Candidates on their journey to professional membership may be eligible to swap to a new route or pathway. This accommodates candidates who may have gained more relevant experience, changed career direction or increased responsibilities.

Pathway Change

Candidates who’ve had a career change can switch to a different pathway more suitable to their current role and responsibilities. RICS has multiple pathways, which may better align with other competencies and skills.

When considering a pathway change, please discuss suitability, relevant experience, and competency selection with your counsellor. You will need to review your previous experience and determine what will be relevant to your new pathway, this can then be transferred to be used in your final assessment and or diary/logbook. As a current candidate, you can update your pathway in the Assessment Platform. Assessment Platform > Edit Profile > Change Pathway.

Route Change

If you are an enrolled candidate, you may be eligible to change to a different route to membership if you meet the eligibility criteria.

Once you have reviewed the below, please email candidatesupport@rics.org with your route change requests.

Eligibility

Route Change

Qualification required*

Relevant experience & additional requirements

Change to APC with 12 months Structured Training

RICS-accredited degree (completed or in-progress)

5+ years

Change to APC with Preliminary
Review

 Any bachelors degree or membership of an RICS approved professional body. 

5+ years. For a list of approved bodies please see here.

Change from APC to Associate Assessment

None

1+ year of relevant experience

Change from Associate Assessment to APC with 24 months Structured Training

RICS-accredited degree (completed or in-progress)

You need to be in relevant employment

Change from Associate Assessment to APC with 12 months Structured Training

RICS-accredited degree (completed or in-progress)

5+ years

Change to Senior Professional Assessment

None

10+ years (5+ years if you have a post graduate degree) & you need to be able to demonstrate you have advanced responsibilities as a senior leader. Please see here.

Change to Specialist Assessment

None

10+ years (5+ years if you have a postgraduate degree) & you need to be able to demonstrate you have advanced responsibilities for delivering specialist services. Please see here.

Post-Readmission APC Change

Any bachelors or RICS-accredited degree (completed or in-progress)

As above, depending on route change

Change to Chartered Recognised Professional Qualification

RICS approved professional or vocational qualification

For experience requirements related to your professional/academic qualifications please see here.

Change to Associate Recognised Professional Qualification

RICS approved professional or vocational qualification

For experience requirements related to your professional/academic qualifications please see here.

Points to note when changing your pathway or route:

  • All changes must be requested, please email candidatesupport@rics.org with your updated CV confirming your current qualifications and experience.
  • If your degree is in-progress it must be completed when submitting for Assessment.
  • All candidates must meet the minimum relevant experience when submitting for Assessment.
  • Candidates changing to Academic, Senior Professional or Specialist Assessment will be required to complete a vetting process,  please see here for further details on our Senior professionals, specialists and academics requirements.
  • Candidates applying for Recognised Professional Qualification must meet the specific qualification and experience requirements. Additionally, they must not have previously referred at assessment for the same level of membership they are applying for. Please see here for further details on our Recognised Professional Qualification route.

FAQs

Useful links

Getting started with your RICS qualification

Assessments information