Resources
A plain guide to the RICS APC
How the assessment works, the routes you can take, the documents you submit, and the official RICS guidance behind it all. It is written for candidates and free to read without an account.
The four stages of the APC
Pick your route and pathway
Your route is set by your experience and qualifications, from the structured APC to the Senior Professional, Specialist, Academic and AssocRICS assessments. Your pathway, such as Quantity Surveying or Building Surveying, fixes the technical competencies you are judged against.
Build evidence as you work
Most routes ask you to log a diary and record CPD across a defined period. On the 24-month structured APC that means at least 400 days of structured training and 96 hours of CPD over 24 months. Lighter routes ask for less, but the principle holds: you gather evidence as you go.
Draft your submission documents
A Summary of Experience, a Case Study, your CPD record and the relevant declarations. Word limits and document types differ by route. Your counsellor signs off the final submission before it goes to RICS.
Sit the final assessment
For most routes this is a one-hour interview that opens with a ten-minute presentation on your case study, followed by questioning across your competencies and ethics. AssocRICS and RPQ are assessed differently and do not involve a presentation interview.
The nine RICS assessment routes
RICS recognises several assessment routes. The right one depends on your experience, your qualifications and your sector. These are the figures Survyr builds into each candidate workspace.
APC 24-Month Structured
400 diary days, 96 CPD hours over 24 months. The standard graduate route to MRICS.
APC 12-Month Structured
200 diary days, 48 CPD hours over 12 months. For candidates with around five years of experience.
APC Non-Structured
Final assessment route for experienced candidates. Diary recommended rather than required.
Preliminary Review
Two-stage route for candidates without an accredited degree. A review precedes the final assessment.
Senior Professional Assessment
For senior practitioners. A 400-word senior profile, an organisation chart and three short case studies.
Specialist Assessment
Mirrors the SPA structure for specialist practitioners, built around a specialist profile.
Academic Route
For surveying academics. An evidence portfolio across teaching, research and external engagement, plus a professional statement.
RPQ
Recognition of Professional Qualifications, for members of an RICS-approved professional body. No interview.
AssocRICS
Associate membership. Eight mandatory and six technical competencies, assessed desk-based with no assessment interview. RICS may still call a candidate to a verification interview to confirm the work is their own.
What you submit to RICS
Summary of Experience
A structured account of how you meet each competency at the required level. On the APC the mandatory competencies have a maximum of 1,500 words in total and the technical competencies a maximum of 4,000. AssocRICS limits are lower.
Case Study
A real project written up against your competencies. The APC case study has a maximum of 3,000 words and must be based on your involvement in the 24 months before you submit. SPA and Specialist candidates submit three shorter case studies of 1,000 to 1,500 words each.
CPD Record
Continuing Professional Development logged across the assessment period, with at least half of it formal. The total varies by route: 96 hours across the 24-month APC, 48 hours a year on the other APC routes and the Academic route, and 20 hours over the past 12 months on the Senior Professional and Specialist routes.
Counsellor sign-off
On the APC routes your counsellor confirms your submission is ready and the experience is genuine before it reaches RICS. RICS requires this sign-off.
Every APC candidate is also assessed on the mandatory competencies, a set of professional and interpersonal skills led by ethics, the rules of conduct and professionalism, which sits at the highest level for everyone. Your technical competencies are set by your pathway. Always confirm the exact word limits, levels and validity periods for your route against the official RICS guidance below.
How Survyr supports every stage
Document drafting
Build your diary, Summary of Experience, case study and CPD record in one workspace, with the word limits and structure for your route built in.
20,000+ question bank
Practise across every RICS pathway, with UK and Middle East question sets, from mandatory competencies to deep technical questions, with answers you can review.
Interview and presentation practice
Rehearse your ten-minute presentation and run mock interviews so the final assessment is familiar ground.
AI coaching and a counsellor portal
Get feedback on your writing as you draft, and link a counsellor for sign-off and comments inside the platform.
Official guidance from RICS
APC Candidate Guide (opens in a new tab)
The official RICS guide covering the APC process, requirements, and assessment criteria.APC Assessor Guidance (opens in a new tab)
The official assessor guide, marksheets, chairperson guide, and referral report templates.Sector Pathway Guides (opens in a new tab)
Competency requirements, mandatory competencies, and pathway-specific guidance for all RICS pathways.RICS Professionalism Module (opens in a new tab)
The mandatory ethics and professionalism module required before submission.RICS Assessment Platform (opens in a new tab)
Log in to the official RICS candidate platform to manage your APC submission.Rules of Conduct (opens in a new tab)
RICS Rules of Conduct and professional standards that underpin the APC.
These links go to official RICS websites. Survyr is an independent platform and is not affiliated with RICS. Requirements change, so always confirm the current rules for your route and pathway with RICS directly.