How to write your APC summary of experience

We would talk for days

But the assessment is only an hour so the summary is

just fine

Executive Summary
This post on the APC Summary of Experience contains;

 Briefly, where the “Summary of Experience” is in ARC.

 Provide an overview of “Summary of Experience.”
 My opinion on how to document your experience.
 An example of how to record your experience to a specific
competency at each level one, two and three.
 Actions for your supervisor and counsellor meetings.

The aim of this post

To give you an example of how I recorded my APC Summary of

Experience.

But not only that. I want you to know how I used it to get focused and
tailored help and guidance from my supervisors and counsellors.
Assessment Resource Centre (ARC)

I can’t write a post about the APC Summary of Experience without

mentioning ARC. But to be clear from the start, this post is not about
ARC, but what you put on ARC.

ARC is the RICS’ platform that electronically manages the APC

process.

It is an online tool where everybody manages their assessment

documents, which include assessors – We have our login to receive
candidate documents and discuss the assessments.

There are videos featured on the RICS ARC web page that explains
how to set up and use ARC.

Before advising on the “Summary of Experience”, to make sure

you’re not stuck, here’s a quick description of where this is in ARC.

Click on the “Summary of Experience” on the black navigation bar on

the left-hand side menu. The resulting page will display a summary of
your competencies.
These can be filtered by type including the following options;
 Display all.
 Mandatory.
 Technical.
 Those completed or
 Those not started.

You can click on each competency to expand the box. Each

competency starts with a full description of the competency criteria
information at the top page giving you space underneath to add in
your commentary to demonstrate you have met the criteria.

Please note there is a maximum word count for this as per the candidate
guide which I cover below with my example.

As mentioned in my last blog post-Dear APC Diary, you can copy and
paste sections from your diary into your APC Summary of
Experience.

Go to the bottom of the page to see the “Diary Entries” section and
click the button “Copy to the summary of experience”. When you
scroll back up to the “Summary of Experience” box, the text will
automatically have appeared.

You can do this on however many diary entries you wish to use within
the word count allowed.

What is the APC Summary Of Experience?

The APC Summary of Experience is where you take your real life
surveying experience and allocate it to a competency that’s on your
pathway.

For your “Summary of Experience”, you must write a brief statement

about each of your mandatory and technical competencies at the
required levels (level 1, 2 or 3).

It is essential to ensure you have a copy of the pathway guide for your

chosen pathway with you when you fill this in. The guide provides
examples of what is everyday work a surveyor would do at each level.
Remember that the pathway guide is not an exhaustive list of work,
and you are more than welcome to bring any and all of your
experience to the assessment.

If the competency you select is a level 3 competency, you should write

the summary covering levels 1, 2 and 3. Level 3 competencies are the
most important: they are crucial to demonstrating that you practise at a
professional level.

Moreover, level 3 in Ethics, Rules of Conduct and professionalism is

the cornerstone of what being an RICS member is.

Levelling up

Like all Pokemon, I mean APC candidates, you need the experience

to level up.

But what experience is required for each level?

The Candidate Guide provides the generic statements of;

 Level 1, you must provide a statement of learning – how you
gained the knowledge and understanding. This should link to any
relevant CPD in your CPD record.
 Level 2, you must provide a statement of the range of experience
you have achieved and include real-life project/process
examples.
 And for level 3, you must provide a detailed statement of advice
given. Include real-life project/process examples where you have
personally given advice.
For levels 2 and 3 you need to provide at least one example of work,
you’ve been involved in.
I’d advise providing anything between one to three examples
(depending on word count allowance). See my example below.

The number of examples you need to provide will be determined by

the experience and competence each example demonstrates.

I’ll put this into context below with a couple of examples.

But the key thing to remember is;

RICS is looking for evidence that you can do the relevant job at

the required level: for some competencies, one of your examples may
be sufficient.

For other competencies, you may need to provide multiple instances

of you demonstrating you’re “a safe pair of hands” to represent the
RICS and the profession.

A typical example of this is in Contract Practice or Contract

Administration.

Some surveyors literally work on the same project for years. I’m
talking about infrastructure projects. Therefore, they may work with
only that one single contract for the duration of their APC.

At the other end of the spectrum, some surveyors may run tens of
smaller contracts in a single year, racking up substantial contract
administration experience. However, all these projects may have used
the exact same minor works contracts.
Both of these examples involve dealing with numerous different issues
ranging from requests for extensions of time to defective work and
rectification period issues. Both of these different surveyors, working
in different sectors, have the same experience issue.

Is their experience broad enough?

In this instance, an assessment panel will need more than just one
example to demonstrate competence.

An holistic approach

Once you have completed the statements, you should review them as a
whole: together, they form your APC Summary of Experience.

That’s both each and every competency and their respective levels,
and the full summary of experience.

What to look for when reviewing competencies?

 Do all the levels demonstrate sufficient experience in that

competency?
o Get your supervisor involved to advise.
 Have you covered a lot of the examples in the pathway guide?
o You don’t need to cover all of them.
 Do you need additional level 1 knowledge and level 2
application to show a broad understanding of the competency’s
 use in the industry/sector, to compensate for a limited breadth of
level 3 advice examples?
o More level 3 examples is obviously better, maybe you need
to consider alternative means of gaining experience… I’ll
cover choosing a prospective employer in a later blog post.
 Always check if your level 1 knowledge sources have been
superseded by new guidance before submission.
o People still casually say DDA audit. That’s the Disability
Discrimination Act 1995. That Act was repealed and
replaced by the Equality Act 2010, (except in Northern
Ireland). At the time of writing this post, that’s 9 years
ago…

In addition to showing your abilities in individual competencies, the

“Summary of Experience”, (as the title suggests), should provide the
assessors with an overview of your training and experience, the work
that you are doing and the levels you are working at.

This will inform what type of questions you are asked during the
assessment. Assessors will use their judgement to ask you questions
around your experience to push you a bit out of your comfort zone if
they too are familiar with the sector your expertise has been gained
from.

Don’t trip yourself up

Let’s just say you work a lot in the residential sector. This should
rightly be emphasised in your summary of experience as a lot of your
examples will be from work in this sector. This is where your level
one, two and three submissions should be crystal clear on what you
want to be questioned on.
Put in your level 1 source of information the relevant guidance notes
for your type of work.

It’s fair game to be questioned on anything you put in your APC

Summary of Experience, so let’s say you state you have knowledge of
“x” guidance note which is in a different sector. Make sure you have
understood the guidance completely.

e.g.

A building surveyor in the residential sector would use the guidance

note; “RICS professional guidance note. Surveys of residential
property 3rd edition, May 2016 reissue.”

A building surveyor in the commercial property sector would use the

guidance note: “RICS professional guidance note. Building surveys
and technical due diligence of commercial property 4th edition.”

An assessor will want to know if you can apply your professional

competence to a different sector. Sticking with my example, if you
survey a residential property, the assessor may ask if you were aware
of how to survey a commercial property. Just to test your knowledge.

Moreover, if you’ve listed out the relevant guidance note, like in the
above example, then it’s totally fair game to ask even more in-depth
questions.
Relax

Now then, it’s perfectly ok to say you’ve never surveyed a

commercial property if you haven’t and therefore the assessor will not
push you on a level 3 question on this topic.

However, if you state you’re aware of a guidance note they will expect
you to have a logical answer and using your professional experience,
explain how would you carry out the survey.

It’s a balancing act between putting enough detail in to demonstrate

that you have enough experience to be chartered but also not tripping
yourself up referencing documents you are aware of or may have
glanced at, but do not actually know enough about to advise
competently.

My Advice on the APC Summary of Experience

Working parameters

Your APC Summary of Experience should be a maximum 1,500

words in total for the mandatory competencies and a maximum 4,000
words in full for the technical competencies.

That’s approximately 150-200 words per level per competency.

Example APC Summary of Experience
Competency: Inspection

RICS APC Building Surveying Pathway Guide Inspection Competency

https://www.rics.org/north-america/join/pathway-guides/building-surveying/#mrics

Level 1
I developed knowledge in this competency initially through my
accredited degree, where I gained an understanding of survey types
and the methodology for completing a successful property inspection.

In practice, I have learnt that analysing the client’s requirements

comes first, as understanding why they require a survey helps
determine the type of inspection to be undertaken. Furthermore, to
differentiate and explain the types of surveys one can undertake for
clients, I required an understanding of the differing types of
inspection.

I have knowledge of RICS guidance notes, particularly those relating

to my day to day commercial work activities such as; Dilapidations &
Building Surveys and Technical Due Diligence of Commercial
Property. However, I am also aware of specific residential property
guidance, i.e. Surveys of Residential Property 3rd Ed.

I am continually developing my knowledge of different types of

construction, and practical experience has taught me the importance of
this knowledge to enable a competent inspection, as different types of
construction fail in different ways and must be inspected correctly.

Furthermore, I have knowledge of specialist testing equipment such as

the Protimeter damp meters, concrete inspection techniques such as
phenolphthalein solution and Tell-Tale crack monitoring.
Level 2

I have had the opportunity to develop my experience through

undertaking several different types of inspections including for the
following;

Terminal dilapidation inspections to produce a Schedule of

Dilapidations. Before undertaking these surveys, I obtain and appraise
all relevant documentation which generally includes; Leases, licences
to alter, schedules of condition, side letters, fit-out specifications and
schedules of landlord’s and tenant’s fixtures and fittings.

A recent survey I undertook was XXX @ YYY, where I conducted a

comprehensive internal survey (as demised to the tenant within the
lease), noting down my recordings in a book and on plans, and taking
photographs for evidence. From these records, I could produce the
terminal schedule.

Schedule of Condition of properties, both commercial and residential,

for the ABC project. These were visual inspection surveys
documenting a description of the property and type of construction,
any defects such as cracks or damp with a written description and
photographic reference, marked on hand sketched floor plans. These
were to provide a point in time record of the condition before
tunnelling works began.

