SINGAPORE & THE FEDERATION OF MALAYA
INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS OF MALAYA Memorandum on the Proficiency Examinations
The Proficiency Examinations of the LA.M. initiated in 1938 were designed by the Institute to meet a two fold need. Firstly lo establish definite standards of Architectural draughtsmanship as a guide to the Institute's members in assessing their employees' ability and secondly, and equally important, to act as an incentive to the local draughtsman to increase his knowledge of building construction and skill in architectural drawing in order to gain the higher awards and thus qualify himself for more responsible posts.
These standards were immediately recognised by the Straits Settlements Government for their Architectural Sub- ordinate Officers Salary Scheme and "bar" examinations.
After the break caused by the War years, the examina- tions were re-established in 1946 and the first post-war series was held not only in Singapore, but in many examination centres throughout the Federation of Malaya.
The examinations are designed as straightforward tests of ability for Architectural draughtsmen on the normal work for which they have been trained in an architect's office and are intended to be taken annually over a period of five years,
Details are as follows:
(1)
(ii)
First Examination for Junior Draughtsmen.
Tracer Grade II-The Candidate is required to trace in Ink on Linen or Tracing paper, a drawing (Scale 1" to one foot) approximately 2'6" X 1′6′′ in size. The time allowed is 9 hours. Second Examination for Junior Draughtsmen. Draughtsmen Grade III-The Candidate is required to prepare a working drawing (Scale 8 ft. to one inch) of a small single storey building of domestic character from an Architect's Sketch plan. The time allowed is 18 hours.
(iii) Third Examination for Junior Draughtsmen.
Grade I Tracers Examination-The Candidate is required to trace in Ink on Linen a half inch detail drawing (approximate size 3′6′′ X 2′0′′) in 9 hours. (iv) Examination for Intermediate Draughtsmen.
(v)
Grade II Draughtsmen-From an Architect's Sketch and notes the Candidate is required to prepare a working drawing (Scale 8 ft. to one inch) of a small building, together with some larger scale de- tails. A small sanitation scheme is normally included. The time allowed is 18 hours. Examination for Senior Draughtsmen. Grade I Draughtsmen-From an Architect's Sketch and notes the Candidate is required to prepare a working drawing (Scale 8 ft. to one inch) and details (Half Inch) with typical "Full Size" details. This is an advanced examination likely to involve most aspects of building. The time allowed is 18 hours.
The examinations, are held in two series-the first three examinations, considered the Junior Series, are held over a period of five days in July followed in December by the remaining two examinations (Senior Series) extending over a period of three days.
Certificates are awarded to each successful candidate and he may obtain an ordinary pass or a pass with "Mention" or "Special Mention".
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From the inception of the examinations the "pass" standard has been kept at a high level and to obtain "Mention" or "Special Mention" the work has to be of very high merit.
Candidates in the Junior Series who obtain a "Mention" or "Special Mention" in the second examination (Grade III Draughtsman) can proceed straight to the Grade II Draughts- man's examination thus gaining exemption for the third or Grade I Tracers examination.
The examinations must be taken in their proper order and no candidate is allowed to sit more than one examination in one year thus ensuring at least twelve months further training before sitting the higher examination and in the case of moving to the Senior Series at least eighteen months interval of further training is necessary.
In the years 1947 and 1948 certain rules were waived in favour of draughtsmen who, but for the War years, may reasonably have been expected to have sat for the Junior Series of examinations. On the recommendation of their employers, certain candidates were therefore permitted to sit for the first of the Senior Series (Grade II Draughtsman), It is considered that this relaxation should now be withdrawn and has now ceased to be operative except that those candidates who have already been accepted but who have failed to pass have one more opportunity to pass this year.
