Preparing for your RICS ‘Assessment of Professional Competence’ (APC) can be one of the most rewarding experiences ever. To an aspiring professional, becoming a Chartered Quantity Surveyor (MRICS) shows that a person has achieved the ‘gold standard’ of professional competence. Getting Chartered however is not the end, but rather the beginning of a very fulfilling and rewarding career.
So how to start the journey of becoming a Chartered Quantity Surveyor (MRICS)?
Below is a summary of the TEN steps that you need to take (please note that all the information in this article has been obtained from the RICS website https://www.rics.org)
Step 1: Choose your Sector Pathway
Surveying is a very broad profession covering disciplines as varied as building surveying, geomatics, and valuation. Because of this, 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.
Here is a link to the different pathways:
If you have any questions about joining RICS or their qualifications, then you need to call/email/visit your local RICS office, OR complete the RICS online enquiry form: https://www.rics.org/north-america/surveying-profession/join-rics/joining-enquiry-form ,OR contact the membership team:+44 (0)24 7686 8555, OR send an email to join@rics.org
Step 2: Find an RICS member who is willing to help you
You must appoint an RICS-qualified counsellor to support and guide you through your application and assessment process. Your counsellor must be either an RICS Fellow (FRICS), Chartered Member (MRICS) or an Associate Member (AssocRICS) with at least four years’ of RICS membership.
If you don’t know an RICS member who can be your counsellor, the RICS can help you find someone to guide you through your application. Please contact the RICS Membership team
Step 3: Choose your entry route
Select the entry point to APC qualification that best suits your experience. You can enroll at any time in your career, but you must meet ONE of the following eligibility requirements before applying for assessment:
- Relevant experience and an RICS-accredited degree;
- 5 years of relevant experience and ANY bachelor’s degree (doesn’t have to be RICS accredited);
- 10 years of relevant experience operating at an advanced level by seniority, specialization, or in academia.
The most common way of qualifying as a Chartered Member is through the Assessment of Professional Competence (APC), but you can also qualify as a senior professional, industry specialist, or academic.
Step 4: Complete the online enrollment and fee payment
Create an online account: If you haven't already got an online account, you'll need to create one:
Fees while you are a candidate: These are made up of a one-off enrolment fee and ongoing candidate subscription fees. This covers your candidate registration, online ethics course and final assessment. The candidate subscription fee covers support materials and access to RICS Assessment Resource Centre (ARC) and is payable each year up to the point you become qualified.
Step 5: Wait for Feedback from RICS on your enrollment
So what happens next? The RICS will verify your submission and support materials as follows:
Verification: After you've set up your account and completed the registration form, RICS will check your application to confirm that you have chosen the best route to membership for you.
Support materials: RICS will then email you more detailed information about the process, guidance notes for your counsellor and information about how to use the RICS Assessment Resource Centre (ARC) website.
Step 6: Work on an actionable plan with your Counsellor once you are officially enrolled
Please note that you have a maximum of six years from your date of enrolment to achieve the MRICS qualification. Therefore, you need to discuss with your Counsellor the next steps as soon as you are officially enrolled with the RICS.
Please note that the Counsellor’s role is to support and guide in the process, however, the journey towards becoming MRICS should be driven by YOU.
Unlike other professional qualifications, there is no ONE SINGLE STUDY SOURCE when it comes to preparing for your APC, and this is done by design.
The purpose of the APC is not to test your ability to memorize and recall info from a book, but rather to test the depth and breadth of your knowledge, and your ability to act as a ‘Trusted Advisor’ to your clients regardless of your geographical location.
The key to pass your APC is: 1) Prepare; 2) Prepare; and 3) Prepare, and most importantly enjoy the learning and development journey itself, and don’t focus too much on the outcome. Hard work always pays off, whatever you do!
Step 7: Complete your Online Assessment Application
The Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) can be completed with OR without structured training depending on your experience.
- Structured training – develop your skills over 12 or 24 months of structured training before assessment.
- Preliminary review – with 5 years of experience, you can go to final assessment following a review of your submissions.
If your career has progressed based on seniority, specialization or through academia, the RICS have assessment routes to match your experience:
- Senior professional – you have experience as a leader and manager.
- Specialist – you have enhanced skills as a recognized authority.
- Academic – you are teaching or researching at a university.
When you feel ready, then you need to complete you RICS Assessment Application
Please check you are viewing assessment information for your location specific location.
Step 8: Receive confirmation of a valid application
We will complete checks on your application and submission and confirm by email that we have received all the required information to begin scheduling your assessment.
Situations that may delay or cancel your assessment:
- If you fail to provide all the required information by the application deadline.
- If your counsellor withdraws their support for your application.
Step: 9: Receive confirmation of your assessment date
As soon as your assessment is scheduled, the RICS will confirm your interview date and time by email.
This applies to candidates for final assessment interview only. Candidates applying for associate assessment or preliminary review will receive their result within the published result window.
Step 10: Pass a 60-minute assessment interview
Following a 10-minute presentation by you on your career experience, the panel of trained RICS assessors will ask questions on your presentation and your selected competencies.
Did you ever wonder how a typical RICS APC interview looks like?
Below is a link to a FREE course that will demystify the process, and will help you prepare for your interview day by sharing videos and feedback from a pre mock interview, in addition to sample APC questions
Click here to access the course: https://courses.w6partners.com/courses/RICSAPCInterview