Assessment of Professional Competence

Candidate guide
February 2020
 Published by: RICS, Parliament Square, London SW1P 3AD.

All rights in this publication, including full copyright or publishing right, content and design, are owned by
RICS, except where otherwise described. Any dispute arising out of this publication is subject to the law and
jurisdiction of England and Wales

Candidate guide 2
 APC candidate guide
Entry requirements............................................................................................................................... 5
Introduction........................................................................................................................................... 6
The Assessment of Professional Competence (APC)............................................................................... 6
APC pathways.......................................................................................................................................... 6
Essential guides....................................................................................................................................... 6
The people involved in your APC.............................................................................................................. 6
The APC competencies........................................................................................................................ 7

Section one
Structured training............................................................................................................................... 9
Recording your experience............................................................................................................... 11

Section two
Continuing Professional Development ........................................................................................... 12

Section three
Ethics.................................................................................................................................................... 13
Ethics module........................................................................................................................................ 13
Plagiarism.............................................................................................................................................. 13

Section four
Summary of experience..................................................................................................................... 14
Case study submission...................................................................................................................... 14

Candidate guide 3
 Section five
Preliminary review.............................................................................................................................. 17
Outcomes.............................................................................................................................................. 17

Section six
Final assessment interview............................................................................................................... 18
Structure of the interview....................................................................................................................... 18
Presentation........................................................................................................................................... 19
Interview................................................................................................................................................. 19
After the assessment......................................................................................................................... 20
Pass result............................................................................................................................................. 20
Referral result......................................................................................................................................... 20
Appeals.................................................................................................................................................. 20
Conflict of interest.................................................................................................................................. 20

Section seven
Help and support................................................................................................................................ 21

Candidate guide 4
 Entry requirements
RICS recognises that a mix of academic and professional qualifications with relevant experience
provide the skills and levels of competence to become a chartered surveyor. The eligibility
requirements to begin the APC are:
• RICS accredited degree – At least 24 months’ structured training and a minimum of 96 hours’
Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
• RICS accredited degree with a minimum of 5 years’ relevant experience – At least
12 months’ structured training and a minimum of 48 hours’ Continuing Professional
Development (CPD).
• RICS accredited degree with a minimum of 10 years’ relevant experience – Demonstrate
a minimum of 48 hours’ Continuing Professional Development (CPD) over the preceding 12
months. No structured training period required.
• Bachelor degree (or membership of a RICS approved professional body) with
a minimum of 5 years’ relevant experience (at least 12 months must be post
qualification) – Successfully complete the preliminary review and a minimum of 48 hours’
Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
If you need further information on any of the entry requirements for the APC please refer to
rics.org/howtojoin or your local RICS office.

Candidate guide 5
 Introduction
Assessment of Essential guides The people involved in
Professional From the beginning of your APC there are key
documents that you need to download and read.
your APC
Competence (APC) You need to continue to refer to these throughout These are the people who will influence and
support your progress towards achieving
your training, preparation and assessment. The
The Assessment of Professional Competence documents can all be found at rics.org/pathway RICS membership.
(APC) ensures that candidates are competent
• Pathway guide – the guide that is specific You: You must commit to following the process
and meet the high standards of professionalism
to the pathway you have selected to follow. through from beginning to end. You must
required to become a chartered surveyor.
It details the competencies you will need to familiarise yourself with the guidance and
The APC is based on candidates achieving a meet and provides examples of the knowledge abide by it, planning and organising your time
set of requirements and competencies. These and activities that fall within the scope of conscientiously. You must take responsibility for
are a mix of technical and professional practice, each competency. your own CPD, undertaking independent learning.
interpersonal, business and management
• Self-assessment form – this is a pathway Your employer: Your employer should encourage
skills. Completing the APC and the professional
specific document that is designed to help you you and make facilities and time available to you
interview successfully leads to professional
understand where your skills and experience to complete your assessment documents. Some
qualification with RICS and the much sought after
match the pathway requirements and your employers may not be able to give you access
letters – MRICS.
areas to develop. to the full range of experience needed. If this
These guides are generic and apply to all world is the case you may need to gain a temporary
Commitment is key secondment to supplement your experience.
regions.
When you enrol as a candidate, you are making
Your counsellor: Your assessment must be
a commitment to become a chartered surveyor
(MRICS). You have 6 years from your date of Assessment Resource supported by a member of RICS. They must be
satisfied that you have achieved the required levels
enrolment to achieve the MRICS qualification.
This guide will help you prepare for the APC.
Centre (ARC) in all the competencies needed for your chosen
pathway.
Although there will be people to support ARC is an online tool where you will manage
Your counsellor should support you through
you through your APC, it is your responsibility your assessment details, CPD and selected
your training. They may not have personal
to make sure you start and remain committed competency records, and prepare your submission
knowledge of your experience in all the chosen
to the assessment. for assessment. You will use ARC throughout your
competencies as you may have achieved some of
assessment journey.
them a number of years ago or in a different job.
Pathways Visit rics.org/assessment for guidance on using
ARC and to access assessment dates, locations
They will still be able to support you and verify
your experience by having discussions with you
You will need to choose your pathway. A pathway and information specific to the APC in your part of about your experience.
is the area of the profession that you wish to the world.
qualify in. This needs to be based on your
qualifications, experience and current job role.
For more information visit rics.org/pathway

