Revised Blueprint, Architecture - 2016EC
Revised Blueprint, Architecture - 2016EC
Revised Blueprint, Architecture - 2016EC
Band: ONE
December, 2023
Bonga - Ethiopia
Table of Contents
1. Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 3
7. Total ECTS /credit hour of the selected courses and share of themes ..................................................... 9
8. Learning outcomes in terms of the three domains [cognitive, affective and psychomotor] .............. 10
10. Test blueprint Table (Table of Specification) for BSc in Architecture .............................................. 20
Page 2 of 22
1. Introduction
The Ministry of Education of Ethiopia has announced the implementation of exit exam for all
undergraduate program students (public and private), beginning with the 2022/2023 academic
year, in order to improve the quality of graduates produced by higher learning institutions. The
exit exam aimed at checking whether students have acquired the required knowledge, skills and
attitudes or not. To implement this, it requires determining competency area for specific program,
which is already com pl et ed based on the competency areas prepared, it needs to plan the
construction of tests blue print guideline. The major points considered in the process of preparing
this test blue print guideline were the core competencies that have been already identified for the
themes of courses, the course contents, course credit hours, and the learning outcomes with their
corresponding levels of achievement by learning domains.
In the course of the test blue print preparation, it is vital to note that architectural design, as the
main thematic area of the program, is a project based exercise execution. Since the protagonist of
architectural design is formation of habitable space [non material] for human use, the methodology
of its study requires a three-dimensional imagination and visual illustrations [in the form of
physical model or graphic computation] as primary media.
Hence, the test specification preparation for architectural design thematic area should be set in
response to the subject's requirements of projective thinking to process, analyze, synthesize and
produce using graphical communication to forward a suitable design solution to the questions
[presented challenges]. The skill set required to graphically communicate and then logically argue
[defend] their intended ideas as well as the translation of abstract idea into graphically projected
output require high level of affective and psychomotor learning domains.
In addition to the graphical presentations, the projective product formation also requires prior
knowledge and skill of architectural design making. These cognitive learning domains of
architectural design formation regarding design analysis, design methodology, standards, notations,
symbols and presentation techniques could be incorporated either with the proposed design
questions [with high assessment weight] or as a separate question format similar to the other
thematic areas.
Therefore, the assessment weight proportion for architectural design challenge [question] shall
adopt the curriculum's assessment recommendations.
Page 3 of 22
2. Objective of test blueprint
Test blueprint preparation is generally opted to assist the preparation of a test that is representative,
broadly sampled, and consisting of complete knowledge domain expected of the Ethiopian higher
education students on completion of their study program. The specific objectives of test blueprint are
to:
• Facilitate the construction of a representative and balanced test items for the
selected courses in accordance with the competencies identified.
• Guide test developers or writers to write or set appropriate test items.
Generally, test blueprint will help to ensure tests: 1) Appropriately assess the achievement of
instructional objectives of the course; 2) Appropriately reflect key course goals, objectives and the
material learned or covered during the instruction period; and 3) Include the appropriate item formats
along with the knowledge and skills being assessed.
Architectural education shall prepare students to be competent, creative, critically minded, ethical
professionals, intellectually mature, ecologically sensitive and socially responsible professionals.
Architectural education in its very nature has been international and its practice is contextual as well as
cross-cultural profession, its program accreditation, as described in the curriculum, the graduate profile
has adopted internationally recognized UIA-UNIESCO charter's description of professional profile.
Fundamental Knowledge & Abilities of the Profession are:
• An ability to create architectural designs that satisfy both aesthetic and technical requirements
• An adequate knowledge of the history and theories of architecture and the related arts,
technologies and human sciences,
• Having Knowledge of the fine arts as an influence on the quality of architectural design,
• An adequate knowledge of urban design, planning and the skills involved in the planning process,
• An understanding of the relationship between people and buildings, and between buildings and
their environment, and of the need to relate buildings with the spaces between them based on
human needs and scale.
Page 4 of 22
• An understanding of the profession of architecture and the role of the architect in society in
particular in preparing briefs that take account of social factors.
• An understanding of the methods of investigation and preparation of the brief for a design project
• An understanding of the structural design, constructional and engineering problems associated with
building design,
• An adequate knowledge of physical problems and technologies and of the function of buildings so
as to provide them with internal conditions of comfort and protection against the climate,
• The design skills necessary to meet building users’ requirements within the constraints imposed
by cost factors and building regulations,
• An adequate knowledge of the industries, organizations, regulations and procedures involved in
translating design concepts into buildings and integrating plans into overall planning.