On the other hand the wider recognition of the examina- tions and their adoption as "bars" in the Revised Salaries Scales of such bodies as the Municipality and Singapore Im- provement Trust has created the problem of the Senior Draughtsman who at a late stage in his career is faced with the necessity of having to pass the Senior I.A.M. Examina-
tions before he can proceed further. It would be manifestly unfair to require these senior men to take the Junior Series of examinations, so the Board have decided that for two years, i.e. 1949 and 1950, senior draughtsmen who have attained the age of 35 years and are certified by their em- ployers that they have reached the requisite standards will be permitted to sit either the Draughtsman Grade II or Grade I Examinations. This concession is purely an interim one
for two years only to meet the special circumstances arising out of the widening recognition of the examinations.
It is clear that the interest and recognition of these examinations has grown steadily until at the present time they form the sole criterion in the Salaries Scales for Architectural draughtsmen employed by the Governments of Singapore and the Federation, by the Municipality of Singapore and the Singapore Improvement Trust.
It is pleasing to nute moreover that this year for the first time private Arms of Architects practising in the Municipality of Singapore have submitted group applications on behalf of their employees indicating that the examina- tions are also becoming the basis of their conditions of em- ployment.
This year, also for the first time, the examinations in the Federation of Malaya are being organised by a Branch Secretary of the Examination Board under the auspices of the Kuala Lumpur Branch of the I.A.M. For uniformity, the examination papers are supplied from Singapore and the marking of the papers will be carried out here simultaneously with those of the Singapore candidates-the Branch Secretary is a Member of the Examination Board and will form one of the panel of Examiners. Applications to sit for the Junior Series of examinations this month reach the peak figure of 112-51 in Singapore and 61 in the Federation. The examina- tions will be held in 12 centres throughout the Federation of Malaya.
In Singapore since the examinations were re-started in 1946, they have been held in the P.W.D. offices and the Board of Examiners takes this opportunity of expressing its apprecia- tion for the great assistance rendered by the P.W.D. in this connection.
However, with the greatly increased numbers and the wider field of recognition of the examinations, the Board feels that a more
An independent centre is desirable. approach was therefore made to the British Council who have co-operated most willingly in placing the hall above their offices in Stamford Road at the Board's disposal for the 1949 examinations.
This series of proficiency examinations covers only a limited field. From the syllabus stated earlier in this memorandum, it is clear that these examinations are a test only of draughting ability and while, of course, considerable knowledge of building construction in necessary in the Senior Series, the passing of these examinations does not entitle the candidate to consider himself a qualified architect.
The training for a qualified architect is of very much greater scope entailing normally a five-year full time University course covering a wide field of study and leading to membership of the Royal Institute of British Architects which is the criteria of qualification not only in the United Kingdom but throughout the Dominions and Colonies.
The Institute of Architects of Malaya is affiliated to the Royal Institute of British Architects in the same way as the Australian, Canadian and Rhodesian Institutes are affiliated and is therefore the authoritative body in this Colony on all matters pertaining to the Architectural profession. The Institute is concerned therefore with bridging the period of years which will almost certainly ensue before a chair of Architecture is established in the University of Malaya.
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What opportunity has the local student of Architecture to qualify himself as an architect now or in the immediate future? He can, of course, go abroad for the Ave years course at a recognised University but this can only be for the few. His only other alternative is a prolonged study to sit externally for the R.I.B.A. Examinations which can be held locally in Singapore under the auspices of the Institute of Architects of Malaya but, and this is a big but, whereas certain subjects in the syllabus can be studied by "book-learning", others, markedly "design", cannot be learnt by recourse only to book study and only in very exceptional circumstances over considerable period of years can the knowledge gained in an architect's office give the prospective candidate anything like sufficient scope to be reasonably proficient to sit for the R.I.B.A. Examinations. One gets some idea of the magnitude of the task facing the local boy if one compares the training required for an external degree examination which is a 3-year Univer- sity course. The Architectural student must take a two-year course beyond this or five years in all (the same as the Medical profession) before he qualifies for membership of the R.I.B.A. It is felt that the ultimate goal which the local student can attain locally must, at this stage, be the passing of the Intermediate Examination of the R.I.B.A, which in the University course occurs at the end of three years and can
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