Candidate guide 6
 Your supervisor: Best practice is to have RICS has drawn up competencies in a generic Level 1 – Knowledge and
someone overseeing your day-to-day activities, way so that they can be applied to different
who is responsible for giving you guidance and areas of practice and geographical locations.
understanding
support. This is particularly important if you are It is important that you interpret them within You will be required to explain what learning/
completing a period of structured training. the context of your own area of practice or training you have done, and when, to gain
specialism and geography. level 1 competency.
It is important we hold your most up-to-date
details. If your employer, supervisor or counsellor The competencies are in two distinct categories This may have been through formal education
changes at any point during your APC please and/or formal training in the workplace or on-the-
Mandatory competencies – personal,
contact your local office to update the details. job experience. If your degree is relevant to your
interpersonal, professional practice and business
chosen pathway, you can draw on this to indicate
The assessors: chartered surveyors who skills common to all pathways and compulsory
how you have gained the required knowledge.
conduct your final assessment interview. for all candidates.
The interview panel has a minimum of two Alternatively, you may have developed your
Technical competencies which are split into
members. All assessors are specially trained knowledge and understanding through targeted
• Core competencies – primary skills of your formal training. Formal training could include
for this purpose.
chosen pathway online courses, in-house seminars or workshops,
Your local support team: can provide advice
• Optional competencies – selected as distance learning, academic study, day-release
on completing your APC and can help you
additional skill requirements for your pathway programmes, structured learning or mentoring.
source training, CPD and counsellors.
from a list of competencies relevant You may have participated in a training programme
rics.org/contactus
to that pathway. developed by your employer or in partnership with
Each competency is defined at three levels of a training provider.
The competencies attainment. You must reach the required level in In order to reduce the number of words used,
a logical progression and in successive stages. you can provide a list but you should include
To be competent to practise as an RICS
member you must have the skill and/or ability Level 1 – knowledge and understanding some brief detail, if necessary, to ensure that
to perform a variety of tasks or functions. The Level 2 – application of knowledge and the assessor can be confident the education/
RICS competencies are not only a list of tasks understanding training is relevant to the competency. You can
or functions, they are also based upon attitudes also link this to your CPD record.
Level 3 – reasoned advice and depth of knowledge.
and behaviours.

Candidate guide 7
 Level 2 – Application of Level 3 – Reasoned advice and Choosing your
knowledge and understanding depth of knowledge
You will need to be able to show how you have put Where the pathway requires level 3 to be achieved, competencies
your knowledge and understanding into practice. you will need to be able to explain the professional It is important that you give careful thought to
Briefly review your career and the activities you have advice you have given to clients. Provide specific your choice and combination of competencies.
performed that are relevant to this competency. examples that describe the nature of the advice, Your choice will inevitably reflect the work you
The following may help you to structure your the options you considered and the outcome. do in your day-to-day environment (driven by the
thoughts in regard to level 2 competencies: The advice should be predominantly your needs of your clients/employer). Your choice and
• refer to projects you have been involved in individual responsibility, rather than collective. combination of competencies will be a reflection
• identify the type of client - but be aware of your It should demonstrate that you are working with of your judgement.
clients’ confidentiality. minimum supervision. At the final assessment interview, the assessors
You can describe companies, buildings or land The advice should have financial or strategic will take these choices into account. They will
in financial terms (revenue, value) or in terms of implications for the client, and should be given on expect you to present a sensible and realistic
size (large, small), area (floor size, levels, capacity) behalf of your firm in order to fulfil your contractual choice that reflects the skills needed to fulfil the
or location obligations to the client. role of a professional in your area of practice and
You must satisfy yourself and your counsellor that geographical location.
• describe your own role
• explain how your involvement demonstrates you have reached the required level of experience
your practical competence before applying for final assessment.
• provide specific examples.