I have also undertaken measured survey inspections using a fully

calibrated laser measuring tool.
Level 3

I have had the opportunity to provide reasoned advice and

recommendations arising from inspections I have undertaken
including;

A condition survey of 123 Community Centre and Children’s centre to

provide a 25-year maintenance plan. I accurately recorded the
construction/finishes & produced a report detailing the building’s
construction & summarising its condition. I appended to the report a
photographic schedule of my findings & a detailed table of
information for each element, split down into 5 yearly periods, with
recommended work & costs.

Another example includes an inspection of a community health centre

in Derby that was suffering from water ingress/damp to four separate
areas. The roof construction consisted of stainless steel covered
pitched roofs, built up felt flat roofs and glazed curtain walling.
From my observations and subsequent hose pipe tests, I identified 3
cases of penetrating damp through the roof coverings & 1 of
condensation.

I produced a report that detailed the construction elements in each area

& explained how & why the elements had failed, accompanied by
photographs, and concluded the report with recommendations &
budget costs for appropriate remedial measures.

I have interpreted drainage survey reports undertaken by others and

advised on remedial works.
Analysis of the example APC Summary of
Experience

I have not covered every point in the competency description but a

good 75%-80%.

You do not need to cover everything in the description. The

competency descriptions are written to try and be as broad as possible
as surveyors work in so many different sectors.

It is certainly not a one-size-fits-all situation.

You simply try to apply the examples of experience to your situation.

Sometimes it’s more complicated than others, but that’s why I advise
writing about your experience as soon as you’ve got it, so you have
lots of chances to practise writing and get the right examples that
demonstrate your experience.

Supervisor/Counsellor Meetings

How to get the best out of your supervisor while they get the best out of
you.

It’s a win/win. You become a competent surveyor, and your employer

gets to utilise a competent (soon to be qualified) surveyor.
Discuss your summary of experience with your Supervisor and Counsellor.

What you should be aiming to do is make the summary of experience

the focal point of your APC meetings with your supervisor at the three
monthly intervals, and your counsellor at the six monthly intervals.

You need to be proactive in managing your progress.

Therefore in advance of these meetings, prepare a note of how you

feel your training is going, how you are developing against the
competencies and how far you think you have progressed against the
various levels of the mandatory, core and optional competencies.

You can then prepare notes with your supervisor and counsellor on
how to address any areas of concern.

Stay on top of documenting your experience.

If you do not document your experience consistently, your 3-month

meetings will not have the focus and direction to address any
shortcomings in your training.

i.e. It won’t exactly be “structured” training.

Call to action

Firstly; Write out your experiences.

I don’t know what stage you’re at with your APC at the time of
reading this. So I can’t be specific with, write out your level 1 now…

But I can say, write out your experiences

Do it right now!

However, don’t go trying to write out all your experience in one go.
It’s exhausting…

Tackle a competency, one level at a time. Or even, part of a level at a

time.

Secondly;

Like all good surveyors, I am going to analyse my “client

requirements”    So I can serve you better.

I want you to tell me what you need help in.

What are your thoughts on the article lengths?

 Too long?
  Just right?
 Do you want shorter articles with simple action points?

Get in touch by emailing sam@sosapc.com

Summary of Experience
RICS APC – Business Planning
POSTED ON JUNE 23, 2018 UPDATED ON JUNE 23, 2018
Introduction.
Business Planning is a mandatory competency that APC candidates from all
pathways need to achieve at Level 1.
Candidates from the Art & Antiques pathway may elect to take this competency to
Level 2 or 3 as part of their optional selection.
Business Planning is a Core Competency at Level 3 for the Management
Consultancy pathway.
Please note that the requirements at Level 1 when taken as a Technical Competency
within the aforementioned pathways are slightly different from the requirements as a
Mandatory Competency. You should refer to your specific Pathway Guide for more
details.
What is it about?
The official RICS definition is:
Level 1 = ‘Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of how business planning
activities contribute to the achievement of corporate objectives’.
It includes several topics:

 Legislation and principles of law – See Pg. 33 of the RICS Practice

Management Guidelines
 Types and essential elements of Business Plans
 Short term / long term strategies
 Market analysis (SWOT / PEST)
 Organisational structures / Staffing levels – recruitment / turnover
 Business support services – administration, secretarial, HR, IT etc.

Most APC candidates will have come across the key concepts of Business Planning –
knowingly or not – at some point during their graduate studies. Some of the largest
employers may also offer on-line management training modules. Alternatively nothing
stops you from picking up a basic book on business management to brush on your
knowledge in strategy, organisational structures, market analysis, etc
I also strongly recommend you to read the RICS Practice Management Guidelines  to
understand how business planning is relevant to surveyors. It has now been withdrawn
but we have saved a copy for you!
Those working in the largest companies may recognise some of the tools used by their
employers and gain an understanding of why those are in place. Those working in small
practices or as self-employed may find very useful advice to grow their business
acumen.
Potential APC Questions
Due to time constraints, assessors will only have time to ask you a few questions on
Business Planning. As a minimum they will expect you to know what a business plan is,
be familiar with your company’s business plan and business model, and understand
how you can contribute to the achievement of your company’s corporate objectives.
If you are applying under the Senior Professional Route (SPA), assessors will expect
you to have a detailed understanding of the development and implementation of your
company’ s business plan.
Some very classic questions would be;

 What is a business plan? What do you find in a business plan?

 Can you tell us about your company’s current business plan?
 What is your company’s management structure / business model?
 What are your company’s values?
 What tools does your company use to manage its business?
 How do you ensure that you contribute to the achievement of your company’s
objectives / business plan?
 What is contained within an appointment document? What are your
company’s terms of business?
 What is the relevance of a SWOT or PEST analysis to business planning?

Some points that you will have stated in your Summary of Experience may trigger
some questions more specific to your experience and personal knowledge.
For example you may state in your Summary of Experience that you have studied
Porter’s Five Forces Model, SWOT analysis and PEST analysis as part of a business
module at University. This may lead the APC assessors to ask you to explain what they
are and to give an example specific to your company.
Final Tips
Business Planning is a crucial competency for those considering setting up their own
practice or progressing to a management role after attainment of the MRICS status. I
therefore recommend that you do not neglect it, both for your APC and future career
development.
Familiarise yourself with your company’s business plan and its management structure
and tools. Consider how you personally contribute to achieving its objectives
(‘achievement of corporate objectives’ is contained within the definition of this
competency). This may be by completing your timesheets and expenses in a timely
manner or assessing your own competences and planning your CPD’s to acquire the
relevant skills.
Make sure that you understand how to prepare a business plan and what it should look
like.

All our past APC candidates will give you the same advice: do not underestimate the
time required to revise (learn?) for your APC! It will easily take you 3 months of solid
studying every evening.
To make this task a little easier, APC Support Ltd offer on-demand revision
webinars covering all the technical and mandatory competencies in Quantity
Surveying, Built Infrastructure, Building Surveying, Building Control, Project
Management and Facilities Management.
Alternatively, we offer face-to-face training for corporate clients across the UK. Please
e-mail us at Sonia@APCsupport-ltd.co.uk to discuss your requirements.
All the modules are recorded and will provide you with over 30 hours of formal CPD.
You can attend them on a pay-as-you-go basis or subscribe to our unlimited revision
package.
Best of luck!

This entry was posted in Mandatory Competencies, Uncategorized and

tagged APC, business planning, coaching, Experience, Mandatory
competencies, mentoring, Record of Experience, RICS, Summary of
Experience, support, tips.

RICS APC – Accounting Principles and Procedures

POSTED ON JUNE 23, 2018 UPDATED ON JUNE 23, 2018
Introduction.
Accounting Principles and Procedures is a mandatory competency that APC
candidates from all pathways need to achieve at Level 1.
Candidates from some pathways (Art & Antiques, Commercial Property Practice,
Property Finance and Investment, Rural Surveying, Valuation) may elect to take this
competency to Level 2 or 3 as part of their optional selection.
Accounting Principles and Procedures is a Core Competency at Level 3 for
the Taxation Allowance pathway.
Please note that the requirements at Level 1 when taken as a Technical Competency
within the aforementioned pathways are different from the requirements as a Mandatory
Competency. You should refer to your specific Pathway Guide for more details.
The examples provided in this post are more focused on the Construction pathways but
you should be able to relate our tips and advices to other Property and Land pathways.
What is it about?!
The official RICS definition is:
Level 1 = ‘Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of accounting concepts and the
format and preparation of management and company accounts, including profit and
loss statements, cash flow statements and balance sheets.’
This gives you the first clues to your study list;

 Company Accounts & the Companies Act 2006

 Management accounts vs. Financial accounts
 Profit and loss statement vs. Balance sheet
 Cash flow statements

Less obvious topics depending on your experience and CPD records may include;

 Taxation
 Capital allowances
 Ratio analysis
 Profitability / Insolvency
 Auditing

All candidates may potentially set up their own practice or join their
company’s management team in the future, therefore a basic knowledge of Accounting
Principles is required;

 For monitoring your own business accounts.

 For assessing your competition.

Candidates may use Accounting Principles for different purposes depending on their
pathway and experience;

 For assessing the financial strength of contractors (for example in PQQ’s in a

tender process or to assess initial signs of insolvency).
 For assessing the financial strength of potential landlords and tenants.
 For profits-method valuation

Potential APC Questions

Due to time constraints during the interview you are unlikely to be asked more than one
or two questions on Accounting Principles but which questions is anyone’s guess!
Some very classic textbook questions would be to describe or compare and contrast
some of the accounting documents;

 What is the difference between a profit and loss statement and a balance
sheet?
 What do companies need to provide every year in accordance with the
Companies Act 2006?
 What is the purpose of a cash flow statement?

