Your Steps to Professional Registration
Step 1 – Getting Started
Join ARA as an Individual Member. Familiarise yourself with the criteria for our three grades of professional registration: Foundation, Registered or Fellow. Which grade will you apply for?
Step 2 – Self-assessment and choosing competency levels
Self-assessment is all about seeing where you are today; reviewing the skills, experience and attributes that you already have and understanding where that puts you in terms of our three grades of registration; Foundation, Registered or Fellow. The self-assessment process is as follows:
Download one or more of our competency frameworks. Use the Archivist framework if you work in archives and the Records Manager framework for records management. If you work across archives and records then use both frameworks. If you work in archive conservation, then use the Archive Conservator framework.
Download the self-assessment forms and choose the competencies you think apply to you.
Review the examples given in each of the five competency level descriptions, select the level that best fits your experience and record this in the self-assessment form. Discuss this with your mentor.
Align your completed self-assessment form with the submission criteria for Foundation, Registered and Fellow status to understand which you may already qualify for. Identify the additional competencies and work required for you to reach the next levels.
Step 3 – Begin your application
Enrol online for your chosen registration grade. Find your own mentor or request ARA’s mentor list during enrolment. Book an online welcome meeting at registration@archives.org.uk to discuss your application with an ARA Team member. Work with your mentor to plan any additional development you need. Start drafting your competency forms using this guide and identify the evidence you’ll include to support them.
Step 4 – Submitting your application for assessment
Use the criteria for the grade of registration applied for as your checklist to ensure your application contains the required information. Follow the submission guidance and deadlines to ensure your application is received in time for the relevant assessment cycle. Assessments usually take around three months.
Step 5 – Maintaining professional registration
Professional registration is an ongoing commitment to yourself and the profession. To keep your grade of registration you must continue with your professional development and renew your membership with ARA every year. Visit our events and training webpage and other CPD resources.
We are here to support you at every stage of the process. Refer to our professional registration guide for help and guidance or contact registration@archives.org.uk.
