Step 1              Passing an RICS accredited degree

An individual must pass an RICS accredited course. The majority of rural surveyors attend one of two institutions: Harper Adams University or The Royal Agricultural University. Hopefully at the end of three years of mostly hard work the student will graduate with an RICS accredited degree

Step 2              Getting a Graduate Job and undertaking a period of structured training

The Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) is the process that is required to become a charter member of the RICS. It involves a minimum of two years structured training, gaining practical experience in a range of competencies. The candidate must keep a diary of the experience gained, undertake a minimum of 48 hours’ Continual Professional Development (CPD) per year and complete a paper submission comprising of a case study and experience record.  

Step 3              Passing the APC final interview

Once a candidate has gained the required experience they can then be put forward to final interview in front of a panel of three assessors. The interview typically lasts for an hour and is broken down as follows:

• A ten-minute presentation from the candidate on their chosen case study, followed by ten minutes of questioning on the presentation
• Thirty minutes of questioning in relation to their experience gained over the structured training period
• Ten minutes of questioning on RICS ethics.

The three assessors then confer and decide if the candidate is sufficiently experienced and either pass or refer the candidate.

I am now nearing the end of my training, and hoping to pass my interview in October of this year.

If you are interested in a career Chartered Surveying, please get in touch with one of our Regional offices for further information.

Chester     01244 409660

Knutsford  01565 757970

Stafford    01785 2200044