Some points that you may have stated in your Summary of Experience, your Case
Study or previous answers may trigger some questions more specific to your
experience.
For example, as a Quantity Surveyor, you may state in your Summary of Experience
that you have reviewed the contractors’ financial information as part of a PQQ. Or that
you have carried out a credit check before recommending the appointment of a
contractor in your tender report. This may lead the APC assessors to ask you questions
such as;

 How do you carry out a credit check / analyse company accounts?

 What type of financial information do you usually request in a PQQ?

Which may lead to;

 What type of ratios can you use? (liquidity ratios, profitability ratios, gearing
ratios)
 What are the signs of insolvency in a credit check / company accounts?

Which could in turn lead to;

 What measures would you recommend if your client insists on appointing a

contractor with low credit rating? [This would be asked within the
Procurement and Tendering competency]

Or you may state that you are aware of your company’s accounts which were presented
to you at a staff meeting. The panel would then expect you to know the answer to this
question;

  What is your company’s current turnover and profit?

Final Tips
Remember that you are expected to achieve this competency at level 1. While
you should be aware of the main accounting ratios, you are not a qualified accountant
and you should not claim that you are analysing companies accounts for your
client. (Do not fall short of the RICS Rules of Conduct!)
Remember that for most candidates, you only need to attain level 1 so keep it simple.

All our past APC candidates will give you the same advice: do not underestimate the
time required to revise (learn?) for your APC! It will easily take you 3 months of solid
studying every evening.
To make this task a little easier, APC Support Ltd offer on-demand revision
webinars covering all the technical and mandatory competencies in Quantity
Surveying, Built Infrastructure, Building Surveying, Building Control, Project
Management and Facilities Management.
Alternatively, we offer face-to-face training for corporate clients across the UK. Please
e-mail us at Sonia@APCsupport-ltd.co.uk to discuss your requirements.
All the modules are recorded and will provide you with over 30 hours of formal CPD.
You can attend them on a pay-as-you-go basis or subscribe to our unlimited revision
package.
Best of luck!

This entry was posted in Mandatory Competencies, Uncategorized and

tagged Accounting Principles, APC, coaching, Experience, Mandatory
competencies, mentoring, Record of Experience, Summary of Experience, tips.

Procurement and Tendering

POSTED ON JULY 4, 2017 UPDATED ON JUNE 23, 2018
Procurement and Tendering
The first thing to achieve this competency is to understand the difference between
contract, procurement and tendering!

 Contract: Selecting the suitable form of contract within the JCT suite of
contracts, NEC, FIDIC, ICC, etc.

⇒ Selecting between NEC Option A or B is not relevant to this competency!

 Procurement: Traditional, Design and Build (including EPC for those in the
MENA region), Construction Management and Management Contracting.

Some more unusual routes may include frameworks and partnering.

Procurement routes can be further broken down by basis of contract sum: lump sum,
target cost, measurement, reimbursable, etc. However you should refrain to mention
how you selected the form of contract under this competency.

 Tendering: Open, competitive, negotiated.

Alternative categories: single-stage, two-stage and negotiated.

Essential reading:
⇒ JCT Tendering Practice Note 2017
⇒ FIDIC Tendering Procedure 2nd Edition (1994)
 
If you are working with public clients, you need to study the Public
Procurement regulations in use in your country, even if your projects have always been
below the threshold or procured under framework agreements.
If you are working in the EU, you will know public procurement as the ‘OJEU
regulations’. This includes;

 How the EU Directives are transposed into your national legislation

 Threshold levels
 Procedures available
 Timescales
 Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT)
 Standstill periods and Alcatel letters

 
If you have to take this competency at level 3, you are almost certain to be asked
how you advised a client on a suitable procurement route. Or if you work for a
contractor, how you advised on procurement routes for a specific works package. If you
simply answer that you considered time, cost and quality, this is a level 1 answer only.
A level 3 answer would be explaining that it was a school project (for example) and that
it had to be imperatively completed for the new term, that accountability was essential
because it was publicly funded and explaining (briefly) how your recommended
procurement route fulfilled these objectives under the specific circumstances of your
project.
 
There are many other topics that we cannot cover under this blog; those are listed
under your pathway guide, so please do refer to it while writing your summary of
experience!
All our past APC candidates will give you the same advice: do not underestimate the
time required to revise (learn?) for your APC! It will easily take you 3 months of solid
studying every evening.
To make this task a little easier, APC Support Ltd offer on-demand revision
webinars covering all the technical and mandatory competencies in Quantity
Surveying, Built Infrastructure, Building Surveying, Building Control, Project
Management and Facilities Management.
Alternatively, we offer face-to-face training for corporate clients across the UK. Please
e-mail us at Sonia@APCsupport-ltd.co.uk to discuss your requirements.
All the modules are recorded and will provide you with over 30 hours of formal CPD.
You can attend them on a pay-as-you-go basis or subscribe to our unlimited revision
package.
Best of luck!
 
 
 
 
 
 

This entry was posted in Technical Competencies and

tagged help, Procurement, Record of Experience, RICS, Summary of
Experience, Technical Competencies, Tendering, tips.

Completing your Summary of Experience

POSTED ON AUGUST 22, 2016 UPDATED ON JUNE 23, 2018
FOREWORD: Please be aware that this post is not an official RICS guidance.
All the advice given in this blog is based on my personal interpretation of the APC
Candidate’s Guide which I have enhanced through many discussions with fellow APC
Mentors and APC Assessors.
Sonia Desloges MRICS
Director, APC Support Ltd

Completing your Summary of Experience

Your summary of experience will form the basis of the assessors’ questioning so it is
really worth spending time to get it right. If you are following the Preliminary Review
route, a poor summary of experience is also likely to receive a ‘Not suitable for you to
proceed’ response and delay your interview.
So what do assessors expect to see in your summary of experience?

 A demonstration that you have achieved the required levels

 Statements relevant to your declared competencies
 Precise and concise real project examples
 A broad range of experience
 Professional vocabulary and grammar

Writing your summary of experience correctly is a time consuming exercise. It is not

unusual for candidates to spend over an hour on each competency – it is really not as
easy as it seems! – and it is a smart idea to start working on it about 6 months before
your interview.
Word limit
The word limit for the Mandatory Competencies is 1,500 words maximum. This
represents approximately 100 words per ‘box’.
The word limit for Technical and Optional Competencies is between 3,000 to 4,000
words.
As different pathways have different numbers of competencies this adds up to
approximately;

 Circa 160 words per box for Building Surveyors and Quantity Surveyors
 Circa 125 words per box for Project Managers
 Circa 185 words per box for Built Infrastructure

 Assessors aim to focus on your levels 3 so the rule of thumb is to be succinct at level 1
and provide more details in level 3.
 
A demonstration that you have achieved the required levels
Level 1: learning
At level 1 you will be tested on the theoretical knowledge deemed required to carry out
your job diligently.
You should (very briefly) explain how you achieved this level: university degree, self-
study, employer’s structured training, CPD, etc. and mention the topics that you have
studied. Assessors will use your statements as a starting point for their questioning but
be aware that you are expected to be familiar with all the topics listed within your
pathway guide. Assessors may also use your CPD records and case study to test your
levels 1 and they may bounce back on your answers during your interview to assess
some areas of knowledge in more details.
Level 2: doing
In level 2, you should describe how you have put the theoretical knowledge acquired in
level 1 into practice. Depending on your professional experience, you may not have
been exposed to all the activities listed in your pathway guide. This is why it is important
that you provide the assessors with precise information for their questioning.
You should pick between 1 and 3 activities listed under the relevant competency in your
pathway guide and explain in details the process you followed to carry out these
activities in one or several of your projects. You do not have to name the project if you
do not wish to, but you should let the assessors know what type of project it was: an
office refurbishment, a new industrial warehouse, a university teaching unit, etc.
Level 3: advising
At this level, you need to demonstrate that you have provided reasoned advice to a
client. If you work for a contractor, this may be an internal client such as a director or
another department in your company and if you work for a sub-contractor, this may be
the main contractor in the project. Explaining to a trainee how to carry out a task can
count towards your CPD hours but it does not constitute reasoned advice as per the
APC requirements.
To overcome this hurdle, think of your levels 3 like mini case studies:
First, on which topic did you have to provide advice? Present the assessors with some
brief background if necessary.
Secondly, what factors did you have to consider to ensure that you would provide
suitable advice? This may be some specific site conditions, some budget constraints,
some technical issues, some programme considerations, etc.
Then, what course of action did you recommend and why? It is critical that you answer
the question ‘why?’ to achieve level 3. The more you can demonstrate that you applied
logical thinking, the better.
And finally, try to give sufficient details to demonstrate level 3 but leave some areas
open for assessors’ questioning.
 
Statements relevant to your declared competencies
The APC requirements are very strict and you must be watchful that the statements and
examples given in your Summary of Experience reflect your selected competencies. For
example, you may have gained experience in planning and programming but if it is not
one of your technical or optional competencies, there is really no benefit in expanding
on the topic for your APC.
Your starting point should always be your pathway guide. You should constantly refer to
the examples of activities listed under each competency as you write your Summary of
Experience.
Precise and concise real project examples & A broad range of experience
The APC is evidence based. At levels 2 and 3, it is therefore essential that you enhance
your statements with examples from specific projects.
Assessors do not need to know the full project details nor the exhaustive description of
what other people have done. They are only interested in the process that YOU
followed.
Some unsatisfactory examples would be:
Project Financial Control and Reporting, Level 2;
‘I am responsible for producing reports in most of my projects, which I do with
professionalism and high standards of work.’
 Here, the candidate does not provide any evidence to support his generic statement.
Construction Technology, Level 3;
‘I always advise to use steel frame in all my projects because it is cheaper and faster.’
The advice provided should be tailored to the specificities of the project and client.
While steel frame may be generally cheaper and faster, it is not the best technical
solution for all projects and the candidate is not demonstrating any logical reasoning in
this statement.
Suggested wording:
Procurement and Tendering, Level 3;
‘In the office refurbishment project in Manchester, I was asked to advise my client on
the most appropriate procurement route. I organised a meeting with my client
and several stakeholders to understand their key priorities. In this case, it was critical
that the planned completion date was achieved and they were willing to transfer a large
proportion of risks onto the contractor. I explained that the contractor would be charging
a risk premium which my client acknowledged. Retaining control over the design was
not critical in this simple refurbishment project. Basing my advice on my experience
and the use of a procurement scoring matrix, I recommended a design and build
procurement route. This route would enable my client to start the project on site earlier
thus providing a greater float towards the end of the project. It would also provide my
client with a single point of responsibility. My client accepted my advice and the project
was completed within the required timescales.’
 As this example is based on a fictional project, it is still rather generic and you may add
more or less details as relevant to your project.
 