Candidate guide 8
 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Structured training
Month
Supervisor and counsellor
This section is for candidates who hold:
• an RICS accredited degree – up to 5 years’
Your record-keeping
APC enrolment 1 appointed. Start recording
experience and CPD
relevant experience; or in more detail
2 • an RICS accredited degree – 5–10 years’
relevant experience (pre-degree experience As soon as you enrol on to the APC, you should
3-month supervisor’s meeting 3 can count). start recording your experience in the ARC diary.
You will use the information from your diary to
4 APC structured training requires you to
complete your summary of experience. You should
5 demonstrate how you have gained the skills
not record a period of less than half a day.
6-month supervisor’s meeting and abilities needed to perform specific tasks
6 or functions. The competencies are based on You do not need to record the mandatory
6-month counsellor’s meeting competencies in your diary. These are an intrinsic
7 attitudes and behaviours as well as skills and
knowledge. Your training must be structured to part of your day-to-day work and are not normally
8 allow you to gain the required experience to enable part of the minimum days of experience. However,
9-month supervisor’s meeting you must record your attainment of the mandatory
9 you to achieve the competencies for your pathway.
competencies in your summary of experience for
10 Throughout the APC your counsellor (and
final assessment. Section 6 details what is required
supervisor, if appointed) will need to continually
11 for your summary of experience.
monitor your progress. You will not be able to
12-month supervisor’s meeting Begin identifying suitable At the end of 11 or 23 months (minimum) you can
12 apply for the final assessment interview until your
project(s) for case study apply for final assessmentin ARC.
12-month counsellor’s meeting counsellor (and supervisor) certifies that, in their
13 opinion, you have reached the level of competence You will then sit your final assessment interview
14 required and have fulfilled the minimum training after month 12 or 24, depending on which level of
period. If you have less than 5 years’ experience structured training you need to complete.
15-month supervisor’s meeting 15 Case study – identify and agree you are required to complete a minimum of 24
16 subject, prepare synopsis, discuss months’ (400 days’) structured training to meet the
with supervisor/counsellor competency requirements. If you have between
18-month supervisor’s meeting
17
five years’ and 10 years’ experience you will be
18 required to complete a minimum of 12 months’
18-month counsellor’s meeting (200 days’) structured training to meet the
19
competency requirements.
20
21
23-month final assessment
Case study complete
meeting with supervisor and 22
counsellor; earliest date to apply
23 Earliest date for final assessment
for final assessment
24 interview

Candidate guide 9
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Month
Supervisor and counsellor
appointed. Start recording
Day-to-day
experience and CPD Your supervisor and counsellor must keep in
APC enrolment 1 regular contact with you, with formal meetings
Begin identifying suitable at least every three/six months, but ultimately you
2
project(s) for case study are responsible for your day-to-day activities.
3-month supervisor’s meeting 3 You must:
4 Case study – identify and agree • ensure your day-to-day work covers the
5 subject, prepare synopsis, discuss required competencies of your pathway
6-month supervisor’s meeting • keep your diary in a format that will encourage
with supervisor/counsellor
6 meaningful discussion at the formal quarterly
6-month counsellor’s meeting
7 reviews of progress against the competencies
and will assist with the preparation of your
8
assessment records
9-month supervisor’s meeting 9 • discuss before, and evaluate after, any planned
10 training or professional development events
• keep notes of examples of practical experience
11-month final assessment 11 Case study complete and casework to assist at your quarterly reviews.
meeting with supervisor and
counsellor; earliest date to apply 12 Earliest date for final assessment
for final assessment interview

