Graduate architects are first mate in architectural practice when handling building construction projects. They had been authorized to run projects in construction industry due to limited architects in the country. The capability of graduate architect when manage project is critical in reducing performance barriers encountered.  The aim of this paper is to identify the most critical performance barriers faced by graduate architects during project implementation. A systematic literature review of credible sources in different databases, combining selected keywords and terms related to performance barrier, building contract administration, graduate architects etc. has been carried out. A data set of fifty articles has been analyzed by means of thematic analysis. The five most crucial performance barriers identified relate to: caused by external environment factors, poor project documentation management, lack of soft skill, inadequate knowledge of quality and assessment management and shortfall in design management. The outcome of the study is expected to facilitate graduate architects to devise proactive risk mitigation measures to reduce impact of these barriers and improve project delivery. This paper examined the performance barriers faced by graduate architects which is a timely study, as the increasing number of population and developments will provide ample opportunities for them to perform.