Selection of project examples
I have only presented one project example in this blog as an illustration, but you may
state 2 or 3 examples in each level 2 and each level 3 to demonstrate a broader range
of experience if a single example is too narrow.
Obviously you will find yourself limited with the word count which is why being concise
but precise is crucial. In the other extreme, do not try to squeeze in as many examples
as possible as you would have to be so brief that the quality of your submission would
suffer.
Be also mindful that some areas of your competencies will be more important than
others. For example, under Contract Practice, you are expected to have provided
advice on the most appropriate form of contract to achieve level 3, or at least be able to
convince your assessors that you would know exactly how to proceed if you had to.
If you do not mention a key topic in your Summary of Experience, you should still expect
to be questioned about it during your interview.
Some questions will probably still take you by surprise but if you can answer most of the
assessors’ questions precisely and with confidence, you will be on the right track to
becoming chartered.
 
Final tips
As you read once again your final draft before sending it to the RICS, it is worth
focusing on a few last points;

 Check your grammar and spelling – Get a couple of people to proofread your
submission.
 Use the first person – Assessors are only interested in what YOU did.
 Use active phrases rather than passive.
 Use the appropriate terminology in particular in contract practice and rules of
conduct – If you are unsure, check in a textbook or google it!
 Give some breathing space to your summary of experience by jumping to the
line between topics.
 And once again, make sure that your levels 3 demonstrate logical reasoning
like mini-case studies.

Further help
If you require a detailed review of your APC submission documents, we offer this
service for APC candidates in most pathways both in the UK and outside the UK.
Please visit our website for more information: http://www.apcsupport-ltd.co.uk/pre-
submission-support
If you need to enhance your understanding of the competencies, APC Support
Ltd offer on-demand revision webinars covering all the technical and mandatory
competencies in Quantity Surveying, Built Infrastructure, Building Surveying, Building
Control, Project Management and Facilities Management.
Alternatively, we offer face-to-face training for corporate clients across the UK. Please
e-mail us at Sonia@APCsupport-ltd.co.uk to discuss your requirements.
All the modules are recorded and will provide you with over 30 hours of formal CPD.
You can attend them on a pay-as-you-go basis or subscribe to our unlimited revision
package.
And as always, we are on Twitter @APCsupport_Ltd and you can send me an invite
on LinkedIn if you would like to be notified of our latest events.

This entry was posted in Record of Experience and Diary and tagged APC, Mandatory

competencies, RICS, Summary of Experience, Technical Competencies, tips.

Understanding the APC Submission Documents

POSTED ON MAY 7, 2016 UPDATED ON FEBRUARY 20, 2020
FOREWORD: Please be aware that this post is not an official RICS guidance.
All the advice given in this blog is based on my personal interpretation of the APC
Candidate’s Guide which I have enhanced through many discussions with fellow APC
Mentors and APC Assessors.
Sonia Desloges MRICS
Director, APC Support Ltd

Understanding the APC Submission Documents

If you intend to sit your APC in the next 12 months, it is a good idea to start familiarising
yourself with the APC Submission Documents.
All candidates enrolled since 1st January 2017 must complete their documents using
the RICS online platform (ARC). Candidates enrolled prior to this date (inflight
candidates) have the choice between using ARC or uploading a Pdf of the old word
template.
In any case, you may find it easier to use a Word Document to write your drafts and
issue to your counsellor for feedback. There is indeed no option for printing your draft
off ARC and this can be quite a source of frustration!
APC Support Ltd sells a Word Template for the Summary of Experience which includes
the detailed list of topics that you should cover under each competency and pre-drafted
sections to ensure that you structure your levels 2 and 3 correctly. You only need to fill
the gaps and re-write it in your own words. The template is available at this link.
The APC Submission Template contains 6 sections which I will review one by one.

1. Candidate Details
2. Summary of Experience
3. Case Study
4. CPD Records
5. Ethics Certificate
 6. Log Book (If applicable)

  1. Candidate Details
Candidate and Counsellor / Supervisor Details
You only need to provide your name, pathway and some basic information about
yourself and your supervisor / counsellor in this section. You also need to attach a
professional picture (as opposed to one from social media!).
Do not forget to sign it and to get your counsellor and supervisor (if any) to sign it. If
cannot obtain electronic signatures, please scan and upload the relevant page(s) on
ACR.
Having a supervisor is optional but I would suggest that you take up the extra support if
it is offered to you.
 
Qualifications and Employment History
Complete this section as you would for a brief CV to give the assessors an idea of
experience to date. It is always useful to briefly describe your key projects in this section
to save yourself some of the wordcount in your summary of experience.
Please keep it short!
2. Summary of Experience
This section is the most important part of your APC submission and I have dedicated a
separate post to it – Follow the link: Completing your Summary of Experience
 
3. Case Study
This is also a topic in itself and I have written several posts about the case study:
Part 1: Selecting your key issue
Part 2: Writing your case study to the requisite format
Part 3: Perfecting your draft.
 
4. CPD Records
As an APC candidate, you need to complete 48 hours of CPD every 12 months, which
can be pro-rata to 24 hours in your final 6 months. At least 50% must be formal CPD.
Activity type: Was it a seminar, a training class, a university project, an on-line CPD, in-
house briefing, personal reading, internet search, mentoring, etc?
Purpose / learning outcome: You should not attend CPD events just for the sake of it;
you need to attend them with the aim of learning something in relation to your job.
You need to identify where the gaps in your knowledge are and research how you can
address them. APC Support Ltd offer on-demand revision webinars covering all the
technical and mandatory competencies which enable you to gain over 30 hours of
formal CPD hours.
Description: Briefly explain what the event was; it will usually be the description given by
the CPD provider. Please also specify who delivered this CPD, or in which journal or
website you read an article for example.
TIP: Be careful, this section is an excellent source of questions for assessors! If you
state that you attended a 3-hour CPD on the difference between JCT and NEC
contract, the assessors will expect you to be reasonably clued up on the topic.
Formal or informal: Please refer to the RICS guidance to select. It is not the end of the
world if you get the odd one wrong but do apply some common sense!
The RICS guidance is available to download here: Formal and Informal CPD Examples
If you studied on a day release or completed a master, you can record part of your final
year studies as CPD.
As a chartered surveyor, you will have to complete 20 hours of CPD every year. You
need to demonstrate that you have already embraced this requirement. The assessors
will not be impressed if all your CPD hours come from your company’s graduate
development programme or your university degree! Put yourself in the assessors’ shoes
for a moment: How will you achieve your CPD hours once you have left the graduate
programme?
A few final points on CPD:

 This is a small industry; the chances that one of your assessors delivered a
seminar that you pretended to attend are greater than you think – Do not
make things up!
 Networking events, even organised by the RICS, are not CPD.
 Attend CPD’s on a variety of topics relevant to your job.
 Use a variety of sources: personal reading, seminars, on-line training, etc.
 48 hours is a minimum; feel free to record (a little) more.
 Remember that everything that you record as CPD can be a source of
questioning.

 
 5. Ethics Certificate
All candidates are required to complete the online ethics training and test and upload
their certificate onto ARC (if you are lucky, it will be done automatically!).
The test consists of scenario-type questions and is not as easy as it may seem. ‘I
decline politely’ is certainly not always the correct answer!  You will have to wait 24
hours before retaking it if you fail. As it is valid for 12 months, there is no excuse for
leaving it to the last minute!
The RICS will e-mail you your personal login details to take the test as soon as you are
eligible to sit your APC. If you have not received your details, please e-mail
apc@rics.org to enquire.
6. Log Book
The log book records the amount of experience in days that you have gained in each
competency each year. This is only applicable to candidates required to undertake a
period of structured training.
Candidates with a RICS accredited degree and less than 5 year experience need to follow
a minimum 24 months  structured training after enrolment onto the APC, and those
with between 5 and 10 year experience, 12 months. Candidates with a non-accredited
degree will have to undertake the preliminary review instead, and those with an
accredited degree and more than 10 year experience will need neither of them.
Please read our post My APC: Getting started if you have no idea what I am talking
about!
If you enrolled after 1st January 2017, you need to complete your diary on ARC which
will automatically populate your log book (There is no way of getting away with not
keeping your diary up-to-date!). If you enrolled prior to this date, you need to use the
excel version which is unfortunately no longer available on the RICS pathway.
If you have lost your file, you can download a copy here: Log Book – Commercial
Property Practice
Obviously, you will need to amend the competencies to suit your pathway.
If you are an inflight candidate, please do not upload your diary on ARC! Assessors do
not get to see it, it is only for your personal records.
Please refer to our previous post for more details on the diary: Completing the APC
Diary
 
Referred candidates
Please be aware that you do not have to attach your referral report. The RICS will not
tell the assessors whether it is your first, second or more attempt in order to avoid any
possible unconscious bias.
However, you must update your CPD records, your log book (if applicable) and amend
your summary of experience to address any areas of weaknesses identified at your
previous interview.
Please do also check that your case study is still within the time limits or you will need to
write a new one. You are also encouraged to write a new one if your original case study
did not serve you well at your previous attempt. All your documents should allow you to
showcase your best skills!
Finally, do not forget to check that your Ethics certificate is still in date and you will need
to gain new signatures on the front page.
 Further advice to referred candidates is provided in a separate post.
 