Candidate guide 10
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Recording your experience

This section is relevant to candidates who fit the You will need to spend some time discussing
following criteria: your career, relevant experience and chosen
• RICS accredited degree – minimum of 10 competencies with your counsellor. Decide if you
years’ relevant experience (pre-degree both agree you have chosen the most appropriate
experience can count); or competencies that reflect the work you do in your
day-to-day environment.
• Bachelor degree – minimum of 5 years’
relevant experience (at least 12 months If you identify any shortfalls in your experience,
(200 days) must be post qualification); or agree with your counsellor the most appropriate
• RICS approved professional body membership way of addressing them.
+ a minimum of 5 years’ relevant experience As you continue building your experience to meet
(at least 12 months (200 days) must be post all the competency requirements and completing
qualification). your assessment submissions, you should meet
Firstly, use your pathway guide to help you with your supervisor/counsellor every 3 to 6
complete the self-assessment form; this lists the months. This helps to ensure you are progressing
core and optional competencies for your chosen in the right direction and have their support and
pathway. Against each one, record the level you feedback on your summary of experience and
need to achieve. Map your experience against case study.
each of these competencies at each level; are
you able to provide similar examples? Based on
the outcome of this exercise you need to decide
your declared competencies in line with your
pathway requirements.

Candidate guide 11
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Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

CPD is the systematic updating and enhancement If you are undertaking structured training you Once you have been successful and become
of skills, knowledge and competence that takes must complete a minimum of 48 hours per 12 an RICS chartered professional (MRICS) you
place throughout your working life. It should be months of structured training. will continue to undertake and record online a
closely linked to your current work. If you are not required to complete structured minimum of 20 hours of CPD activity each calendar
CPD can be taken from various sources including training, you need to demonstrate a minimum year as part of your commitment to your ongoing
attending conferences, meetings or seminars, of 48 hours in the 12 months prior to your professional development.
completing an academic course or informal reading. preliminary review and update your record
It is for you, as a professional, to decide what is to reflect the requirement prior to your final
appropriate and this should complement both assessment submission.
your mandatory and technical competencies. Your CPD must be split between formal
Special attention must be given to the principles development such as professional courses,
underpinning CPD: seminars or online events and informal
development such as private study or on the
• gained in a structured manner
job training. At least 50% of your CPD must be
• based on an explicit process of selecting, dedicated to formal development. For more
planning and evaluating the activities information on the types of formal and informal
• reflect learning from informal training sources CPD please go to rics.org/cpd
e.g. structured reading, secondments
If you are on a part-time or distance learning
All APC candidates are required to complete a accredited degree, RICS will consider your final
minimum of 48 hours’ CPD every 12 months. year as counting towards your CPD for that year.
This should be supplemented by other CPD
Please note that during your interview, part activities for that year.
of the discussion will focus on your CPD.
Your CPD will be calculated on a rolling period
from the date you submit for assessment. You
should check that your CPD activities are within
the required period (12 or 24 months), working
back from the date you submit.

Candidate guide 12
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Ethics
Behaving ethically is at the heart of what it means
to be a professional; it distinguishes professionals Ethics module Plagiarism
from others in the marketplace. You are required to successfully complete the RICS uses Turnitin, a system to help check
RICS has five ethical standards. You must RICS ethics module prior to final assessment. candidates’ submissions are their own work and
understand them and how you apply them in your The module includes online learning and an stand up to independent scrutiny. The system
everyday role. The standards are: online assessment. It can be accessed via your will compare a candidate’s submission against
Assessment Resource Centre (ARC) account. submissions from other candidates and other
Take responsibility existing works. RICS reserve the right at any time
either to submit or require you to submit your
Please note once successfully completed this is
Treat each other with respect valid for 12 months.
documentation into Turnitin. If the system flags
concerns with the level of similarities between
Always provide a high standard work you have submitted and existing works then
There will be a significant emphasis on we may refer the matter for further investigation
of service
professional practice and ethics in the interview, which could result in disciplinary action being
so you must familiarise yourself with them. taken against you. In addition, the progress of
Act with integrity Please note you can be referred on Conduct your application may be impacted including
rules, ethics and professional practice alone. potential removal from the assessment process
Act in a way that promotes trust pending the outcome of the investigation.
in the profession

