Surveyor CPD Hub

RICS APC explained — a practical guide

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If chartered status is the goal, the RICS APC is the gate you go through. It’s the part that trips people up most — not because it’s impossibly hard, but because it’s a structured, evidence-based assessment that rewards preparation. This is a plain-English guide to what the Assessment of Professional Competence is and how it works.

The APC sits on top of a discipline. If you’re still choosing one, see how to become a surveyor; for what chartered status means, see how to become a chartered surveyor.

What the APC is

The Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) is RICS’s process for proving you have the competence to practise as a chartered surveyor (MRICS). Broadly, it has two parts:

  1. A period of structured practical experience, recorded against a set of competencies for your pathway.
  2. A final assessment, typically including submitted documentation and an interview with a panel.

Competencies — the heart of it

Your experience is mapped to competencies, usually grouped as:

  • Mandatory — professional practice, ethics, business skills and the like, required across pathways.
  • Core (technical) — the central skills of your chosen pathway (e.g. building surveying, quantity surveying, valuation).
  • Optional — further technical areas you select.

Each competency must be evidenced to a specified level (broadly: knowledge → doing it → advising on it).

The final assessment

The final stage typically involves:

  • Submitted documents — such as an experience record, a summary of experience, and a case study based on real work.
  • A final assessment interview — often a presentation followed by questioning from a panel.
The APC's structure, competencies and assessment format change. Always work from the current RICS APC guidance for your pathway and intake — not summaries (including this one).

How to prepare

  • Start your experience record early and keep it current — don’t reconstruct it the night before.
  • Map real work to competencies as you go.
  • Practise your presentation and Q&A — mock interviews help enormously.
  • Keep your CPD log going — it’s both required and good practice. See how to log your CPD.

How I can help

I train people working towards professional assessment and can help you structure your preparation. My CPD courses are in development — join the list for early access and a launch discount, and browse the free CPD directory meanwhile.

Frequently asked questions

What is the RICS APC?

The RICS Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) is the process by which surveyors demonstrate the competence needed to become chartered (MRICS). It combines a period of structured practical experience with a final assessment, typically including an interview.

How long does the APC take?

It depends on your route and entry level — commonly a structured period of practical experience (often counted in days/months) before you can be assessed.

What are APC competencies?

Competencies are the skills and knowledge areas — mandatory, core (technical) and optional — that you must evidence at set levels for your chosen pathway. You record your experience against them.

What happens at the APC final assessment?

Typically you submit documentation (such as a case study and experience record) and attend a final assessment interview with a panel, including a presentation and questioning.

What if I fail the APC?

Candidates who aren't successful are usually given feedback and can be referred to resit elements at a later session. It's a professional assessment, not a one-shot exam, and many succeed on a later attempt.