Further help
If you require further help with your APC preparation, we offer a number of  support
services for APC candidates in most pathways both in the UK and outside the UK.
Please visit our website for more information: http://www.apcsupport-ltd.co.uk/pre-
submission-support
Alternatively, we offer face-to-face training for corporate clients in the North-West of
England. Please e-mail us at Sonia@APCsupport-ltd.co.uk to discuss your
requirements.
Please feel free to send me an invite on LinkedIn if you would like to be notified of our
latest events.
 
Case Study – Part 1: Selecting your key issue.
POSTED ON JUNE 28, 2015 UPDATED ON JUNE 23, 2018
FOREWORD: Please be aware that this post is not an official RICS guidance.
All the advice given in this blog is based on my personal interpretation of the APC Candidate’s
Guide which I have enhanced through many discussions with fellow APC Mentors and APC
Assessors.
Sonia Desloges MRICS
Director, APC Support Limited
 

The Case Study for the APC

The Case Study that you are required to submit as part of your APC submission is a fantastic
opportunity to showcase your technical and professional skills through a project that you know
very well. But how do you get started with it?
What is a good key issue?
What are you expected to include in each section?
What techniques can you use to best demonstrate your competencies?
I will address these questions in a series of three posts taking you through the stages of writing
your case study.

1. Select your key issue(s)

2. Write your Case Study to the requisite format
3. Perfect your drafts applying concise and logical reasoning, using accurate vocabulary
and demonstrating level 3 competencies.
This post will focus on the first stage: selecting your key issue(s).
Selecting a suitable key issue is critical in achieving the objectives of the Case Study, so let’s
take you step by step through the identification process of your best key issues.
When do I need to start thinking about my Case Study?
As a rule of thumb, I would recommend discussing your Case Study with your Counsellor 12
months before your final interview. This will give you the time to request additional
responsibilities or to get involved in a different project if you both identify that you do not have a
suitable key issue yet.
I would recommend that you keep a little notebook in which you record anything interesting that
occurred in your projects to jiggle up your memory when needed.
Which project?
Assessors recognise that candidates will have gained a very diverse experience depending on
their employment and as a result almost any of your projects is suitable for your Case Study.
Your selected project does not have to be a multi-million award winning scheme. Small low-
profile projects attract the same challenges that major projects and require the same set of
skills.
Some of your projects will be more suitable than others and you should start by compiling a
short list of your most suitable projects.

 Which projects did I work on over the last 24 months?

The topic of your Case Study must not be older than 24 months by the time you submit your
documents for final assessment (or preliminary review if applicable)

 In which of my projects was I a key member of the team?

You do not have to be running the project but you must have had a strong degree of delegated
responsibility to deliver the project.

 Out of those, in which ones did I get to personally advise my client?

You must be able to demonstrate level 3 competencies in your Case Study so you need to
select a project in which you have influenced your client’s decision, or at least been involved in
the decision making process. This does not have to be the final client; it can be an internal client
such as another department or another level in hierarchy.

 Out of those, in which ones did the team generally follow industry best practice?

If you select a project in which corners were constantly cut, it is very unlikely that you will have
dealt with your key issues in the manner expected for the purpose of your APC.
What is a good key issue?
Once you have your short-list of projects, you need to consider all the challenges that you have
encountered during your involvement. Hopefully you will have kept a notebook and you can
easily go through your notes to refresh your memory. At this stage, write down everything that
comes to your mind!
You then need to identify which among these many challenges are potential key issues.
A key issue has to be something that occurred outside the daily routine tasks. Explaining what
you do as a normal course of action is not dealing with a key issue. Very often, it is the
circumstances that made a relatively standard task a challenge for the candidate to overcome.
For example, demonstrating value for money is part of the day job for a quantity surveyor, but
demonstrating value for money when there is only one specialist contractor in Europe who can
deliver the works is far trickier and therefore a key issue.
Obviously your key issue(s) must be related to the competencies listed in the pathway guide
and you must demonstrate at least two competencies at level 3.
Once you have gathered your list of potential key issues, review them asking yourselves these
questions;

 What was specific to this project or client that led to this challenge?

A key issue that occurred because of your own naivety or negligence would be definitively best
avoided. Equally, an over-complex issue may trip you off.

 Were there several options to overcome this challenge or only one possible
course of action?

If there was only one viable option, you will not be able to demonstrate your analytic skills which
is intrinsic to achieving level 3: reasoned advice.

 Were all my options tasks that I would not ordinarily carry out if it was not for this
key issue?

For example checking that I have not made any arithmetical errors is not an option, it is a
compulsory best practice task.

 Did I act in accordance with the RICS standards?

If for a reason or another you had to heavily deviate from best practice in your short-listed key
issue, play it safe and select a different key issue. (And use your best endeavour to follow best
practice in the future!)
How many key issues?
Most candidates select two keys issues because it enables them to demonstrate a broader
breath of experience while being able to analyse their options and choices in details.
You may discuss a single key issue if it was particularly complex and enabled you to apply a
range of level 3 competencies.
I would not recommend including a third key issue in your Case Study. If you cannot write 3,000
words on two key issues, it is probably because you have not carried out your analysis in
sufficient details, or that your key issues are too weak.
Final words of advice
Whatever the key issue(s) that you will select, remember that you will be questioned on your
Case Study for 10mins and you must therefore be very knowledgeable on these topics and also
be able to justify the decisions that you made. You must be able to demonstrate that you have
learnt lessons from your key issues and that it contributed to your attainment of the skills and
behaviours required as a chartered surveyor.
Finally, remember to verify with your clients that you are authorised to use their project details
for your Case Study without facing issues of confidentiality. It is always wise to obtain their
written consent.
 

Further help
If you would like to prepare the detailed plan of your Case Study with our APC trainers and
discuss with them your key issues and options, we offer one-to-one mentoring sessions either
face-to-face (Manchester or London only) or via Skype.
We also offer a documentation review service once you have completed your draft. Please
check our pre-submission services here.
Alternatively, we offer face-to-face training for corporate clients across the UK. Please e-mail us
at Sonia@APCsupport-ltd.co.uk to discuss your requirements.
And as always, we are on Twitter @APCsupport_Ltd and you can send me an invite
on LinkedIn if you would like to be notified of our latest events.

Case Study – Part 2: Writing to the requisite format.

POSTED ON JULY 7, 2015 UPDATED ON JUNE 23, 2018
FOREWORD: Please be aware that this post is not an official RICS guidance.
All the advice given in this blog is based on my personal interpretation of the APC Candidate’s
Guide 2016 which I have enhanced through many discussions with fellow APC Mentors and
APC Assessors.
Sonia Desloges MRICS
Director, APC Support Limited
 

Case Study: Writing to the requisite format.

As I explained in the first part of this series of three articles, writing your Case Study should
advance in three stages:

1. Select your key issue(s)

2. Write your Case Study to the requisite format
3. Perfect your drafts applying concise and logical reasoning, using accurate vocabulary
and demonstrating level 3 competencies.
This second post focuses – quite logically – on the second stage and will examine each section
of the Case Study step by step.
Front Cover and Contents
The current RICS template for the Case Study is set out on ARC and also contained within the
‘APC Submission Template’ available for download on the RICS website:
http://www.rics.org/uk/apc/pathway-guides (select your relevant pathway and make sure that
you select ‘chartered’ if you are applying for full MRICS status rather than Associate)
The Assessors will expect your Case Study to be presented to the highest professional
standards, exactly like a formal report to a client.
Whilst this is not currently included in the RICS template, I would therefore strongly recommend
that you add a front cover and a page of content.
You can download the amended template that I have produced here: case-study-template-
august-2016
If you feel that this is a little adventurous, you will find that most assessors and APC
mentors give the same advice on the APC Forum on LinkedIn. It will make you stand
out from the crowd and in a good way.
This template is an exact copy of the RICS template but includes additional sub-sections to help
you with your structure and your word count. You may choose to remove the sub-headings at
the time of your submission or retain them, which will help the assessors follow your case study
more easily.
You may adapt the front cover to suit your personal preferences but I would suggest including a
photograph of your project as it will help grabbing your reader’s interest.
I have also added a couple of optional additional pages that you may want to consider. Those
do not have to be included in the word count.

 Confidentiality statement
The RICS have included a confidentiality statement assuming that you will obtain consent from
your client and your employer. If this is not the case and you can not reveal all the names and
details, I have included an alternative wording which you may amend to suit.

 Glossary of Abbreviations
Using abbreviations and acronyms is generally not recommended but if you must, remember to
incorporate a glossary or list of abbreviations. Remember to always use the full word with the
abbreviation between brackets the first time you use an acronym in your case study, eg the
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and thereafter RICS.

 Page of Contents
Like all professional reports, your case study should have a page of contents. This page is
automatically linked to the contents of your case study but you must remember to right-click on
your mouse to update the fields.
Your case study is to be uploaded as a pdf rather than directly typed on ARC so you can really
make an effort on presentation.
Section 1: Introduction (circa 500 words)
In this section you are expected to give a brief description of the project, your roles and
responsibilities. You do not need to give detailed background to your key issue(s) in this section
but simply put your reader into context.
As with every written work, start with an introduction sentence such as:
‘This report will critically analyse my involvement as the [your role] in project XYZ.’
You can add a brief outline of your report if you can afford the extra words (please omit if your
wordcount if too tight!). For example;
‘I will present two keys issues which I encountered in this project and review the options I
considered to overcome them. This report will go on to evaluate the outcome of my approach
and recommended solution, and conclude by the analysis of the lessons I have learnt through
this experience.’

