Assessment dates - UK

Chartered Assessment dates and process
2024 Session 1

The dates below are for the forthcoming Chartered Assessments for 2024 Session 1. These dates are for all Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) candidates, Senior Professional (SPA) candidates, and Specialist Assessment (SPE) candidates.

The Land and Property pathway assessments open week commencing 15 April 2024 and the Built Environment pathway assessments open week commencing 13 May 2024.

RICS expects to assess in the region of 1200 candidates for the session. If we experience a higher volume of candidates apply for assessment in this period, more reliance on our assessors will be required to make the necessary arrangements.  This may result in the assessment period being extended. RICS will endeavour to have assessments for each pathway grouping undertaken during a 5-week period.  Whilst it is normal for around 90% of assessments to be held successfully in this time frame, it is important to remember that circumstances beyond RICS control, can arise that result in assessments being postponed and re-arranged for a later date.  Candidates are required to keep all dates free, and advisable not to book holidays until after their assessment has taken place.

Please note:

• All candidates will need to fill out the intent to sit form, even if you are an apprenticeship candidate.  This helps RICS to track all candidates and cross reference with University Providers to make sure all relevant steps are completed for the journey to the end point assessment. All intent to sit form links will be sent to candidates as part of the candidate eligibility communication. Please remember to check your Junk and Spam folders; RICS do not have any control over receipt of your email preferences.

o    Land and Property candidate eligibility email will be sent out 9 January 2024 and the intent to sit deadline to complete and submit the form is 1 February 2024.

o    Built Environment candidate eligibility email will be sent out 6 February 2024 and the intent to sit deadline to complete and submit the form is 1 March 2024.

• Candidates will no longer be asked to confirm week preference dates within the Assessment Platform.  RICS will be allocating assessment panels solely against the assessor availability received, making sure candidates are assessed based on their regional location of Northern Ireland, Scotland, or England/Wales.
• Candidates will be given a minimum of 2 weeks’ notice of their date and time of interview.
• Assessments will normally be held on weekdays, and different to previous assessments, this will now include the full week, Monday - Friday. In circumstances of assessments being postponed, we will endeavour to re-schedule the assessments as soon as we can, and this might be offered on Saturday or early evening, as an option, but it should only be taken if the candidate is comfortable with this option.
• The submission windows to allow candidates to apply for assessment will open on a Monday, include one weekend period to allow time away from the working week to spend time compiling the requirements, and will close on a Thursday at 4 pm that day. This is to maximum the RICS support in working hours, of any technical issues or questions that may arise.

Chartered Assessment dates and process
2024 Session 2

The dates below are for the Chartered Assessments for 2024 Session 2. These dates are for all Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) candidates, Senior Professional (SPA) candidates, and Specialist Assessment (SPE) candidates.

The Land and Property pathway assessments open week commencing 7 October 2024 and the Built Environment pathway assessments open week commencing 4 November 2024.

RICS expects to assess in the region of 1300 candidates for the session. If we experience a higher volume of candidates apply for assessment in this period, more reliance on our assessors will be required to make the necessary arrangements.  This may result in the assessment period being extended. RICS will endeavour to have assessments for each pathway grouping undertaken during a 5-week period.  Whilst it is normal for around 90% of assessments to be held successfully in this time frame, it is important to remember that circumstances beyond RICS control, can arise that result in assessments being postponed and re-arranged for a later date.  Candidates are required to keep all dates free, and advisable not to book holidays until after their assessment has taken place.

Please note:

• All candidates will need to fill out the intent to sit form, even if you are an apprenticeship candidate.  This helps RICS to track all candidates and cross reference with University Providers to make sure all relevant steps are completed for the journey to the end point assessment. All intent to sit form links will be sent to candidates as part of the candidate eligibility communication. Please remember to check your Junk and Spam folders; RICS do not have any control over receipt of your email preferences.

o    Land and Property candidate eligibility email will be sent out 9 July 2024 and the intent to sit deadline to complete and submit the form is 25 July 2024.

o    Built Environment candidate eligibility email will be sent out 13 August 2024 and the intent to sit deadline to complete and submit the form is 29 August 2024.

• Candidates will no longer be asked to confirm week preference dates within the Assessment Platform.  RICS will be allocating assessment panels solely against the assessor availability received, making sure candidates are assessed based on their regional location of Northern Ireland, Scotland, or England/Wales.
• Candidates will be given a minimum of 2 weeks’ notice of their date and time of interview.
  
• Assessments will normally be held on weekdays, and different to previous assessments, this will now include the full week, Monday - Friday. In circumstances of assessments being postponed, we will endeavour to re-schedule the assessments as soon as we can, and this might be offered on Saturday or early evening, as an option, but it should only be taken if the candidate is comfortable with this option.
  
• The submission windows to allow candidates to apply for assessment will open on a Monday, include one weekend period to allow time away from the working week to spend time compiling the requirements, and will close on a Thursday at 4 pm that day. This is to maximum the RICS support in working hours, of any technical issues or questions that may arise.

APC Preliminary Review

These dates below are for the review stage only.  If you have been successful in your Preliminary Review and need to proceed to the assessment interview stage, please see the Chartered Assessment dates above.

RICS run two preliminary review sessions each year, before the submission deadlines for the assessment interview sessions above. The sessions for the year are:

Associate Assessment

We run four associate assessment sessions each year. The sessions for the year are:

Candidates who are referred have the right to appeal.

You cannot appeal simply because you disagree with the assessors’ decision about your competence. The appeal panel does not question the merits of the assessors’ decision. It looks at the way the final assessment was conducted, and will allow the appeal only if, on the balance of probabilities, there was fault in the process.

It does not reach any conclusion about the candidate’s competence to practise: it considers only administrative or procedural matters.

Appeal panel

Appeals are considered by an RICS appeal panel of three chartered surveyors who have no connection with you or your employer, and no previous knowledge of your final assessment interview.

The appeal panel has no powers to admit a candidate to RICS membership: if an appeal is approved, the original final assessment interview is disregarded and you will be given a fresh interview.

How to appeal                                                 

You have 21 days in which to appeal. This is taken from the date on which your referral report is issued.

• Complete the APC candidate appeal form (download it from this page) and submit the required appeal fee (no third party may appeal on your behalf).
• Detail, in no more than 1,000 words, the reasons for the appeal. No further supporting documentation is permitted and no representations may be submitted by another party who was not present at the interview (e.g. supervisor, counsellor, employer)
• Send to RICS within 21 days of the date your referral report was issued.

The process takes approximately seven weeks following receipt of your appeal.