The Rules of Conduct for members set

professional parameters for individual members
and govern matters such as ethics, personal
solvency and CPD. The Rules of Conduct for
members apply to all members worldwide. You
must abide by them at all times.
The Rules of Conduct for firms set out the
requirements for the conduct of business by
professional practices. They govern matters such
as professional indemnity insurance, holding
clients’ money and complaints handling. The Rules
of Conduct for firms apply only to firms regulated
by RICS.
Download the rules for firms and members by
visiting rics.org/regulation

Candidate guide 13
 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Submissions
Summary of experience form your summary of experience. In addition to
showing your abilities in individual competencies,
project. Alternatively, the instruction or project
may be more straightforward and not of great
For your summary of experience, you must write a they should provide the assessors with an overview financial value. It may simply be typical of the
brief statement about each of your mandatory and of your training and experience, the work that you work with which you have been involved. The
technical competencies. It is important to ensure are doing and the levels you are working at. project may include work undertaken outside
you have a copy of the pathway guide for your Your summary of experience should be a your country of assessment.
chosen pathway with you when you are completing maximum 1,500 words in total for the mandatory
this stage. competencies and a maximum 4,000 words in total Your case study validity will be calculated on
If the competency you select is a level 3 for the technical competencies. a rolling period from the date you submit for
competency, you should ensure you write the You may find the preliminary review feedback assessment. You should check that activities
summary covering levels 1, 2 and 3. Level 3 report template beneficial as a checklist to you discuss in your case study are within the
competencies are the most important: they are consider if you have met the submission required 24 months, working back from the
crucial to demonstrating that you practise at a requirements for the summary of experience. date you submit.
professional level.
For level 1 you must provide a statement of
learning – how you gained the knowledge and
Case study submission The assessors will be looking for you to have
chosen a real life project that you have been
understanding. This should link to any relevant CPD The case study is a maximum of 3,000 words,
involved in or may have led on. Consider a project
in your CPD record. and must be on a project or projects that you have
process where you have had to deal with a key
been personally involved in the two years prior
For level 2 you must provide a statement of the issue, anomaly or challenge that you have had the
to your assessment submission date. A project
range of experience you have achieved and include task of overcoming.
may have started over two years ago but your
real-life project/process examples. Make sure this relates to the competencies of your
case study should reference your involvement
For level 3 you must provide a detailed statement pathway demonstrating your professionalism and
in the past two years. It must provide a critical
of advice given and include real-life project/process ability to problem solve.
appraisal of the project(s) together with an outline
examples where you have personally given advice. You are not necessarily expected to be running the
of your learning outcomes. This provides important
Levels 2 and 3 require you to provide at least evidence of the competencies you have achieved. project. It is your involvement or role in the team
one example. The number of examples you need that you must outline, analyse and comment on.
The case study must give detailed evidence of
to provide will be determined by the experience If the project has been running for some time, you
your ability to work competently and to apply the
and competence each example demonstrates. may not have been involved from the start, so your
knowledge relevant to your pathway. You will use
Remember, RICS is looking for evidence that you involvement may not have been continuous, or the
this case study to make a 10 minute presentation
can do the relevant job at the required level: for project may not be finished when you prepare your
to the final assessment panel. See section 9 for full
some competencies one of your examples may be case study. In this latter case, you should provide a
details of the professional interview.
sufficient, for other competencies you may need to prognosis of the outcome. If you know the outcome
Your choice of project is very important and must
provide multiple examples. between sending in your case study and your
reflect your specific APC pathway. You may have
Once you have completed the statements you interview then include this in your presentation.
been working on a complex instruction or large
should review them as a whole: together, they