1.1 Project Overview

Include some or all of the following as appropriate – this may be as bullet points if you are
struggling with the word count;

 Brief description of project

 Brief description of client (and stakeholders but only if relevant to your key issues)
 Stage at which the project currently is
 Project key objectives (if relevant)
 Project key risks and constraints (if relevant)
 Key dates / timescales
 Project value, form of contract, procurement (as relevant to your pathway)

1.2 My involvement and responsibilities

 What was your role? (Keep it short and make a list with bullet points if you carried out
many different tasks)
 What was your level of responsibility?
 At what stage did you get involved?

 
Section 2: My approach (circa 1,600 words) 
Remember that the assessors are only interested in what YOU did. Write the whole of
your Case Study using the first person and active verbs.

2.1 Key Issue One: [Give it a title] (circa 800 words)

Provide the background to your first key issue in this sub-section.
You do not need to explain all the details of the project or circumstances. Focus on the key
points that impacted on your decisions to consider and reject or adopt your options.
The type of questions you need to answer here may be;
  What events or constraints led to the key issue?
 What made it a challenge for you?
 What was the stance of your client and stakeholders?
 What were the risks to the project?

Do not omit to clearly formulate what your key issue was. The Assessors have not worked
with you on your project and you should not over-estimate their ability to guess what you are
trying to say. Ask a friend who does not know anything about your project to read your case
study to check whether you have suitably expressed yourself.

2.2 Options
Start by explaining what your objectives were when you started tackling this key issue. What
were you aiming to achieve?
This will enable you to set out a number of criteria against which you will measure the success
of your solution in section 3 (My Achievements) of your Case Study. This could be just half a
sentence or a couple of sentences depending on the complexity of your project.
Then briefly list the 2 to 4 options that you considered. (3 is always best)
‘As it was critical to my client that the budget was not exceeded whilst not compromising the
end user’s requirements, I identified that three courses of actions were available to me for
resolving this key issue:

 Option 1: XYZ

 Option 2: ABC

 Option 3: Bla bla bla’

As the headings and sub-headings must be included in your word count, you may have to
choose between listing your options here or stating them under the next series of sub-headings
to keep to the word limit.
Then review them one at the time remembering that you want to demonstrate your level 3
competencies (providing reasoned advice).
Option 1: [title]

 What led you to consider option 1? Why was is a realistic option?

 What methodology did you use to analyse its suitability? Why?
 What were the results of your analysis?
 Why did these results lead you to reject this option?
 How did you advise your client?

Option 2: [title]
Repeat the same structure for option 2.
Option 3: [title]
The last option is usually your solution. Same as options 1 and 2 but you may emphasise on
how you established that it was the best solution and why.
You need to follow a logical reasoning and also demonstrate that you have taken into account
your client’s requirements and that you have addressed the issue you were trying to resolve.
Inserting a table listing the advantages and disadvantages of each option is not satisfactory.
You must write full sentences and analyse the benefits or not of each option against your
objectives.
Once again remember that you need to demonstrate that you provided reasoned advice.
This structure is adopted by most candidates but may not work with all key issues and some
candidates prefer to briefly describe each option, why they considered them and the
methodology applied under each relevant sub-heading. And they add an additional section
‘Analysis of options’ in which they compare and contrast the relative benefits and disadvantages
of each option against the objectives they aim to achieve.
2.3 Key Issue Two: [Give it a title] (circa 800 words)
Background

2.4 Options
Proceed as per Key Issue One.
You do not need to have a second key issue if your first one was particularly complex and
entailed the application of several Level 3 competencies.
I would not recommend more than two keys issues as the strict word count will not permit you to
explain them in sufficient depth.
Section 3: My achievements (circa 400 words)
The official RICS Candidate’s Guide states:
‘In this section you should describe what you achieved, how you achieved this and what your
involvement was. Demonstrate your ability to think logically, laterally and professionally giving
examples of where you gave reasoned advice to a client for your level 3 competencies.’
To be clear, you should aim to demonstrate level 3 competencies in the whole of your Case
Study, not just this section.
You do not need to explain how you achieved each competency nor how you were thinking
logically, laterally and professionally. Assessors will work this out by themselves. In this section,
you just need to explain what happened next.
I recommend that you tackle this section in two steps. First describe the outcome, then explain
how you achieved it. Make sure that you focus on what YOU did.
Deal with your key issues one after the other to avoid confusing the assessors.

3.1 Key Issue One

The outcome

 What was the result?

  What were the project’s and client’s objectives and key drivers? Did you achieve them?
Did they evolve over time? (Link it back to Section 2.2)
 What happened next? How did you implement your solution?

Do not hesitate to give one or two precise figures or details if you can. This will provide the
assessors with additional evidence that you have successfully resolved your key issue.
How did you achieve this?
This will be completely specific to your personal circumstances but below are some examples
for consideration;

 What arguments did you put forward to convince your client / stakeholders? (relate it
back to your objectives)
 How did your client react when you advised them of your solution?
 Did you have any difficulties convincing your client and / or stakeholders? Why?
 Was there a risk that your solution would fail? How did you mitigate this risk?
 What did you personally do that contributed to the successful outcome?
 In hindsight, do you think that there was a better alternative? (Maybe one option that
your client rejected?)

3.2 Key Issue Two

Proceed as per Key Issue One.
 
Section 4: Conclusion (circa 500 words)
In accordance with the RICS Candidate’s Guide, ‘in this section you need to critically reflect on
and analyse your performance and make reference to the lessons you learnt and what you
would do differently next time.’
This is the most challenging section for many candidates and yet, probably the most important
one. You should aim to identify three or four lessons learnt per key issue. You should also try to
relate them to your pathway competencies.

 Which competencies did you develop and how? (this may include soft and professional
skills as well as rules of conduct and ethics)
 Did you learn any better ways of doing your job? Did you gain a better appreciation
of the reasons why the industry’s best practice is what it is?
 What were the causes of your key issue(s)? In future projects, could you do anything to
prevent or mitigate it?
 Could you have tackled your key issues in a more efficient manner? (Obviously, you
want to convince the panel that you dealt with it very well but you also need to be critical
of your performance)
 How have you used / could you use one or several of these lessons learnt in other
projects?
Finally close your Case Study with a concluding sentence such as;
‘I believe the lessons learnt during my involvement in this project have contributed to my
understanding of the role required of a Chartered Surveyor and I will ensure I take all of these
forward on to future projects.’
Best of luck! 
FREE DOWNLOADS
case-study-template-august-2016

Further help
If you would like to prepare the detailed plan of your Case Study with our APC trainers and
discuss with them your key issues and options, we offer one-to-one mentoring sessions either
face-to-face (Manchester or London only) or via Skype.
We also offer a documentation review service once you have completed your draft. Please
check our pre-submission services here.
Alternatively, we offer face-to-face training for corporate clients across the UK. Please e-mail us
at Sonia@APCsupport-ltd.co.uk to discuss your requirements.
And as always, we are on Twitter @APCsupport_Ltd and you can send me an invite
on LinkedIn if you would like to be notified of our latest events.

Case Study – Part 3: Perfecting your draft.

POSTED ON FEBRUARY 20, 2016 UPDATED ON JUNE 23, 2018
FOREWORD: Please be aware that this post is not an official RICS guidance.
All the advice given in this blog is based on my personal interpretation of the APC Candidate’s
Guide which I have enhanced through many discussions with fellow APC Mentors and APC
Assessors.
Sonia Desloges MRICS
Director, APC Support Ltd

  Case Study – Part 3: Perfecting your draft.

As explained in my first post on the Case Study, writing your Case Study should advance in
three stages:

1. Select your key issue(s)

2. Write your Case Study to the requisite format
3. Perfect your drafts applying concise and logical reasoning, using accurate vocabulary
and demonstrating level 3 competencies.

So here it is, the third and final post in which we are going to examine the third stage.
Let’s remind ourselves of the purpose of the Case Study:
You want to persuade the assessors that your key issues have enabled you to attain or apply
several level 3 competencies and that you have demonstrated excellent ethical and professional
standards, ultimately proving to them that you are worthy of the MRICS status!
How do you achieve this?

Logical reasoning
The Case Study is not a story telling exercise. You must explain and evidence how you have
effectively overcome your key issue(s).
Explaining requires three elements;

 Facts (‘What’)
 Background (‘How’)
 Reasons (‘Why’)

Therefore, start by reviewing your draft case study and make sure that each fact is backed up
by a ‘how’ and a ‘why’.
As the word count is very tight, I would recommend that you omit everything that does not
contribute to explaining how you resolved your key issue(s). You may add some specific facts or
figures to reinforce a couple of key points but you may also leave some areas of detailing open
for the assessors’ questioning.

Using the appropriate vocabulary

The assessors are only interested in what YOU did. Write the whole of your Case Study using
the first person and active verbs.
Level 3 is all about advising the client so do not hesitate to use some strong vocabulary such as
I recommended, I advised, I explained, I made it clear, I made my client aware that, I warned
against, etc.
 Remember that ‘I did’ is level 2 only!
 The second review of your draft Case Study should focus on these two points as they can
make a significant impact on the quality of your submission: use the first person and active
verbs!

Best practice
 Be careful that your approach should strictly follow industry best practice and the RICS
standards. As a chartered surveyor, you will be expected to act as an ambassador of the RICS.
Your Case Study is also supposed to be based on your best piece of work so demonstrating
plain ignorance of the RICS standards is not going to be a smart option for your APC!
However, having worked with many candidates, I know that things do not always go exactly to
plan in real life and that you may have been under pressure to deviate from best practice.
There are three ways to address this issue in your case study;
 1. If it is a minor point, play it safe and do not mention it. If really needed, be vague or make
a slight ‘adjustment’ but be mindful that assessors may question you on this aspect of
your Case Study. Be prepared!
2. Take responsibility. Explain that you advised your client against it. Demonstrate that
you took the required steps to protect both your employer’s and your client’s interests.
Ask as many people as possible to review your Case Study to make sure that you are
not inadvertently shooting yourself in the foot.
3. If it is a serious deviation, it is likely that your project is not suitable for your Case Study.
Learn your lessons and select a different project or defer your final assessment.