Accordingly, basic skills of an architect is classified as scientific, technical & artistic as follows:
A. Scientific Skills:
• Analytical skills
• Organizational and management skills Scientific design skills
B. Technical Skills
• Practical skills
• Know-how on building materials and their construction
• Digital skills Documentation skills technical design skills
C. Artistic Skills
• Techniques for creativity
• Presentation skills
• Artistic design knowledge
D. Behavioral skill and attitudes of an architect
• Critical thinking
• Problem-solving orientated Flexibility and self-directed learning Attention to detail
• Commitment to excellence and ethics
Page 5 of 22
4. General objective of the program
Architecture is an interdisciplinary field comprising humanities, social science, physical science,
technology and the creative art dimensions. Architecture is manifested in the ability to
conceptualize, coordinate and execute an idea in a careful and creative mediation between reason,
emotion and intuition. The basic goal of architectural education is to develop the architect as a
“generalist” able to design a habitable built environment often involving potential contradictions
between different requirements in response to the society‘s need and individual‘s environmental
needs.
In the increasingly globalizing world, architects should also be trained to not only understand,
protect and highlight architectural heritage in their context but also expected to adapt cultural and
territorial contexts in which they may be called upon to work.
Page 6 of 22
6. Themes and list of courses
While preparing this test blue print specification, the identified competencies and core courses
forwarded by the previous document, were reorganized and regrouped corresponding to the
nature of these courses [project based courses that are established on training students in
projective thinking and study based courses that are established on teaching students in
retrospective thinking].
Therefore the identified core course selected for exit exam are categorized under the
above thematic areas.
6.1 Curses under architectural design
• Architecture Basics-Design studio I & II
Page 7 of 22
6.2 Course under Graphic Communications
• Communication Skills I and II
• Communication Skills III (Visual arts)
6.3 Course under Building Construction [Building Material, construction and
Structure]
• Building Materials and Construction I
*Construction Material I
• Building Materials and Construction II
*Building Construction
• Theory and Design of Structures I
*Engineering mechanics
• Theory and Design of Structures II
*Strength of materials
6.4 Courses under History and Theory of Architecture
• History of Architecture I
*Global History of Architecture I
• Ethiopian History of Architecture
• Theory of Architecture I
6.5 Course under Professional Practices and Ethics
• Professional Practice and Ethics
* Professional Practice
• Specification and BOQ
Note course name labeled by " * " refers to Adama & Addis Ababa Science & technology
universities [ASTU and AASTU]
Page 8 of 22
7. Total ECTS /credit hour of the selected courses and share of themes
While identifying the core course representing the program competence, the validation team has
taken into account the peculiar curriculum at certain universities and adopted a common ground
to accommodate their variations for sake of avoiding duplication of exit exam for graduates with
similar nomenclature “Architecture".
Harmonized curriculum
No Themes Course Names ECTS %
Architecture Basics-Design studio I & II 14 14%
Table 01: Selected Core Courses and their corresponding credit weight
Page 9 of 22
8. Learning outcomes in terms of the three domains [cognitive, affective and
psychomotor]
The selected core course's learning outcome is grouped and organized under the three learning
domains of cognitive, affective and psychomotor.
12. Skill of small scale and large scale model making as a tool to study spatial
qualities
13. Experiment and developing skill on architectural space notation
14. Ability to visualize and experiment on the making of architectural space,
program and technology
15. Ability to design auditorium space as per criteria for speech & music
Page 10 of 22
Communication
7. Ability to integrate elements and principles of visual arts.
s and Visual
8. Ability to present any design project with appropriate presentation
Graphic
Arts
[graphic] media
9. Diagrammatic illustration of conceptual framework
10. Graphically illustrating architectural ideas, scale and proportions
11. Acquire skill on Graphic communication and architectural notations
1. Logically explaining and arguing the link between theoretical intension and
the projected product in the architectural decision making
and
Architecture and
2. Conceptualization and articulate discussion of architectural ideas
Architectural
Architectural
B.B.Affective
Architecture
Design
3. Imagination and visualization of architectural ideas
Affective
Design
4. Written justification and explanation of abstract concept
Page 11 of 22
14. Knowledge of interdependence of architecture and urbanism
15. Understanding of the integration of architectural design, urban design and
landscape design
16. Advanced understanding of the technological dimensions of architecture
with the focus of building science and services
Architectural Design
21. Integrating building comfort indoor climate
Architecture and
22. Building systems of heat, cooling and ventilation in natural as well as
mechanical setup
23. Architectural program preparation, analysis and presenting the propose
design of buildings
Arts
31. To introduces students to the elements and principles of visual design.
32. Graphically reading architecture 3 dimensionally
33. Graphical ability to analyze activates[hosted events]
34. Graphical analysis of programmatic events
C. Cognitive
35. Ability to take a look on the progression of art during the pre- historic
times up to the present.