Candidate guide 14
 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

You must explain not only the project itself but 3. My achievements Appendix A – Competencies
the processes you followed and the rationale
behind your decision-making. Your focus must be
In this section you should describe what you demonstrated in this case study
achieved and how. You need to use the template to list the mandatory
on analysing the project: do not simply provide
a summary of what it involved. It is quality not Demonstrate your ability to think logically, laterally and tecompetencies that you believe are
quantity that counts. and professionally giving examples of where you demonstrated in your case study.
gave reasoned advice to a client for your level 3
competencies. Appendix B, C etc
If at any time RICS staff discover your case
You may insert illustrations, photographs or
study is over the word count they reserve the 4. Conclusion plans to this section. Please keep the attachments
right to cancel your interview.
In this section you need to reflect on and analyse to a minimum ensuring they are relevant to the
your performance and make reference to the case study. Appendices should support your
You should include the following four aspects: lessons you learnt and what you would do report, not add to or expand on it.
differently next time.
1. Introduction This section is very important in showing the
In this section you should provide a summary assessors your analytical thinking and how you
of the project and what your role was – include develop as a professional.
the following. We suggest this section should be
approximately 500 words. The assessors will use your case study as a
starting point to question you beyond what you
• What did you do?
actually did, probing your understanding of your
• What was your level of responsibility?
project’s wider issues. You will need to think
• Who were the stakeholders? about these processes while you are writing your
• What was the timeline? case study, so that you are well prepared for the
interview.
2. My approach
In this section you should describe the key issues
or challenges on the project. You may write about
one or more key issues but remember you only
have a limited word count for the case study.
Explain the issues. Make it clear to the assessors
why it became a challenge for you, include the
options you considered and the solutions that you
identified explaining why some options weren’t
feasible.

Candidate guide 15
 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Important notes on The assessors will look at the summary of

experience and case study individually, but will

your submission also take a holistic view. Review all your written
evidence together before you submit it, and make
Confidentiality: you must ensure you have your sure there are no omissions or contradictions.
employer’s and client’s consent to disclose any Finally, your submission must reflect your abilities
sensitive details in your fsubmission. If you cannot in the following areas:
get this consent you should disguise facts that
• written and graphic communication
might otherwise make the project identifiable.
• professional standards of organisation and
Similarly, commissions undertaken by you may
presentation
have been litigious and confidential; you should
• analysis, reflective thought and problem solving
explain this at the outset and change the name,
location and function of the building/asset so that it • learning from experience gained.
would be unrecognisable. You may find the preliminary review feedback
The information contained in your submission report template beneficial as a checklist to
will be treated as confidential by your panel of consider if you have met the submission
assessors and RICS. requirements for the
References: extracts from Acts of Parliament, case study.
case law and other sources should not be quoted
at length but essential references must be given. RICS staff reserve the right to cancel interviews
Total word count: you must include a word count if at any time it becomes known that the key
at the end of our case study. You can include assessment/submission criteria have not been
notes on what you have included in the count. The met. This includes: word count, case study
assessors will be looking to see that you have kept validity, ethics module and test, plagiarism,
within the prescribed word count for both your fees, proposer and seconder confirmation,
summary of experience and your case study. CPD, qualification and experience eligibility,
Appendices: remember you need to use your and any other criteria set out in the RICS
appendices to support your case study and Regulations.
enhance the information you have given to the
assessment panel. If it isn’t relevant, don’t use it.
Overview: while writing the case study you should
be aware of what evidence you have already
provided in your summary of experience and
ensure that the level and scope of activities you
are describing is consistent with what has been
detailed in the summary.

