three years ago. The original developer has since sold the house to a private buyer. The new owner has experienced significant water ingress that renders the house unliveable and wishes to sue you for the defective design. Since you have no direct contract with the new owner, on what statutory basis might they pursue a claim against you?

You are acting as Contract Administrator on a project. The contractor strongly disagrees with your valuation of a significant variation and demands an immediate resolution, stating they will refer the matter to adjudication. The client objects, pointing out that their bespoke contract entirely omits any adjudication clause. What is the legal position regarding the contractor's right to adjudicate?

You provided full design services for a warehouse under an appointment signed under hand. Ten years post-completion, a latent design flaw causes the roof to fail. The client's contractual claim is statute-barred as 6 years have passed. Can the client still pursue you for the negligent design, and if so, on what legal grounds?

A final account dispute arises between your client and the main contractor on a JCT Standard Building Contract. The contractor has initiated arbitration proceedings as specified in the contract particulars. Your client is worried about the lengthy timescale and costs of arbitration and asks if they can insist on using adjudication instead to get a final, legally binding decision. How do you advise them?

Your client wants to convert a large vacant office building into residential flats. They assume that because they aren't making structural changes to the exterior, they don't need planning permission. How would you advise them regarding the definition of 'development' and the need for permission?

You are proposing a contemporary glass extension to a Grade II listed building. The local conservation officer is concerned it will cause 'less than substantial harm'. How does the planning framework assess this harm, and what are the statutory duties of the local authority?

Your client is seeking planning permission for a new residential development. The local authority is demanding a Section 106 agreement to fund a new school located ten miles away, which the client feels is entirely unjustified. How do you advise the client on the legal tests a Section 106 obligation must meet?

Your client is purchasing a property where a large rear extension was built five years ago without planning permission. They are worried about the local authority taking enforcement action. What advice would you give regarding enforcement time limits?

You are the lead architect on a major mixed-use development that borders a sensitive ecological area. The client wants to submit a planning application immediately. Considering the EIA Regulations 2017 and the push for faster delivery under the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 reforms, what procedural steps and environmental assessments must be addressed prior to submission?

Two architects setting up a new practice want to limit their personal liability and bring in a non-architect IT director. What business structure should they choose and what are their primary statutory obligations?

You are a sole practitioner planning to retire and close your practice next year. A client asks you to design a large extension before you retire. What must you consider regarding your Professional Indemnity Insurance (PII) post-retirement?

Your growing practice has just hired its first Part 1 Architectural Assistant. What are your immediate statutory obligations regarding their employment contract and insurance?

A client approaches you for a feasibility study but is hesitant to sign a formal contract, asking you to "just start some sketches and bill them later". How do you respond to ensure compliance and protect your fee?

Your medium-sized practice is preparing to bid for a public sector framework. The pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ) requires evidence of a Quality Management System. How should your practice structure this, and what ARB requirement does it fulfil?

You are acting as the Contract Administrator for a project. The client asks you to evaluate a tender from a contracting business that you partly own. How do you respond?

You are asked to take on a complex high-rise residential project. You have only ever done small domestic extensions, but the client insists because they trust you. Do you accept the commission?

Your client wants to demolish an existing community building to build luxury flats. The scheme meets local planning rules, but ignores strong community opposition and incurs high embodied carbon costs. How do you handle this?

You discover that a former colleague at another practice has been secretly passing off your detailed technical designs as their own work to secure a new commission. What are your professional obligations?

During a site inspection, you notice the contractor substituting specified fire-rated insulation with a cheaper, combustible alternative. The client tells you to ignore it to save money. How do you proceed?

You are at the end of RIBA Stage 4 for a complex commercial project. The client wants to make a late change to the specification, but you have already agreed to a design freeze. How do you manage this using NBS Chorus and the RIBA Plan of Work, and what are the practice management implications?

Your practice is novated to a Design and Build contractor. The Employer's Requirements mandate compliance with the CIC BIM Protocol 2018, but the contractor's supply chain is resisting providing the specified level of detail. How do you ensure compliance and coordinate this within the legal framework?

The client for a new university building is highly concerned about the performance gap between the design and the building's operational energy use. They want you to implement a Soft Landings approach. At which RIBA stages is this managed, and what are your management obligations?

Your traditional JCT Standard Building Contract project is nearing completion. The contractor is pushing for a Practical Completion certificate so they can demobilise, but there are several minor snags remaining. How do you distinguish between Practical Completion and making good defects, and what is the legal impact?

During the transition from RIBA Stage 4 to Stage 5 on a traditional procurement route, you discover a discrepancy between the architectural drawings and the NBS Chorus specification. How do you manage this discrepancy contractually and practically?