and techniques
process
37. Detail understanding of how various building elements are planned, joined
and executed in solid construction systems
Page 12 of 22
38. Classification/characterization of building materials and their origin
39. Representation of building elements, material dimensions and structural
concepts
45. Understanding the internal and external force systems, material property
and cross sectional properties
Page 13 of 22
59. Critical orientation towards career in architectural practice
60. Legal principles of architectural practice and professional code of conduct
Professional Practices
in building industry
and Ethics
61. Discipline of architecture in a society
62. Economic and managerial process from architectural office to building site
63. Extension of design process to the construction process [understanding
building as a process]
Page 14 of 22
9. Share of the Themes/Courses/In terms of Percentage (%)
Learning outcomes
Themes Competencies/ General Name of ECTS Learning
& objective Courses Outcome Cognitive Affective Psychomotor
Share in %
- Knowledge of structural
systems, understanding the Theory and
internal and external force Design of 4 C44,45,46 - 2 1 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - 4
systems, material properties Structures I
and cross sectional
properties
- Design of structural
members and structural
building systems. Theory and 4 C47,48,49,50 - 2 1 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - 4
- Understand material Design of
properties and the impact of
Structures II
the cross sectional properties
of structural members.
- Understand and apply
Principles to define what
constitutes theory in
Architecture, how it relates Theory of 3 C51,52,53
to other types of Architecture I - - 1 1 - - - - - -
1 - - - - - 3
Architectural writing such as
criticism and history, and
especially how it relates to
the intellectual context and
built works of it day, as well
as to theories that came
before and after it.
- Be familiar with historical
and cultural precedents in
world architecture, and fine History of 3 C54,55
arts as an influence on the Architecture I 1 1 - 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - 3
quality of architectural
design
- Be familiar with historical Ethiopian 3
and cultural precedents in History of C56,57,58
Ethiopian architecture. Architecture 1 1 - 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - 3
Psychomotor
Share in % proportion each course
Understand
Remember
Total (%)
Affective
Evaluate
Analyze
Create
Apply
Theme One Architecture Basics-Design studio I & II 14 14/52 = 0.269 0.269*52= 14 - 1 2 1 - 2 2 6 14
Architectural Design
Share = 34 %
(14%)
Share = 9%
Building Materials and Construction II 5 5/18 = 0.277 0.277*18= 5 - - 2 1 1 - 1 - 5
*Building Construction
(18%)
Exit examination can have a vital role in ensuring the quality of graduates. It also helps in
improving academic program quality and effectiveness. Furthermore, it can create the
platform for cooperation among academic programs in different universities to work jointly
to improve the programs quality.
Based on identified graduate profile, competencies and learning outcomes Fifteen [15]
courses were selected to evaluate the competency of architecture program graduates. This exit
exam test specification is prepared to assist the preparation of tests that is representative,
broadly sampled and consisting of all learning domains expected in completion of
Architecture program in Ethiopian higher education.
For successful competency evaluation of the students’ achievement, the exam question should
target the specifics of their learning outcomes. Hence, Architectural design thematic areas is
subjective in its nature mainly due to the affective domain's reasoning and intensions applied
to construct the psychomotor domains. Exit exam contents of such subjectivity nature require
formulation of questions should not be multiple choice, but rather in the form of short answers,
essay, cases, responding to presented design challenges [probably in the form of quick
design]. The assessment method of such subjective nature of the courses makes it difficult to
evaluate using only objective criteria's of cognitive domain. Therefore, it is highly
recommended to use a group of jury member’s /committee/ comprising three teachers with
architectural design background as evaluators. The score point will be the average between
the three evaluators. The evaluation shall also be executed independently and anonymously
while assigning evaluators in order to avoid unwanted partiality
Page 22 of 22