EducationLearned
What really happens in a Part 3 interview
What examiners are looking for, what the conversation feels like, and how to prepare without performing.
- Written by
- Nadia Saki
- Published
- 28 January 2026
- Updated
- 10 September 2026
- Reading time
- 7 min read
It is a professional conversation
The interview is not designed to catch you reciting the wrong clause number. Examiners use your submission to explore how you think, where your experience is strongest and whether you recognise the edges of your knowledge.
Questions often begin with something that happened on your case study project, then widen into responsibility, risk or an alternative scenario.
Say what you know, and what you would check
Professional competence includes knowing when not to guess. If a question reaches beyond your experience, explain the principles you understand, identify the missing information and say where you would seek reliable advice.
That is stronger than bluffing. Architects work within teams and remain responsible for recognising when specialist input is needed.
Prepare through decisions
Revisit the turning points in your case study: appointments, fees, procurement, instructions, change, payment, delay and completion. For each one, ask who had authority, what evidence existed and what risk followed.
Preparation works best when it builds a connected picture of practice. The interview then becomes a discussion about situations you understand, not a memory test performed under pressure.
Notes from the desk.
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