A client wants to build a new 7-storey mixed-use development with a commercial ground floor and 15 residential units above. They ask how the building control process will differ from their previous 4-storey commercial projects. How do you advise them?

You are appointed as the Principal Designer for a new high-rise residential tower. The client asks you to explain your specific statutory duties regarding the 'golden thread' of information during the pre-construction and construction phases.

Construction of a 20-metre high residential block is nearing completion. The developer is anxious to hand over the keys to buyers so they can move in next week. Walk me through the statutory requirements that must be met before residents can legally occupy the building.

You are advising a client who has just purchased the freehold of an existing 12-storey occupied residential building. They are unfamiliar with the Building Safety Act 2022. Explain their new legal responsibilities regarding the management of building safety risks.

You are assessing the feasibility of refurbishing a 1980s multi-occupied residential block. The client wants to replace the balconies and external cladding. How do the Fire Safety Act 2021 and the Building Regulations impact your specification process for these elements?

A developer client asks you to advise on procurement route for a £12m mixed-use scheme with an aggressive 18-month programme. They are willing to accept less cost certainty in exchange for speed. Which contract form would you recommend and what are the key risks?

You are novated from the employer to the Design and Build contractor mid-project. The contractor asks you to sign an amended appointment that includes a fitness for purpose obligation for the structural frame. What is your response and what are the professional and insurance implications?

You are preparing a fee proposal for a complex heritage refurbishment project. The client asks for a fixed lump sum fee. How do you structure your proposal, and what additional services provisions would you include to protect your practice?

A local authority client is procuring architectural services for a new community centre valued at £3.2m construction cost. They ask you to advise on how they must comply with the Procurement Act 2023. What process must they follow?

Halfway through a project, your client instructs you to redesign a significant portion of the scheme to accommodate a new tenant requirement. The instruction was given verbally. How do you manage this as an additional service, and what are the contractual and professional obligations?

The contractor on a JCT SBC 2024 project has not been paid the notified sum by the final date for payment, and the employer issued no Pay Less Notice. Which clause entitles the contractor to suspend performance, and on what notice?

The employer wants to terminate the contractor's employment under JCT SBC 2024 because the contractor has wholly suspended carrying out the works without reasonable cause. Which clause sets out this specified default, and what notice procedure applies?

A contractor on a JCT SBC 2024 project receives an Architect's Instruction to open up works for inspection. The works are found to comply with the contract. Which clause covers the cost consequences of this instruction, and what does the contractor recover?

On a JCT SBC 2024 project, the contractor submits a written notice of delay caused by exceptionally adverse weather. Which clause lists this as a Relevant Event, and which clause sets out the contractor's notice obligations?

On a JCT SBC 2024 project, the contractor's regular progress is materially affected by the employer's late issue of information. Which clause entitles the contractor to loss and expense, and which Relevant Matter applies?

Under JCT SBC 2024 and the HGCRA 1996, walk through the exact timing of the interim payment cycle: when is the due date, when must the Payment Notice be issued, when can a Pay Less Notice be issued, and when is the final date for payment?

The contractor on a JCT SBC 2024 project gives written notice of delay on 1 March. Within what timeframe must the Architect notify the contractor of the decision on the Extension of Time, and what is the deadline for fixing a later Completion Date after Practical Completion?

Under JCT SBC 2024, set out the sequence and timings for terminating the contractor's employment for a specified default: how long is the cure period, and within what window must the second notice of termination be served?

Under HGCRA 1996, what is the statutory minimum payment notice period that must apply to any construction contract, and how does this dovetail with JCT SBC 2024's 14-day final date for payment?

Under JCT SBC 2024 clause 8.11, either party may terminate the contractor's employment if the works are suspended for a continuous period because of a listed neutral event. What is that suspension period, and what notice procedure must be followed?

Which regulation of CDM 2015 sets out the client's duty to make suitable arrangements for managing a project, and what specifically must those arrangements ensure?

Which CDM 2015 regulation specifies when a project must be notified to the relevant enforcing authority by the client, and where are the dual thresholds defined?

Which regulation of CDM 2015 sets out the duties of the Principal Designer during the pre-construction phase, and what are the three core planning duties?

Which regulation of CDM 2015 imposes duties on designers, and what are the two principal duties when carrying out design work?

Which regulation of CDM 2015 sets out the Principal Contractor's duties during the construction phase, and what specific document must the PC produce before setting up the construction site?

A small commercial fit-out is scheduled to last 35 working days, with 12 workers on site simultaneously, totalling 380 person-days. Is it notifiable to the HSE under CDM 2015, and why? Apply the thresholds precisely.