Candidate guide 16
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Preliminary review
If you do not hold an RICS-accredited degree you
will be required to submit your submission for a Outcomes The purpose of the review is to advise you on
meeting the submission requirements, it is neither
preliminary review. This review is carried out to After submitting for your preliminary review you an assessment of your competence nor any form
determine if your submission is suitable for you to will receive one of the following outcomes. of guarantee of success at interview. It is only
proceed to final assessment. at interview that your competence against the
Your submission will be read and reviewed by a Your submission is suitable for pathway requirements will be assessed based
on your final submission and how you perform
trained professional who has specialist knowledge you to proceed in the interview.
in your field of practice. They will consider the
You may receive some additional advice from the
totality of the evidence you have provided in your
submission. The preliminary reviewer will seek to
reviewer, if appropriate, and the report will advise Your submission is not currently
you of the next steps. You will now be eligible to
answer the question: Is the submission suitable for
apply for final assessment at the next available date.
suitable for you to proceed
the APC assessors to prepare for and conduct the The feedback report will explain why your
final assessment interview effectively? You should now prepare for your final assessment.
submission has not been considered suitable to
This can include an update to your summary
All elements of your submission will be reviewed proceed to final assessment. The report will advise
of experience that reflects the work you have
against the submission requirements. The you of the steps you need to take in order to meet
undertaken between preliminary review and
requirements are divided into two sections on the the submission requirements.
submitting for your final assessment, especially
preliminary review feedback report template: You will need to resubmit for preliminary review at
where this will address feedback from the reviewer.
A. Format requirements – submission This must not take your summary of experience the next available date.
elements including compliance, standard of over the word count.
writing and RICS assessment requirements.
Remember, your case study is only valid for a
B. Content requirements – submission
limited time as it must refer to experience within
elements including mandatory competencies,
the last 24 months. If your case study is no longer
technical competencies and the case study.
within the 24-month period you are able to apply
The preliminary reviewer will mark whether each for the next available final assessment session in
element of your submission is suitable and provide your market using the same case study. However,
feedback, where possible, if it is not. The reviewer if you choose to apply for assessment at a later
may also provide feedback where the element is session your case study must be updated or
marked as suitable if they judge that the element changed, as appropriate, to meet the 24-month
could be improved prior to final assessment. requirement.

Candidate guide 17
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Final assessment interview

The interview will last approximately one hour and
is designed to determine whether you: Interview structure
• can express yourself clearly in an oral
presentation and interview Chairperson’s opening and introductions 3-4 minutes
• can demonstrate, in support of your written
submissions, your understanding of the Candidate’s presentation on case study 10 minutes
knowledge gained and competencies
achieved during your training Questions on the presentation 10 minutes

• have an acceptable understanding of the role

Discussion on overall experience including CPD, technical competencies, Rules of 25 minutes
and responsibilities of a chartered surveyor
Conduct and professional practice.
• can apply your professional and technical skills
to benefit those who employ your services. Chairperson’s areas of questioning may include professional and technical matters, 10 minutes
CPD, Rules of Conduct and mandatory competencies
Special considerations – If you are aware
of any circumstances that may affect your Chair to close 1-2 minutes
performance at the assessment then please
ensure you alert RICS to this at the point of Total 60 minutes
applying for your final assessment interview.
To enable reasonable adjustment to be made
to your interview RICS will require supporting
medical evidence. Your local team will guide
you through this.

Candidate guide 18
 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Presentation Interview The assessors will be trying to determine your

general level of ability; they do not expect you to
You will give a 10 minute presentation to the The interview will be conducted by a panel be an expert in every area of professional activity.
assessment panel on any aspect of your case comprising a minimum of two chartered surveyors, They will be looking to ensure you have achieved at
study. Try and pick a point from your case study trained and selected for this role. least the minimum required levels of competence
to expand on in your presentation or detail the in key areas for the clients you serve, and that
At the interview you will be questioned on:
investigations and conclusions of your project. you understand the level of professional conduct
• your presentation and case study expected of an RICS professional.
You can use electronic devices and other
• your final assessment submissions including
presentation materials, for example flipcharts and Remember the assessors will take a holistic view
your CPD record
handouts, during your 10-minute presentation. For of your training, final assessment submissions,
• the broader aspects of your experience and presentation and interview. Poor performance in
electronic devices you must ensure:
knowledge, including ethics, RICS Rules of one area may be balanced out by an excellent
• Wi-Fi is turned off. Conduct and current issues of concern to performance elsewhere.
• Silent mode is enabled. the profession.
RICS is looking for you to be not only technically
• No recording facility is activated.
competent, but also to
• The screen is of sufficient size to be visible by You cannot have access to your submission
the panel. • be a good ambassador for the profession
in the interview room. The only materials you
• The device is fully charged and does not • be aware of the professional and commercial
can access are the materials you use during
require mains power. implications of your work
your presentation. After the questions on your
• Your presentation is ready to start before presentation you are not allowed to access any • understand clients’ and employers’ objectives
entering the interview room. of the materials. • have up-to-date knowledge of legal matters

You are responsible for your own equipment and • have the confidence to work unsupervised.
removal of all your presentation materials from The assessors will base the questioning on the law
the room. No allowance can be made by RICS for and practice of the country in which your interview The assessors may refer to your submission
issues with your equipment. is being held. and any of their own preparation notes during
The panel may request you to power off electronic the interview and may also be taking notes to
The assessors will normally ask you about what
devices and remove devices and other materials support their questioning and decision-making.
you did and about why you took a particular
from view on completion of your presentation. They may use printed documentation or
approach. They will also ask about your
electronic equipment to perform their role.
understanding of the wider issues surrounding
your case study.

