Earn AXP Hours During ARE Study Breaks with Spectacular CE

Did you know that you can earn NCARB AXP hours during your ARE study breaks?

For many licensure candidates, the Architectural Experience Program® feels like something that only happens at work. You wait for the right project. You wait for the right assignment. You wait for someone at your firm to give you exposure to a specific experience area.

But that is not the only way to make progress.

Through NCARB’s “Experience Setting O: Other Experience Opportunities”, licensure candidates may earn AXP hours by completing continuing education (CE) courses that qualify for health, safety, and welfare (HSW). NCARB states that one HSW learning unit or credit hour earns one AXP hour in the related experience area.

That is where Spectacular CE, powered by Black Spectacles, comes in.

Spectacular CE is a free, online continuing education platform built for architects and emerging professionals. It is mobile-first, on demand, and designed to help users earn AIA continuing education credits, HSW hours, and eligible NCARB AXP hours without adding more friction to an already packed schedule.

Here's how it works.

How It Works: Continuing Education → AXP Hours

NCARB allows candidates to earn AXP credit through validated continuing education courses that qualify for health, safety, and welfare (HSW).

The basic conversion is simple:

1 HSW Learning Unit = 1 AXP Hour

So, if you complete a one-hour HSW course that qualifies for this opportunity, you may be able to report one hour of AXP credit in the related experience area.

NCARB allows up to 20 hours per AXP experience area through this CE for HSW opportunity. Because there are six AXP experience areas, that means candidates may be able to earn up to 120 total AXP hours through eligible HSW continuing education courses.

This falls under Experience Setting O, which includes experience opportunities that can happen outside a traditional architecture firm setting. NCARB also states that these CE for HSW hours are not subject to review or approval from your current AXP supervisor.

That means you do not have to wait for the perfect project to land on your desk. You can use eligible continuing education courses to keep moving.

How Many Spectacular CE Hours Can I Report as AXP Hours?

You can report up to 20 CE/HSW hours per AXP experience area, as long as the courses qualify, appear on an approved CE transcript, and are accepted by NCARB.

These areas should look familiar. They align with the six major areas you are already studying for on the ARE.

That is what makes this opportunity so useful: you can use small pockets of time to build knowledge, earn HSW credit, and make measurable progress toward your AXP requirements.

The key is documentation. The course must qualify for HSW credit, be connected to the appropriate AXP experience area, appear on an official transcript from an approved reporting organization, and be manually reported through your NCARB Record. NCARB requires a CE transcript from a pre-approved reporting organization and notes that candidates must upload the full CE transcript, not an individual course certificate.

Do I Have to Be an AIA Member?

For Spectacular CE courses submitted through the AIA transcript pathway, yes.

Here's why: NCARB requires a CE transcript from a reporting organization that has been pre-approved by NCARB. Current approved organizations listed by NCARB are the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the Society of American Registered Architects (SARA), and NCARB.

For Spectacular CE courses documented through AIA, your eligible course completions need to appear on your official AIA member transcript. AIA states that courses taken through AIAU, AIA events, AIA chapters, or AIA-approved CE providers are automatically updated on a member transcript. AIA also states that NCARB accepts AIA transcripts for AXP hours, and that course credit typically appears within 10 business days after completion.

So, if you want to use Spectacular CE courses for AXP credit through the AIA transcript route, you need to be an AIA member so the completed courses can appear on your official AIA transcript.

One important nuance: AIA membership is not required for every possible Continuing Education for HSW pathway. NCARB currently lists AIA, SARA, and NCARB as approved CE reporting organizations. But for Spectacular CE courses using the AIA transcript route, AIA membership is the required documentation path.

How to Validate Spectacular CE for NCARB AXP Hours

Completing the course is only step one.

To earn AXP credit, you need to document and submit the course correctly through your NCARB Record.

Here's the process.

Step 1: Complete an eligible HSW course in Spectacular CE

Start with a Spectacular CE course that is eligible for HSW credit.

Not every continuing education course everywhere will qualify for AXP, so check the course details before you plan to report it. Spectacular CE notes that select courses are eligible for HSW hours and that the platform includes courses eligible for NCARB AXP hours.

Step 2: Confirm the course appears on your official AIA transcript

For Spectacular CE courses reported through AIA, the course needs to appear on your official AIA member transcript.

Do not assume completion alone is enough. AIA says course credit typically appears within 10 business days after course completion, so give the transcript time to update before reporting the hours to NCARB.

Step 3: Download your full CE transcript

This part matters: NCARB requires your full CE transcript, not an individual course certificate.

NCARB’s reporting instructions specifically state that candidates must upload the full CE transcript and not a certificate of completion for an individual course.

Step 4: Log in to your NCARB Record

Once your transcript is ready, log in to your NCARB Record and navigate to the Experience tab.