Set out the timing sequence under CDM 2015 for the production and use of pre-construction information (PCI): when must the client provide it, when must the PD develop it, and at what point must the PC use it?

A residential development is a Higher-Risk Building (HRB) under the Building Safety Act 2022. What does BSA 2022 section 31 mandate regarding the appointment of the Principal Designer, and at what stage must this appointment be made?

Under section 79 of the Building Safety Act 2022 and supporting regulations, what is the dutyholder hierarchy and timeline for registering an occupied Higher-Risk Building with the Building Safety Regulator?

Under CDM 2015, a project initially scheduled for 25 working days with 25 workers simultaneously is extended on day 20 to a total of 45 working days. At what point does notification become mandatory, and what is the practical timing for submitting the F10?

Under the JCT Design and Build Contract 2024, which clause sets the contractor's standard of design liability, and what is the default standard?

Under the CIC Novation Agreement 2018 (Ab Initio), which clause confirms that the consultant has performed and will perform its services to the contractor as if appointed from the outset, and what is the legal significance of 'ab initio'?

Under the Procurement Act 2023, which section governs the award criteria for public contracts, and what test replaces the former 'most economically advantageous tender' (MEAT) standard?

Under the RIBA Professional Services Contract 2020, which schedule sets out the additional services that the architect may carry out, and what is required before incurring additional services fees?

Under the JCT Standard Building Contract 2024, which clause governs the contractor's design portion (CDP) and what is the contractor's design liability standard for the CDP?

Under the Procurement Act 2023, what is the minimum tender period for the open procedure for above-threshold public contracts, and what factors can shorten this period?

On a D&B project, the employer wishes to novate the consultant team at the end of RIBA Stage 4. Walk through the sequence: at what point is the consultant typically engaged by the employer, when is the design intent locked in, and when is the novation executed?

A client agrees a percentage fee of 8% of construction cost across RIBA Stages 2–6, with a construction cost estimate of £4m. Set out the typical RIBA percentage fee allocation across the stages, and calculate the fee allocated to Stage 4.

Under the Procurement Act 2023, what is the standstill period that must follow a contract award decision, and what is the time limit for a supplier to bring a legal challenge to the award?

A client is procuring architectural services for a £2.5m public sector primary school. The estimated fee is £180,000. Does this trigger the Procurement Act 2023, and which procedure should be considered?

Which section of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 defines 'development' and what are the two principal categories that fall within the definition?

Which section of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 makes it a criminal offence to alter a listed building without consent, and what defences are available?

Which paragraph of the NPPF 2024 sets the 'tilted balance' presumption in favour of sustainable development, and what triggers its application?

Which section of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 sets the time limits for taking enforcement action, and what is the recent change introduced by the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023?

Which section of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 provides for planning obligations, and what are the three CIL Regulation 122 tests for material consideration?

What are the statutory determination periods for the three categories of planning application: minor, major, and EIA development? When does the clock start, and what happens if the LPA misses the deadline?

Your client's planning application is refused on 1 March. They wish to appeal. What is the deadline for lodging an appeal, what are the three appeal procedures, and which is appropriate for a householder refusal?

An LPA serves an enforcement notice on 1 June requiring removal of an unauthorised extension. What is the minimum period before the notice can take effect, what are the grounds of appeal, and what is the time limit for lodging an appeal?

Under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, what are the time limits for serving a listed building enforcement notice, and what is the time limit for an appeal?

The Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 introduces reforms to streamline major infrastructure delivery. What are the key procedural changes regarding pre-application consultation periods and statutory consultee response times?

Which Standard of the ARB Code of Conduct 2025 deals with conflicts of interest, and what are the architect's three specific duties when a conflict arises?

Which Standard of the ARB Code 2025 covers competence and continuing professional development, and what is required of architects taking on work beyond their experience?

Which Standard of the ARB Code 2025 covers the architect's duty to manage practice professionally, including obligations regarding written agreements, insurance, and complaints handling?

Which Standard of the ARB Code 2025 addresses honesty and integrity, including duties on advertising, promotion, and dealing with the ARB itself, and what is the duty to self-report?

Which Principle of the RIBA Code of Professional Conduct 2019 addresses sustainability and wider duties to society and the environment, and what specific clause requires advocacy for whole-life carbon?

What are the ARB's CPD requirements for registered architects, including annual hours, structured/unstructured split, and record-keeping obligations?

Walk through the ARB complaints and disciplinary process: from initial complaint receipt, what are the typical timeframes for investigation, referral to the Investigations Panel, and onward to the Professional Conduct Committee?

Under the ARB's Professional Conduct Committee, what is the threshold for referral, what sanctions can the PCC impose, and what is the maximum financial penalty?