Candidate guide 19
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After the assessment

For security and data protection reasons, RICS
will only issue your result electronically. Appeals Conflict of interest
It is your responsibility to check RICS has your The appeal panel does not question the merits RICS uses all reasonable endeavours to identify
up-to-date contact details. of the assessors’ decision. It looks at the way the and avoid any obvious conflicts of interest when
assessment was conducted, and will allow the selecting a panel of assessors, prior to the interview

Pass result appeal only if, on the balance of probabilities,

there was fault in the process. It does not reach
going ahead. In the smaller RICS markets it can
be much harder to avoid a conflict of interest as
If you a receive a pass result you will be awarded any conclusion about your competence to members are more likely to know one another in
the RICS chartered qualification (MRICS). practise: it considers only administrative or a professional capacity.
procedural matters. There are two main distinctions of a conflict

Referral result When an appeal is made, it must:

• be in writing, accompanied by the
of interest:
• ‘Personal’ interests: in certain circumstances,
If the outcome is a referral you will be sent a referral appropriate fee there may be a connection between the
report explaining why the assessors reached this assessor, and the candidate, but this may not
• be made by you and not a third party
decision. To be eligible for re-assessment you present an issue to the candidate in practice.
• clearly state the grounds on which the
must normally: For instance, the individuals may have met
appeal is being made.
• complete some further relevant professional at a CPD event or know of one another in a
You will have 21 days from the date of your referral
experience professional capacity.
report being issued by RICS to appeal. Details of
• continue to complete your CPD, as required • ‘Prejudicial’ interests: where the assessor
how to appeal are on rics.org/assessment
for your APC either stands to benefit from the outcome of
The appeal panel has no powers to award the an assessment interview or might otherwise
• write a new case study or re-submit the same
RICS chartered qualification. be perceived as being influenced, the assessor
case study updated to reflect referral report
feedback and meet criteria (see page 14) • If an appeal is approved, the original final must declare the conflict and should recuse
• agree with your counsellor how you will address assessment interview is disregarded and you themselves from the panel at the earliest
the deficiencies identified in the referral report will be given a new interview based on your opportunity.
and update your submission accordingly original assessment submission. In the unlikely event you do consider there is a
• If you are following a structured training • If the appeal is dismissed the original conflict of interest on the actual interview day, you
programme, you must continue to maintain and assessment result will stand. should declare this at the beginning of the interview,
record your experience until you are successful. then the chairperson should decide whether the
Please note the appeal panel’s decision is final interview should go ahead with the panel member in
Once you have completed the above, you will
and there is no right to appeal this decision. question or whether the panel member should sit out
be ready for re-interview at the next available
of the interview. If it is only a two-person panel and
assessment. Please note you will be reassessed
a conflict is raised on the day of the interview and
on all the requirements of the APC including all
the chairperson decides it is deemed a prejudicial
competencies for your chosen pathway. The
conflict of interest then the interview will need to be
professional assessment takes a holistic approach.
deferred and rescheduled for another date.

Candidate guide 20
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Help and support

There are many other people going through the
APC at the same time as you, and many who
have recently been through the APC. Make use
of your local and virtual networking opportunities
to engage with this rich environment of support
and insight.
Contact your local RICS team to understand
what is coming up and connect with the RICS
Assessments Linkedin Group
RICS offers a series of online, face-to-face and
blended training courses that you should review.
These cover both technical subjects and APC
specific courses, aimed at giving you the support
and understanding to help you through your APC.
Visit rics.org/training

Candidate guide 21
Delivering confidence
We are RICS. Everything we do is designed to effect positive change in the built and natural
environments. Through our respected global standards, leading professional progression
and our trusted data and insight, we promote and enforce the highest professional standards
in the development and management of land, real estate, construction and infrastructure.
Our work with others provides a foundation for confident markets, pioneers better places
to live and work and is a force for positive social impact.

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