Assessment of Professional Competence (APC)

If your career has progressed based on seniority, specialisation or through academia, we have assessment routes to match your experience:

• senior professional – you have experience as a leader and manager
  
• specialist – you have enhanced skills as a recognised authority
  
• academic – you are teaching or researching at a university.

• Find out more about senior professional, specialist or academic assessment

If you already have professional qualifications, or are a member of another professional body, you may be exempt from some of our entry criteria and be eligible for direct entry.

To apply to be Chartered through direct entry, you’ll need:

• a proposer who is Chartered (MRICS) or a Fellow (FRICS)
  
• a record of your recent CPD
  
• a letter from the professional body confirming your membership

• Learn more about direct entry

Combine 5 or more years of relevant work experience with any degree, or with an RICS-approved professional body membership qualification, and you may be able to progress to a final APC assessment following a preliminary review.

If you hold an RICS accredited degree, there are a number of entry points available to you depending on your relevant work experience.

• Find out if you have an RICS accredited degree

Your entry route will depend on how much relevant work experience you have and therefore if you need to undertake structured training.  See 'Structured training' below.

If you are undertaking a work placement as part of an RICS accredited degree, completing the steps below can further your progress towards an RICS qualification.

Sector pathway

Review the sector pathways available, then email us to advise us to start recording your experience.

• Find out more about our sector pathways

Guidance/support

Obtain guidance/support from employer and counsellor (a professional member MRICS or FRICS). If your employer/counsellor requires additional support, they can contact an RICS Mentor.

Competencies

Obtain sign off of the sector pathway competencies achieved, by a professional member, in order to be able to use this experience towards the minimum of 400 days/2 years APC requirement.

After you've graduated

Enrol onto APC when employed and pay the full APC application fee plus current year's subscription.

Work placement details

Email our enrolments team a letter to from your counsellor confirming when your work placement started and finished and that you were working towards APC requirements.

Structured training

Complete a minimum of 1 year of structured training, post-graduation of your degree.

Apply for final assessment

After recording a minimum 23 months of APC your counsellor will decide when you are ready to apply for final APC assessment.

Whilst you can enrol at any time there are specific enrolment dates that will affect when you will potentially be able to sit final assessment. 

The final assessment dates are split into two sessions: Session 1 (May/June) and Session 2 (October/November).

Surveying is a very broad profession covering disciplines as varied as building surveying, geomatics and valuation.

When you join RICS you must choose a sector pathway related to your surveying experience. During your assessment process you will have to demonstrate your skills and knowledge related to this pathway.

For Chartered membership, you can choose from 22 different Sector Pathways.

• Find out more about our Sector Pathways

It is your responsibility to seek out a counsellor who can support you with your journey towards your MRICS. Below are some tips to help you in this pursuit.

Some ideas to help you find a counsellor:

• Ask in your workplace and let colleagues know that you are looking for someone to support you in your journey and maybe reach out to other local firms also.
  
• Join Matrics, created to look after the interests of members entering or not long in the profession of surveying and start building your networks
  
• Use LinkedIn and join the RICS Assessment group then you can reach out on here to ask for counsellor support.
  
• Join the RICS Candidate Support Insight Community group.
  

To register: https://www.yammer.com/ricsinsightcommunity and search for group 'Candidate Support Network'.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is the systematic updating and enhancement of skills, knowledge and competence that takes place throughout your working life.

It should be closely linked to your current work.

CPD can be taken from various sources including attending conferences, meetings or seminars, completing an academic course or informal reading.

Having met any specific CPD requirements to qualify, all RICS professionals must complete at least 20 hours of CPD activities each year.

You will be required to undertake some level of structured training if you have less than 10 years of relevant work experience.

Structured training enables you to demonstrate how you have gained the skills and abilities needed to perform specific tasks or functions and therefore the required experience to achieve the competencies for your pathway.

The length of structured training required depends on your previous experience:-

• up to 5 years of experience requires 24 months of structured training
  
• 5 to 10 years of experience requires 12 months of structured training
  
• over 10 years of experience requires no structured training
  

Structured training is either undertaken by you or provided by an employer.

You will not be able to apply for the final assessment interview until your counsellor (and supervisor) certifies that, in their opinion, you have reached the level of competence required and have fulfilled the minimum training period.

The formal assessment process is the same for all APC candidates.

Written submissions

You will need to submit the following written summaries for formal assessment:

• Summary of experience: statements for each level of competence required for your sector pathway. Mandatory competencies (1,500 words) and technical competencies (3,000 to 4,000 words)
  
• Case study: 3,000 words on a recent project that shows your technical abilities. The project should not be older than 24 months.
  

CPD record

You must have completed 48 hours of CPD training during the last 12 months. Or 96 hours of CPD undertaken during the last 24 months, if you are undertaking 24 months structured training.

RICS online ethics course

You’ll also need to complete the RICS online ethics course, before you can attend an assessment interview

60 minute assessment interview

Following a 10-minute presentation by you on your case study, the panel of trained RICS assessors will ask questions on your presentation and your selected competencies.

For those undertaking a period of 12 or 24 months structured training, at the end of 11 or 23 months (minimum) you can apply for the next available final assessment. You will then sit your final assessment interview after month 12 or 24, depending on which level of structured training you need to complete.

Do you need to back date your enrolment?

You can back date your APC application (APC structured training only) by up to six months if your application is accompanied by a covering letter from your employer or counsellor. This can be emailed to

• United Kingdom candidatesupport@rics.org
• APAC candidatesupport@rics.org
• AMENA candidatesupport@rics.org

Excluding any required periods of employment, the formal assessment process can take between six and twelve months to complete.

You have a maximum of six years from your date of enrolment to achieve the MRICS qualification.