Under the RIBA Code 2019 disciplinary process, what are the timeframes for complaint acknowledgement, initial assessment, and referral to the Professional Conduct Panel?

Under ARB Standard 4 and the ARB PII Standard, what is the minimum level of Professional Indemnity Insurance required, and what are the run-off cover requirements when an architect retires?

A developer is designing an 11-storey residential block of 22 flats above podium level. They ask which provision of the Building Safety Act 2022 defines whether the building is a higher-risk building. Identify the exact section and the criteria it sets.

Your project is an HRB undergoing major refurbishment. The client asks which regulation governs the Gateway 2 application made before construction begins, and which body must approve it. Identify the regulation and approving authority.

A contractor proposes timber cladding on the external wall of an 19m residential block. The client asks which provision of the Building Regulations restricts combustible materials in this case. Identify the regulation and the buildings it applies to.

A client converting an office to apartments asks where in the Approved Documents they will find guidance on the maximum travel distance to a protected escape route from a flat entrance door. Identify the document, volume and section.

A client asks which Approved Document and which regulation deals with the overheating risk in new residential buildings, following recent amendments. Identify the regulation and the document, and what they require.

Your client has submitted a Gateway 2 application to the Building Safety Regulator for an HRB. They ask how long the BSR has to determine the application, and what extensions are permitted. State the periods and the procedural basis.

A client asks for the minimum continuous mechanical extract ventilation rates for a kitchen and a bathroom in a new dwelling under Approved Document F. State the values and where they are found.

A client wants to know the Target Primary Energy Rate (TPER) headline reduction required by Part L 2021 for new dwellings compared to the 2013 baseline, and where this is set. State the reduction and reference.

An architect must specify the minimum separation distance between a building face and the relevant boundary to limit unprotected area, where the building is 9m high with 30 per cent unprotected area. State the calculation route and the relevant Approved Document section.

A client asks for the procedural sequence and timing from intention to start building work on a non-HRB project under the standard Building Regulations notification routes. List the steps and key statutory periods.

A client questions which clause of the RIBA Standard Professional Services Contract 2020 limits the architect's liability to the amount specified for net contribution and the cap on aggregate liability. Identify the clauses and what they do.

On a project let under the CIC Novation Agreement 2018 (ab initio), the contractor disputes whether warranties to the original employer survive novation. Identify the clause in the CIC Novation Agreement that deals with this and explain its effect.

A consumer client refuses to pay a stage fee, alleging the architect did not exercise reasonable care and skill. Identify the statutory provision under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 that the client is relying on, and what remedies it offers.

Your appointment is on the RIBA Domestic PSC 2020 with a residential client. The client wants to know which clause allows them to terminate without cause and what notice is required. Identify the clause and the procedural requirements.

A commercial client wants to exclude the architect's liability for any consequential loss by inserting a contract term. Identify the statutory provision under the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 that controls whether this exclusion is enforceable.

Your practice is renewing its professional indemnity insurance. The ARB minimum levels apply. State the minimum PII levels that ARB and the RIBA Chartered Practice criteria require by reference to practice turnover.

A client signs a RIBA Standard PSC 2020 under hand on 1 March 2026 (not as a deed). Practical completion is certified on 1 September 2028. State when the limitation period for any breach of the appointment will expire and on what authority.

A client has not paid your invoice issued under a RIBA Standard PSC 2020 on a construction operations project. You wish to suspend services. State the statutory minimum notice period and the procedure under the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996.

A client asks how RIBA recommended fee percentages typically split across stages on a traditional new-build project. State the indicative fee distribution by RIBA Plan of Work 2020 stage, and the authority.

A residential consumer client appoints you under the RIBA Domestic PSC 2020. They want to know the statutory cooling-off period if the contract was concluded away from the architect's business premises. State the period and the legal basis.

A defective design causes damage discovered six years and three months after practical completion under a simple contract. The claimant wishes to sue in tort. Identify the statutory provision giving them an extended time limit and the period it allows.

A homeowner claims their new house is unfit for habitation due to defects. Identify the statutory provision that imposes a duty to build dwellings fit for habitation, and on whom.

A contractor under a JCT contract refers a dispute to adjudication. Identify the statutory provision that gives the right to refer the dispute at any time, and what that right covers.

A subcontractor argues that no Pay Less Notice was issued by the deadline, so the notified sum is payable in full. Identify the statutory provision setting the deadline and effect.

An employer wants to enforce an arbitration clause requiring disputes to be resolved by arbitration rather than the courts. Identify the statutory provision under the Arbitration Act 1996 that allows a stay of court proceedings.

