Professional Conduct & Ethics

The ethical framework underpinning all professional decisions. Covers ARB Standards 1–6 (ARB Code 2025), RIBA Code of Conduct, mandatory competence obligations under BSA 2022, conflicts of interest, confidentiality, complaints handling, and the interaction between commercial pressure and professional duty. This topic sits at the heart of the Part 3 examination, appearing across all three written papers and in the oral examination. Examiners frequently combine this area with overlapping topics, particularly professional ethics and the impact of procurement route selection on design liability.

Candidates should be able to apply statutory knowledge to project scenarios, demonstrating not just awareness of obligations but practical judgement about how competing duties interact under time and budget pressure.