Step 5: Create a new AXP experience report

NCARB instructs candidates to select Volunteer or Self-Directed as the kind of experience being reported, confirm that academic credit was not earned for the experience, and then select Continuing Education for HSW as the experience type.

Step 6: Select your approved CE provider

Next, select your approved CE provider from NCARB’s list.

For Spectacular CE courses documented through AIA, select AIA when prompted.

Step 7: Upload your transcript and enter each course manually

Upload your full CE transcript, then enter the individual course details.

NCARB asks candidates to add the completion date, course number, course name, learning units, and related AXP experience area for each course included in the transcript.

Step 8: Submit for NCARB approval

Once each course is entered, submit the report for approval.

That is the path:

Complete the course. Confirm the transcript. Upload the transcript. Enter the course details. Submit through NCARB.

What Does & Doesn't Count

Eligible HSW continuing education can count toward AXP, but only when it's documented correctly.

What can count

A Spectacular CE course may be able to count toward AXP if it:

• Qualifies for HSW credit.
• Relates to the AXP experience area where you are reporting it.
• Appears on an official transcript from an NCARB-approved reporting organization.
• Is manually reported through your NCARB Record.
• Is accepted by NCARB.

What doesn't count

Don't rely on:

• A course that is not HSW eligible.
• A course that does not appear on an official approved transcript.
• Self-reported continuing education.
• An individual certificate of completion uploaded instead of a full CE transcript.
• A course entered under the wrong AXP experience area.
• A course that has not been manually reported in your NCARB Record.

NCARB’s AXP Guidelines state that accrediting or reporting organizations must be pre-approved by NCARB and that self-reported continuing education is not eligible for AXP credit.

The safest approach is simple: use your official transcript as your source of truth.

Where NCARB Explains This

NCARB explains this in the AXP Guidelines, page 25, under Continuing Education for Health Safety Welfare (HSW).

That section says candidates may earn up to 20 hours per experience area by completing validated continuing education resources or programs that qualify for HSW. It also states that one HSW learning unit earns one AXP hour and that self-reported continuing education is not eligible for AXP credit.

In other words:

Validated HSW course. Approved transcript. Manual NCARB report. AXP credit.

That's the path.

Why Use Spectacular CE?

Because licensure candidates do not need one more outdated platform.

Spectacular CE was built to make continuing education easier to complete and more useful to your career. The platform offers free, online CE credits through a mobile-first learning experience, and users can access courses on a phone, tablet, or desktop.

That means you can make progress during the time you already have:

• Between ARE study sessions.
• During lunch.
• After work.
• On a commute.
• Between project deadlines.

You do not have to wait for your firm to give you every specialized task you need. Eligible HSW continuing education gives you another way to take control of your licensure timeline.

FAQ: Spectacular CE and NCARB AXP Hours

Can Spectacular CE count toward NCARB AXP hours?

Yes. Eligible Spectacular CE courses can count toward NCARB AXP hours when they qualify for HSW credit, appear on an official transcript from an approved reporting organization, and are manually reported in your NCARB Record.

How many Spectacular CE hours can I report as AXP hours?

You can report up to 20 hours per AXP experience area through eligible HSW continuing education. Across all six experience areas, that creates a potential maximum of 120 AXP hours.

Do I need to manually report the hours to NCARB?

Yes. Completing the course is not enough. You need to create a new AXP experience report in your NCARB Record, upload your full CE transcript, enter the course details, and submit the report for approval.

Do I upload my Spectacular CE certificate?

No. NCARB says that candidates must upload a full CE transcript, not a certificate of completion for an individual course.

Do I need my AXP supervisor to approve these hours?

No. NCARB states that hours earned through the Continuing Education for HSW opportunity are not subject to review or approval from your current AXP supervisor.

Do I have to be an AIA member?

For Spectacular CE courses reported through the AIA transcript pathway, yes. You need an AIA member transcript so that your eligible CE completions can be documented and submitted to NCARB.

Can I use the same course later for license renewal?

Don't assume a course can be used twice. NCARB specifically states that if you complete an NCARB CE course for AXP hours, you will not be eligible to repeat that NCARB CE course for continuing education credit for license renewal. For Spectacular CE or other AIA-reported courses, confirm the current NCARB, AIA, and jurisdiction-specific rules before relying on the same course for both AXP and future license renewal.

Don’t Wait for the Right Project

AXP progress can feel slow when you are waiting for the right project, the right task, or the right supervisor conversation.

Spectacular CE gives you another way to keep moving.

Complete eligible HSW courses. Get them onto your official transcript. Report them correctly in your NCARB Record. Build knowledge that helps with the ARE and real-world practice.

Then keep going.

Every hour gets you closer to licensure.

Start Earning AXP Hours for Free.

Important Eligibility Note

AXP credit eligibility is subject to current NCARB requirements and approved reporting guidelines. Candidates should review the latest NCARB AXP Guidelines and confirm any requirements that apply in their jurisdiction before relying on continuing education for AXP credit.