An architect signs a RIBA Standard PSC 2020 as a deed on 1 March 2026 for a commercial building. State the statutory limitation period applying to a breach of the appointment and the authority.

An adjudication is referred under the Scheme for Construction Contracts 1998. State the procedural timetable from notice of intention to refer through to the decision, including any permitted extensions.

A claimant in tort seeks to rely on the latent damage extension. State the date from which the 15-year longstop under section 14B of the Limitation Act 1980 begins to run, and how it interacts with section 14A.

An architect carries out work on a dwelling completed on 1 June 2010. Section 134 of the Building Safety Act 2022 amends the limitation period under the Defective Premises Act. State the new retrospective period and when proceedings must be issued.

Outline the procedural sequence for a payment cycle on a construction contract subject to the HGCRA 1996, from issuing the Payment Notice through to the final date for payment, with the statutory minima.

Your practice has suffered a personal data breach involving client contact details and project drawings stored on a cloud server. Identify the article of the UK GDPR setting the notification deadline to the ICO and what it requires.

A practice director needs to know the ARB Code Standard that obliges them to maintain competence in their area of practice through CPD. Identify the Standard and what it requires.

A small practice client has not paid an invoice for over 30 days past the final date for payment. Identify the statutory provision that entitles the supplier to charge late payment interest and the basis of the rate.

A practice employer dismisses a long-serving employee. The employee wants to claim unfair dismissal. Identify the statutory provision establishing the right and the qualifying period.

Your practice is setting up as a private limited company. Identify the statutory provision under the Companies Act 2006 that sets the directors' general duty to promote the success of the company, and what it requires.

Your practice processes personal data for clients and is registering with the ICO. State the ICO fee tiers under the Data Protection (Charges and Information) Regulations 2018, and which tier a small architectural practice typically falls into.

An architect needs to record CPD hours under both RIBA and ARB schemes for the calendar year 2026. State the hours required, the format of mandatory topics, and the recording requirements for each.

A discrimination complaint has been raised by an employee who is a disabled architect needing reasonable adjustments. State the test under the Equality Act 2010 and the time limit for an employment tribunal claim.

A practice wishes to align quality management with ISO 9001:2015. State the procedural steps for initial certification and the typical surveillance and recertification timing.

Your practice has identified that the Late Payment Act statutory interest rate is changing because of a Bank of England base rate move. State how the rate is set, when it changes, and how it is calculated on an overdue invoice.

A client asks at which RIBA Plan of Work 2020 stage the Project Strategies (sustainability, fire, inclusive design, etc.) should be defined and recorded. Identify the stage and the specific outputs.

Your team is implementing a BIM Level 2 workflow under the CIC BIM Protocol 2018. Identify the clause that sets the contractual hierarchy where a conflict arises between the Protocol and the underlying appointment.

A client questions when design freeze should occur on a traditionally procured project. Identify the RIBA Plan of Work 2020 stage and the supporting Plan of Work core outputs that mark the freeze.

On practical completion of a JCT SBC 2024 project, your client asks where the procedural duties of the architect/contract administrator on Making Good Defects are set. Identify the clause and the procedure.

Your client is following the Government Soft Landings framework. Identify the document and the RIBA Plan of Work 2020 stage at which Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE) and aftercare are formally embedded.

On a JCT SBC 2024 project the standard Rectification Period applies. State the standard length, the deadline for delivering the schedule of defects, and when the Certificate of Making Good is typically issued.

Retention has been deducted on a JCT SBC 2024 contract at the standard 3 per cent rate. State the procedure and timing for releasing each half of retention, and the relevant clauses.

An architect must specify when design freeze occurs on a Design and Build project versus a traditional contract. State the RIBA Plan of Work 2020 stage and procedural moment in each procurement route.

The client wants a structured POE programme aligned with Soft Landings. State the typical POE evaluation periods after handover and the activities at each.

Outline the procedural sequence from issue of the Practical Completion Certificate to issue of the Final Certificate under JCT SBC 2024, identifying each step and the statutory minima.

You are the Contract Administrator on a JCT SBC 2024 project. The client phones you and says, since you are their architect, you should be issuing instructions that favour them in the upcoming valuation. How do you respond on the call, and what do you do afterwards?

Three months into a JCT SBC 2024 contract, your contractor verbally tells you on site they will need ten weeks extra time because of a late planning condition discharge. They ask you to just put it in the next certificate. Talk me through how you handle the extension of time process properly.

The contractor on your JCT SBC 2024 project submits a loss and expense claim for prolongation, attaching a single spreadsheet with weekly site overheads multiplied by the delay. The client tells you to just reject it because it looks inflated. How do you proceed?