In any case, do not make things up!!!

Lessons learnt
Most candidates are very generic in their lessons learnt. They restrict themselves to some
classic ones such as the importance of good communication within a team, the importance of
understanding the client’s requirements, the importance of setting up processes to identify
issues early.
If you want to stand out, you need to be more specific than this. Look at the competencies
that you have developed during your key issues. Look at your pathway guide and the examples
of activities that you are expected to carry out to demonstrate level 3 in those competencies.
What did you learn about these tasks during your key issues? Have you discovered better ways
of completing them? Did you follow best practice and understood why it has to be done that
way?
Obviously you should avoid to simply state that you have learnt how to carry out your day job
through your key issue! Use more subtle vocabulary such as:
I have enhanced, I have built up on my previous knowledge, I have gained a deeper
understanding, I now have the confidence to advise my clients on such matter.
And because many candidates have asked me for examples, here is one relating to
Procurement and Tendering, Development / Project Brief and Communication;
‘Key issue 1 has demonstrated the importance of understanding and establishing the client’s
requirements and drivers. This experience has shown me that certain client requirements can
have a significant impact on procurement options and limit the routes available for the client to
use. The initial difficulties encountered in this project have also evidenced the need for a clear
definition and effective communication of the client’s requirements within the project team.’
Here is another relating to Procurement and Tendering, Construction Technology and Design
Economics;
‘A valuable lesson I have taken away from this project is to carefully consider the implications of
utilising a technical solution that may restrict future commercial and procurement decision
making. If the incumbent infrastructure can be improved and maintained by a larger number of
competent contractors, greater CAPEX and OPEX savings could be achieved.’
Note: As the RICS use a plagiarism software to ensure that your submission is of your own
work, please do not cut and paste these examples onto your own Case Study!!

Further help
If you would like to prepare the detailed plan of your Case Study with our APC trainers and
discuss with them your key issues and options, we offer one-to-one mentoring sessions either
face-to-face (Manchester or London only) or via Skype.
We also offer a documentation review service once you have completed your draft. Please
check our pre-submission services here.
Alternatively, we offer face-to-face training for corporate clients across the UK. Please e-
mail us at Sonia@APCsupport-ltd.co.uk to discuss your requirements.
And as always, we are on Twitter @APCsupport_Ltd and you can send me an invite
on LinkedIn if you would like to be notified of our latest events.

Case Study
Case Study – Part 3: Perfecting your draft.
POSTED ON FEBRUARY 20, 2016 UPDATED ON JUNE 23, 2018

 Case Study – Part 3: Perfecting your draft.

As explained in my first post on the Case Study, writing your Case Study should advance in three stages:

1. Select your key issue(s)

2. Write your Case Study to the requisite format
3. Perfect your drafts applying concise and logical reasoning, using accurate vocabulary
and demonstrating level 3 competencies.

So here it is, the third and final post in which we are going to examine the third stage.
Let’s remind ourselves of the purpose of the Case Study:
You want to persuade the assessors that your key issues have enabled you to attain or apply several
level 3 competencies and that you have demonstrated excellent ethical and professional standards,
ultimately proving to them that you are worthy of the MRICS status!
How do you achieve this?

Logical reasoning
The Case Study is not a story telling exercise. You must explain and evidence how you have
effectively overcome your key issue(s).
Explaining requires three elements;

 Facts (‘What’)
 Background (‘How’)
 Reasons (‘Why’)

Therefore, start by reviewing your draft case study and make sure that each fact is backed up by a ‘how’
and a ‘why’.
As the word count is very tight, I would recommend that you omit everything that does not contribute to
explaining how you resolved your key issue(s). You may add some specific facts or figures to reinforce a
couple of key points but you may also leave some areas of detailing open for the assessors’ questioning.

Using the appropriate vocabulary

The assessors are only interested in what YOU did. Write the whole of your Case Study using the first
person and active verbs.
Level 3 is all about advising the client so do not hesitate to use some strong vocabulary such as I
recommended, I advised, I explained, I made it clear, I made my client aware that, I warned against, etc.
 Remember that ‘I did’ is level 2 only!
 The second review of your draft Case Study should focus on these two points as they can make a
significant impact on the quality of your submission: use the first person and active verbs!

Best practice
 Be careful that your approach should strictly follow industry best practice and the RICS standards.
As a chartered surveyor, you will be expected to act as an ambassador of the RICS. Your Case Study is
also supposed to be based on your best piece of work so demonstrating plain ignorance of the RICS
standards is not going to be a smart option for your APC!
However, having worked with many candidates, I know that things do not always go exactly to plan in real
life and that you may have been under pressure to deviate from best practice.
There are three ways to address this issue in your case study;

1. If it is a minor point, play it safe and do not mention it. If really needed, be vague or make
a slight ‘adjustment’ but be mindful that assessors may question you on this aspect of
your Case Study. Be prepared!
 2. Take responsibility. Explain that you advised your client against it. Demonstrate that
you took the required steps to protect both your employer’s and your client’s interests.
Ask as many people as possible to review your Case Study to make sure that you are
not inadvertently shooting yourself in the foot.
3. If it is a serious deviation, it is likely that your project is not suitable for your Case Study.
Learn your lessons and select a different project or defer your final assessment.

In any case, do not make things up!!!

Lessons learnt
Most candidates are very generic in their lessons learnt. They restrict themselves to some classic ones
such as the importance of good communication within a team, the importance of understanding the
client’s requirements, the importance of setting up processes to identify issues early.
If you want to stand out, you need to be more specific than this. Look at the competencies that you
have developed during your key issues. Look at your pathway guide and the examples of activities that
you are expected to carry out to demonstrate level 3 in those competencies.
What did you learn about these tasks during your key issues? Have you discovered better ways of
completing them? Did you follow best practice and understood why it has to be done that way?
Obviously you should avoid to simply state that you have learnt how to carry out your day job through
your key issue! Use more subtle vocabulary such as:
I have enhanced, I have built up on my previous knowledge, I have gained a deeper understanding, I now
have the confidence to advise my clients on such matter.
And because many candidates have asked me for examples, here is one relating to Procurement and
Tendering, Development / Project Brief and Communication;
‘Key issue 1 has demonstrated the importance of understanding and establishing the client’s
requirements and drivers. This experience has shown me that certain client requirements can have a
significant impact on procurement options and limit the routes available for the client to use. The initial
difficulties encountered in this project have also evidenced the need for a clear definition and effective
communication of the client’s requirements within the project team.’
Here is another relating to Procurement and Tendering, Construction Technology and Design Economics;
‘A valuable lesson I have taken away from this project is to carefully consider the implications of utilising a
technical solution that may restrict future commercial and procurement decision making. If the incumbent
infrastructure can be improved and maintained by a larger number of competent contractors, greater
CAPEX and OPEX savings could be achieved.’
Note: As the RICS use a plagiarism software to ensure that your submission is of your own work, please
do not cut and paste these examples onto your own Case Study!!

Further help
If you would like to prepare the detailed plan of your Case Study with our APC trainers and discuss with
them your key issues and options, we offer one-to-one mentoring sessions either face-to-face
(Manchester or London only) or via Skype.
We also offer a documentation review service once you have completed your draft. Please check our pre-
submission services here.
Alternatively, we offer face-to-face training for corporate clients across the UK. Please e-
mail us at Sonia@APCsupport-ltd.co.uk to discuss your requirements.
And as always, we are on Twitter @APCsupport_Ltd and you can send me an invite on LinkedIn if you
would like to be notified of our latest events.

This entry was posted in Case Study and tagged APC, Case Study, coaching, mentoring, RICS, Structured

training, tips.

Case Study – Part 2: Writing to the requisite format.

POSTED ON JULY 7, 2015 UPDATED ON JUNE 23, 2018
FOREWORD: Please be aware that this post  is not  an official RICS guidance.
All the advice given in this blog is based on my personal interpretation of the APC Candidate’s Guide
2016 which I have enhanced through many discussions with fellow APC Mentors and APC Assessors.
Sonia Desloges MRICS
Director, APC Support Limited
 

Case Study: Writing to the requisite format.

As I explained in the first part of this series of three articles, writing your Case Study should advance in
three stages:

1. Select your key issue(s)

2. Write your Case Study to the requisite format
3. Perfect your drafts applying concise and logical reasoning, using accurate vocabulary
and demonstrating level 3 competencies.

This second post focuses – quite logically – on the second stage and will examine each section of the
Case Study step by step.

Front Cover and Contents

The current RICS template for the Case Study is set out on ARC and also contained within the ‘APC
Submission Template’ available for download on the RICS website:
http://www.rics.org/uk/apc/pathway-guides (select your relevant pathway and make sure that you select
‘chartered’ if you are applying for full MRICS status rather than Associate)
The Assessors will expect your Case Study to be presented to the highest professional standards, exactly
like a formal report to a client.
Whilst this is not currently included in the RICS template, I would therefore strongly recommend that you
add a front cover and a page of content.
You can download the amended template that I have produced here: case-study-template-august-2016
If you feel that this is a little adventurous, you will find that most assessors and APC
mentors give the same advice on the APC Forum on LinkedIn. It will make you stand
out from the crowd and in a good way.
This template is an exact copy of the RICS template but includes additional sub-sections to help you with
your structure and your word count. You may choose to remove the sub-headings at the time of your
submission or retain them, which will help the assessors follow your case study more easily.
You may adapt the front cover to suit your personal preferences but I would suggest including a
photograph of your project as it will help grabbing your reader’s interest.
I have also added a couple of optional additional pages that you may want to consider. Those do not have
to be included in the word count.

 Confidentiality statement
The RICS have included a confidentiality statement assuming that you will obtain consent from your client
and your employer. If this is not the case and you can not reveal all the names and details, I have
included an alternative wording which you may amend to suit.

