Building a better you
Property Elite’s sole aim is to build better property professionals - supporting your career every step of the way, whether you are an AssocRICS or RICS APC candidate or a MRICS or FRICS Chartered Surveyor simply seeking engaging CPD.
We provide a wide range of training and support, so why not find out more on our website about how we might be able to support you? We work with candidates across all RICS APC and AssocRICS pathways, routes to assessment and geographic regions.
Don’t forget to sign up online for your free 15 minute AssocRICS or RICS APC consultation, including a review of your referral report if you have been referred. You can also book your bespoke training or support services directly through our eShop.
Not sure about signing up? Make sure you read what our recent successful candidates have to say in our Testimonials.
What is today's blog about?
This week, we look at why it is so important to choose the right RICS APC assessment route at the outset.
You can also listen to our CPD podcast on Anchor for more free AssocRICS and RICS APC training and support.
If you don't have time to read the blog today, make sure you bookmark it for later and just watch our 1 minute summary below.
Why is choosing the right RICS APC route to assessment so important?
Right at the start of your RICS APC journey, the most important thing is to ensure that you are pursuing the right route. This is because the final assessment submission documents and interview structure differ for each route.
Furthermore, some of the routes, e.g. Senior Assessment route, may be far better suited if you are in a managerial or leadership role and are not undertaking day-to-day technical work.
What are the different routes to MRICS qualification?
In brief, there are a number of different routes to achieving MRICS Chartered status, depending on your experience, education, seniority and any specialisation.
They are the ‘standard’ structured training or preliminary review route, the Senior Assessment route, the Specialist Assessment route and the Academic Assessment route.
What is the most common RICS APC route?
Most candidates will qualify through the ‘standard’ RICS APC route, which may involve 12-24 months’ structured training or a preliminary review.
For example, structured training may be required if you are right at the start of your career (i.e. without substantial experience), whilst a preliminary review (essentially a ‘pre-submission’ check at least 6 months before you submit your final assessment submission) may be required if you do not have a RICS-accredited degree but do have at least 5 years’ relevant experience.
We often find that candidates who are self-employed, client-side or in smaller firms may elect to undergo preliminary review rather than structured training, if permitted to do so by RICS.
Alternatively, other candidates, who have sufficient experience and educational qualifications, may be able to proceed to final assessment without undergoing either structured training or a preliminary review.
What other routes are there to MRICS qualification?
What many experienced candidates do not realise is that a different route to assessment may be more appropriate, based on your seniority and any specialisation.
This typically requires 5-10 years of relevant experience (depending on whether or not you hold a post-graduate degree) and can demonstrate advanced responsibilities either in senior leadership (Senior Assessment route) or specialist areas of work (Specialist Assessment route).
The RICS run a vetting procedure to ensure that your chosen route is appropriate for your experience and responsibilities. If you have any concerns about your chosen route or in filling out this form, simply sign up for a free consultation from Property Elite.
The final route is the Academic Assessment route, which requires you to have at least 3 years’ academic experience and a surveying-related degree. We find that many academics do not realise that this option is open to them, so it is definitely worth considering!
What do I do if I don’t have a counsellor?
Many candidates find Property Elite because they face the key challenge of not being able to source a counsellor in-house.
This isn’t a problem though - we can help by providing an outsourced MRICS or FRICS counsellor as part of our Monthly Mentoring service. This also includes full support for your RICS APC, providing you with a market-leading training and support programme. We can tailor this to your needs, working flexibly to provide you with the right support when you need it.
How can I ensure that I am following the right pathway?
The structure of your final assessment submission for each route outlined above is different and will be tailored to the specific responsibilities you hold in your role.
As such, it is vitally important to make sure that you are on the right route from the outset.
If you are not sure or would like to chat through your concerns, just ask a current RICS APC assessor by signing up for a free consultation from Property Elite. You can also read more on our website about the different routes to assessment.
What do I need to consider next?
After you have ensured you have chosen the right route to qualification, you will need to do a number of things, including registering to use ARC and selecting the most relevant pathway and competencies.
We will discuss all of these in future blog articles - however, for a head start you can head to our latest podcast collaboration with Estates Gazette Bricks and Mortar. This will tell you all you need to know about choosing the right RICS APC pathway for you.
How can we help?
Book your e-mock interview online, which includes our pre- and post-interview feedback on your presentation handout.
Head to our blog archive to access even more free CPD and AssocRICS and RICS APC training and support.
Download your free AssocRICS and RICS APC resources, including e-books and revision quizzes.
Find out more about our bespoke AssocRICS and RICS APC training and support, before booking your free 15 minute consultation.
Not sure about signing up? Make sure you read what our recent successful candidates have to say in our Testimonials.
Stay tuned for our next blog post to help build a better you
N.b. Nothing in this article constitutes legal, professional or financial advice.