On a JCT SBC 2024 refurbishment the contractor has reached what they say is Practical Completion. There are six items outstanding, including a fire alarm commissioning certificate. The contractor is pushing hard for the certificate today. Walk me through your decision.

Your client on a JCT SBC 2024 project has stopped paying the contractor's interim certificates because they are unhappy with progress. The contractor has just served a notice referring to the Construction Act. What is happening contractually and what is your role?

Mid-project, your client decides they want to add a basement to a JCT SBC 2024 contract that is already on site. They send you a quick email saying go ahead and instruct it. The contractor says they need a written instruction and a new programme. How do you handle this?

On a JCT SBC 2024 project the contractor has gone into administration. The client phones you in a panic asking what they can do today. Walk me through the contractual position and your immediate advice.

You issued a Final Certificate three weeks ago on a JCT SBC 2024 project. The client now writes saying they have discovered defects in the floor screed and want you to revoke the certificate. Can you, and what is the effect of the certificate?

A new commercial client appoints you as lead designer for a six-storey office refurbishment. They ask, do we really need a Principal Designer on this, isn't that just for new build? How do you respond?

You are CDM Principal Designer on a school extension. The Principal Contractor tells you the pre-construction information you sent is too generic and they cannot price safely. How do you respond and what should the PCI actually contain?

A private client commissions you for a large rear extension on their family home. They mention they want to manage the builders themselves. Walk me through the CDM domestic client rules and what changes for you.

Your design team is debating whether to include a fragile rooflight in a remote plant area. The contractor says they will fit safety mesh during install. Walk me through the regulation 9 designer duty and how you record your decision.

You are on site as CA and notice scaffolding with a missing toe-board and an operative working at height without a harness. The Principal Contractor is not on site. What do you do, and what are the limits of your authority here?

Your project is a refurbishment of an 18-storey residential block at 58m. You are appointed as architect. Talk me through how the Building Safety Act 2022 Principal Designer role overlays with your CDM PD role.

At handover the contractor gives you a USB stick labelled Health and Safety File containing the operations and maintenance manuals. The client asks you to just pass it to them. What do you do and what should the file actually contain?

Halfway through your project, a designer who had been preparing structural details leaves the team without a handover. The client says, just keep going. Talk me through the CDM cooperation, competence and information duties this raises.

A first-time developer client asks you which procurement route to use for a £4m mixed-use building. They want it built fast and cheap, with no surprises. Walk me through how you would advise them.

Your client wants to use Design and Build but wants you, the architect, to keep full design control. The contractor wants you novated at Stage 3. Talk me through the risks and how novation timing changes them.

A public sector client asks if they can just appoint you directly for a £600,000 new-build community centre. Walk me through what procurement rules apply and how this affects your appointment.

Your client has not paid your last three invoices on a JCT SBC 2024 administration commission. They say cash flow is tight. Walk me through your options to recover fees and what you must do before any of them.

A client asks you to fix-price a Stage 4 fee at half what your practice normally charges, saying they will give you more work next year. Talk me through how the RIBA 10 Principles and your fee strategy apply.

A client wants to use a single-stage traditional contract for a complex hospital extension on a tight programme. Why might you push back, and what alternative would you propose?

On a D&B project you are about to be novated. The contractor sends you their bespoke novation deed, no markup permitted, signing required by Friday. How do you respond and what are you looking for?

Your practice is asked to quote on a residential scheme by a client who refuses to sign a written appointment but is happy to pay your fees monthly. Talk me through why this is a problem and what you do.

A long-standing client has asked you to also act for the contractor on a different project. The two projects are unrelated. Walk me through the conflict of interest analysis and how you would manage it.

Your firm is being sued by a previous client for alleged negligence in a structural specification. The claim is for £200,000. Your client today, on a different project, asks you to certify that your firm has no current claims or notifications. Talk me through how you respond.

A junior in your practice tells you the Director has been instructing them to backdate inspection records on a JCT SBC 2024 project. Walk me through your ethical and professional duties here.

Your client refuses to pay your final invoice on a completed project, saying they are unhappy with the design quality. They have not raised this before. Should you notify your PII insurer, and what is the difference between a fee dispute and a claim?

Your firm is approached to design a luxury residential project for a client whose source of wealth is reported in the press as politically contested. The fee is significant. Walk me through the ethical and regulatory analysis.

An ARB-registered colleague at another practice has been struck off for misconduct but is still describing themselves as Architect on LinkedIn. You spot it. What is your duty?

You are asked to take on a project type your practice has never delivered before. The client is enthusiastic and the fee is healthy. Walk me through how the ARB and RIBA frameworks govern your decision.

Your client offers you a weekend at their holiday villa as a thank-you for delivering planning permission. The villa is worth several thousand pounds. Walk me through how you respond.

A client owns a 22m residential block from the 1970s and wants to add two new floors of flats on top. Walk me through whether this is a Higher-Risk Building and what regulatory regime now applies.

On a non-HRB office refurbishment your client wants to use a self-certified Approved Document compliance route for the fire strategy. Walk me through the two principal compliance routes and when each is appropriate.

A client wants to install a new electrical consumer unit and replace the gas boiler in their domestic property. They ask if you need to make a building control application. Talk me through the competent person schemes and when they apply.

Your client on an HRB scheme wants to make a design change after Gateway 2 approval but before construction starts. Walk me through the change control rules under the new regime.

Approved Document M Part 4(2) accessible and adaptable dwellings is being applied to your housing scheme. The client wants to reduce internal corridors below 900mm to fit more units. Walk me through the regulatory position.

A pre-application meeting with the Local Planning Authority has flagged concerns about your scheme's biodiversity impact. The site is greenfield. Talk me through how the Biodiversity Net Gain requirement applies and what evidence you need.

On a school project the client asks if Approved Document L 2021 still applies or whether you need to design to the Future Homes Standard. Talk me through the energy regulatory framework right now.

A small office refurbishment project does not meet any HRB criteria but is in a Conservation Area and includes external alterations. Talk me through the regulatory consents you would need and the sequence of applications.

Your client converts a ground-floor retail unit in a parade into a hot food takeaway without applying for planning permission. They tell you the property is already Class E commercial, so no permission was needed. The council has just issued a Planning Contravention Notice. Walk me through the position.

You are advising on a Grade II listed terraced house in a conservation area. The owner has already stripped out the original staircase to make space for a lift, before instructing you. They ask you to quietly draw up some retrospective drawings. Talk me through your professional and statutory position.

Your residential client has read online that they can build a single-storey rear extension under permitted development. They want to add 8 metres in depth to their detached house in a designated conservation area. How do you advise them at the first meeting?

Your developer client has had planning permission refused for a mixed-use scheme. The officer report cited a lack of biodiversity net gain provision. The client says, just appeal it, it is a slam dunk. How do you respond?

A client has owned a barn for fifteen years and has been living in it without planning permission. They want to regularise it now they wish to sell. They ask whether they can apply for a Certificate of Lawfulness. Talk me through the route.

The Secretary of State has just dismissed your client's section 78 appeal for a 40-unit residential scheme. The client believes the Inspector misdirected himself on housing land supply. They ask whether you can challenge that decision. Walk me through the route.

A council has served an Enforcement Notice on your client requiring removal of a side dormer that has been in place for six years on a non-listed dwelling outside a conservation area. The client wants to fight it. Walk me through the appeal grounds and your advice.

The Planning Act 2025 has just introduced reforms to the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects regime and reformed Environmental Impact Assessment as Environmental Outcomes Reports. Your developer client asks whether their stalled 30 MW solar farm now goes through the new EOR route. How do you respond?

A homeowner contacts you saying you designed an extension for them eight years ago and the roof is now leaking, causing damage to a new kitchen. They threaten to sue you. They have just discovered the defect. Talk me through the limitation position.

Your firm completed a residential block under the old regime in 2007. The leaseholders are now threatening a Building Safety Act 2022 claim alleging cladding defects. The client asks how the retrospective limitation rules in section 135 work. How do you advise?

Your appointment has a net contribution clause. The contractor has gone insolvent and the client wants to recover their full loss from you. Talk me through the legal effect of net contribution and the leading authority.

A neighbouring landowner has sent a letter alleging that your design caused subsidence on their property. They have copied in their solicitor. The client wants to ignore it. Talk me through the legal and professional risks and what the pre-action protocol requires.

On a JCT SBC 2024 project the contractor has served a Notice of Adjudication on the Employer alleging non-payment. The client asks whether they can ignore it because the dispute is small. Walk me through what adjudication is, why it cannot be ignored, and the architect's role.

Your client wants to use arbitration rather than litigation in a bespoke appointment with a contractor. They ask why this matters and what the Arbitration Act 1996 actually does. Talk me through the headlines and any risks.

A former client is suing your firm in negligence for a structural failure. The court will apply the Bolam test as refined by Bolitho. Explain to me what each test is, how they fit together, and how a court would apply them to architectural judgement.

Your client is buying a development site from another developer. They ask for a collateral warranty from your firm in favour of the funder. They also mention a third party rights schedule. Talk me through the legal mechanism, the duty owed, and what to negotiate.

A private residential client asks you to start work on Stage 2 next Monday based on a quick email exchange agreeing a lump sum fee. They say signing a formal appointment is bureaucratic. Walk me through your obligations and how you respond.

The contractor on your design and build project asks for novation of your appointment from the developer to themselves. They send you a draft novation deed. Walk me through ab initio versus switch novation and what you check before signing.

Your developer client refuses to pay your Stage 3 fee, citing dissatisfaction with the planning outcome. The appointment is on RIBA PSC 2020 terms. Walk me through the fee recovery route, the contractual mechanism and the risks.

Your client wants the appointment to include a clause that excludes consequential losses and caps your liability at the fee. They have drafted it themselves. Talk me through the legal validity, the relevant statutes and how you approach the negotiation.

Your client wants you to retain copyright in your drawings but grant them a licence to use them. The contractor wants the licence to extend to future maintenance and refurbishment by others. Talk me through copyright, licensing and the implications.

Halfway through Stage 4 the client emails saying they want to add a fourth storey to the brief. Your fee is a lump sum on PSC 2020. Walk me through fee variation, the contractual route under Schedule 1 and how you protect the firm.

Your PII renewal is in six weeks. You have just realised you may have made a design error two years ago that has not yet manifested. Under ARB Standard 7 and your policy disclosure duty, what must you do, and what is the risk if you do not?

Your appointment includes a clause stating that you will perform the services with the skill and care of a designer of products fit for the purpose specified by the client. Why does this wording matter, and how do you renegotiate?

You are the registered architect director of a limited company. A new client offers you a project where signing up quickly would protect a competitor's contract from being awarded. Your fellow director wants to take the work. Talk me through your duties under the Companies Act 2006 and ARB.

Your practice has been served with an ICO enforcement notice after a laptop containing client data was stolen from a director's car. They want to know what duties apply and what they should do today. Walk me through the GDPR position.

An employee with a hearing impairment has asked your practice for noise-cancelling headphones and a hearing-loop-compatible phone system. Your office manager says it is too expensive. Talk me through your duties under the Equality Act 2010 and how you respond.

Your practice has not been paid by a major commercial client for four months. The client says they will pay when their financing comes through. Walk me through the late payment and statutory interest position, and what you do today.

You are filling out the PII renewal proposal. The broker has asked about claims and circumstances over the last six years. A colleague suggests downplaying a small matter to keep the premium lower. Walk me through the Insurance Act 2015 duty and your response.

Your practice is reviewing its quality management system. A senior partner says ISO 9001 is overkill for a small studio. Walk me through what ISO 9001 actually requires, why the RIBA Chartered Practice scheme cares, and how you respond.

An employee has resigned and you suspect they are taking client contact lists and live project files to a new employer. Talk me through your legal options, the Employment Rights Act 1996 boundaries and the immediate steps you take today.

You are the registered architect at a chartered practice. The CPD officer at the RIBA emails to remind you about CPD compliance. Talk me through the ARB CPD requirements, the RIBA CPD framework, and what you would do if you fall short.

A client at the end of Stage 3 wants to issue Stage 4 information immediately to the contractor and start construction. They say design is mostly done. Walk me through why the Stage 4 design freeze matters and the RIBA Plan of Work 2020 logic.

The contractor on your JCT SBC 2024 project tells you the building is at Practical Completion. There are 240 snagging items but the building is fully usable. The client wants to move in this weekend. Walk me through the PC test, sectional completion and partial possession.

At Stage 6 your project is at Practical Completion. The client asks what Stage 7 In Use actually involves and why they should pay you for it. Walk me through the Soft Landings framework and your post-occupancy duties.

Your design and build contractor wants a single Design Responsibility Matrix produced at Stage 4 and refuses to commit to one earlier. The client is uncomfortable. Walk me through what the DRM is, when it should be produced, and why the timing matters.

You are at the end of Stage 2 Concept Design. The client asks why you are pushing for the Project Strategy to be signed off before moving on. Talk me through the Stage 2 sign-off, the RIBA gateway concept and what happens if it is skipped.

Your client's BIM lead asks you to commit to a BIM Information Delivery Plan and a Master Information Delivery Plan. The contractor will be appointed later. Talk me through the CIC BIM Protocol 2018, the Project Information Requirements and how this sequences across stages.

Your client wants you to overlap Stage 5 Manufacturing and Construction with the tail end of Stage 4. They argue it speeds up the programme. Walk me through the JCT SBC 2024 interaction with the Plan of Work and the risks.

At Stage 6 Handover the client asks for an early release of a wing of the building so a tenant can fit out. The contractor agrees in principle. Walk me through Partial Possession under JCT SBC 2024, the certificate consequences and what you record.