 Glossary of Abbreviations
Using abbreviations and acronyms is generally not recommended but if you must, remember to
incorporate a glossary or list of abbreviations. Remember to always use the full word with the
abbreviation between brackets the first time you use an acronym in your case study, eg the Royal
Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and thereafter RICS.

 Page of Contents
Like all professional reports, your case study should have a page of contents. This page is automatically
linked to the contents of your case study but you must remember to right-click on your mouse to update
the fields.
Your case study is to be uploaded as a pdf rather than directly typed on ARC so you can really make an
effort on presentation.

Section 1: Introduction (circa 500 words)

In this section you are expected to give a brief description of the project, your roles and responsibilities.
You do not need to give detailed background to your key issue(s) in this section but simply put your
reader into context.
As with every written work, start with an introduction sentence such as:
‘This report will critically analyse my involvement as the [your role] in project XYZ.’
You can add a brief outline of your report if you can afford the extra words (please omit if your wordcount
if too tight!). For example;
‘I will present two keys issues which I encountered in this project and review the options I considered to
overcome them. This report will go on to evaluate the outcome of my approach and recommended
solution, and conclude by the analysis of the lessons I have learnt through this experience.’

1.1 Project Overview

Include some or all of the following as appropriate – this may be as bullet points if you are struggling with
the word count;

 Brief description of project

 Brief description of client (and stakeholders but only if relevant to your key issues)
  Stage at which the project currently is
 Project key objectives (if relevant)
 Project key risks and constraints (if relevant)
 Key dates / timescales
 Project value, form of contract, procurement (as relevant to your pathway)

1.2 My involvement and responsibilities

 What was your role? (Keep it short and make a list with bullet points if you carried out
many different tasks)
 What was your level of responsibility?
 At what stage did you get involved?

Section 2: My approach (circa 1,600 words) 

Remember that the assessors are only interested in what YOU did. Write the whole of your Case
Study using the first person and active verbs.

2.1 Key Issue One: [Give it a title] (circa 800 words)

Provide the background to your first key issue in this sub-section.
You do not need to explain all the details of the project or circumstances.  Focus on the key points that
impacted on your decisions to consider and reject or adopt your options.
The type of questions you need to answer here may be;

 What events or constraints led to the key issue?

 What made it a challenge for you?
 What was the stance of your client and stakeholders?
 What were the risks to the project?

Do not omit to clearly formulate what your key issue was. The Assessors have not worked with you on
your project and you should not over-estimate their ability to guess what you are trying to say. Ask a
friend who does not know anything about your project to read your case study to check whether you have
suitably expressed yourself.

2.2 Options
Start by explaining what your objectives were when you started tackling this key issue. What were you
aiming to achieve?
This will enable you to set out a number of criteria against which you will measure the success of your
solution in section 3 (My Achievements) of your Case Study. This could be just half a sentence or a
couple of sentences depending on the complexity of your project.
Then briefly list the 2 to 4 options that you considered. (3 is always best)
‘As it was critical to my client that the budget was not exceeded whilst not compromising the end user’s
requirements, I identified that three courses of actions were available to me for resolving this key issue:

 Option 1: XYZ

 Option 2: ABC

 Option 3: Bla bla bla’

As the headings and sub-headings must be included in your word count, you may have to choose
between listing your options here or stating them under the next series of sub-headings to keep to the
word limit.
Then review them one at the time remembering that you want to demonstrate your level 3
competencies (providing reasoned advice).

Option 1: [title]

 What led you to consider option 1? Why was is a realistic option?

 What methodology did you use to analyse its suitability? Why?
 What were the results of your analysis?
 Why did these results lead you to reject this option?
 How did you advise your client?

Option 2: [title]
Repeat the same structure for option 2.
Option 3: [title]
The last option is usually your solution. Same as options 1 and 2 but you may emphasise on how you
established that it was the best solution and why.
You need to follow a logical reasoning and also demonstrate that you have taken into account your
client’s requirements and that you have addressed the issue you were trying to resolve. Inserting a table
listing the advantages and disadvantages of each option is not satisfactory. You must write full sentences
and analyse the benefits or not of each option against your objectives.
Once again remember that you need to demonstrate that you provided reasoned advice.
This structure is adopted by most candidates but may not work with all key issues and some candidates
prefer to briefly describe each option, why they considered them and the methodology applied under each
relevant sub-heading. And they add an additional section ‘Analysis of options’ in which they compare and
contrast the relative benefits and disadvantages of each option against the objectives they aim to achieve.

2.3 Key Issue Two: [Give it a title] (circa 800 words)

2.4 Options
Proceed as per Key Issue One.
You do not need to have a second key issue if your first one was particularly complex and entailed the
application of several Level 3 competencies.
I would not recommend more than two keys issues as the strict word count will not permit you to explain
them in sufficient depth.

Section 3: My achievements (circa 400 words)

The official RICS Candidate’s Guide states:
‘In this section you should describe what you achieved, how you achieved this and what your involvement
was. Demonstrate your ability to think logically, laterally and professionally giving examples of where you
gave reasoned advice to a client for your level 3 competencies.’
To be clear, you should aim to demonstrate level 3 competencies in the whole of your Case Study, not
just this section.
You do not need to explain how you achieved each competency nor how you were thinking logically,
laterally and professionally. Assessors will work this out by themselves. In this section, you just need to
explain what happened next.
I recommend that you tackle this section in two steps. First describe the outcome, then explain how you
achieved it. Make sure that you focus on what YOU did.
Deal with your key issues one after the other to avoid confusing the assessors.

3.1 Key Issue One

The outcome

 What was the result?

 What were the project’s and client’s objectives and key drivers? Did you achieve them?
Did they evolve over time? (Link it back to Section 2.2)
 What happened next? How did you implement your solution?

Do not hesitate to give one or two precise figures or details if you can. This will provide the assessors with
additional evidence that you have successfully resolved your key issue.
How did you achieve this?
This will be completely specific to your personal circumstances but below are some examples for
consideration;

 What arguments did you put forward to convince your client / stakeholders? (relate it
back to your objectives)
 How did your client react when you advised them of your solution?
 Did you have any difficulties convincing your client and / or stakeholders? Why?
 Was there a risk that your solution would fail? How did you mitigate this risk?
  What did you personally do that contributed to the successful outcome?
 In hindsight, do you think that there was a better alternative? (Maybe one option that
your client rejected?)

3.2 Key Issue Two

 Section 4: Conclusion (circa 500 words)
In accordance with the RICS Candidate’s Guide, ‘in this section you need to critically reflect on and
analyse your performance and make reference to the lessons you learnt and what you would do
differently next time.’
This is the most challenging section for many candidates and yet, probably the most important one. You
should aim to identify three or four lessons learnt per key issue. You should also try to relate them to your
pathway competencies.

 Which competencies did you develop and how? (this may include soft and professional
skills as well as rules of conduct and ethics)
 Did you learn any better ways of doing your job? Did you gain a better appreciation
of the reasons why the industry’s best practice is what it is?
 What were the causes of your key issue(s)? In future projects, could you do anything to
prevent or mitigate it?
 Could you have tackled your key issues in a more efficient manner? (Obviously, you
want to convince the panel that you dealt with it very well but you also need to be critical
of your performance)
 How have you used / could you use one or several of these lessons learnt in other
projects?

Finally close your Case Study with a concluding sentence such as;
‘I believe the lessons learnt during my involvement in this project have contributed to my understanding of
the role required of a Chartered Surveyor and I will ensure I take all of these forward on to future
projects.’
Best of luck! 

FREE DOWNLOADS
case-study-template-august-2016

Further help
If you would like to prepare the detailed plan of your Case Study with our APC trainers and discuss with
them your key issues and options, we offer one-to-one mentoring sessions either face-to-face
(Manchester or London only) or via Skype.
We also offer a documentation review service once you have completed your draft. Please check our pre-
submission services here.
Alternatively, we offer face-to-face training for corporate clients across the UK. Please e-mail us
at Sonia@APCsupport-ltd.co.uk to discuss your requirements.
And as always, we are on Twitter @APCsupport_Ltd and you can send me an invite on LinkedIn if you
would like to be notified of our latest events.

This entry was posted in Case Study and tagged APC, Case Study, help, Record of Experience, support.

Case Study – Part 1: Selecting your key issue.

POSTED ON JUNE 28, 2015 UPDATED ON JUNE 23, 2018

 The Case Study for the APC

The Case Study that you are required to submit as part of your APC submission is a fantastic opportunity
to showcase your technical and professional skills through a project that you know very well. But how do
you get started with it?
What is a good key issue?
What are you expected to include in each section?
What techniques can you use to best demonstrate your competencies?
I will address these questions in a series of three posts taking you through the stages of writing your case
study.

1. Select your key issue(s)

2. Write your Case Study to the requisite format
3. Perfect your drafts applying concise and logical reasoning, using accurate vocabulary
and demonstrating level 3 competencies.

This post will focus on the first stage: selecting your key issue(s).
Selecting a suitable key issue is critical in achieving the objectives of the Case Study, so let’s take you
step by step through the identification process of your best key issues.

When do I need to start thinking about my Case Study?

As a rule of thumb, I would recommend discussing your Case Study with your Counsellor 12 months
before your final interview. This will give you the time to request additional responsibilities or to get
involved in a different project if you both identify that you do not have a suitable key issue yet.
I would recommend that you keep a little notebook in which you record anything interesting that occurred
in your projects to jiggle up your memory when needed.

Which project?
Assessors recognise that candidates will have gained a very diverse experience depending on their
employment and as a result almost any of your projects is suitable for your Case Study.
Your selected project does not have to be a multi-million award winning scheme. Small low-profile
projects attract the same challenges that major projects and require the same set of skills.
Some of your projects will be more suitable than others and you should start by compiling a short list of
your most suitable projects.

 Which projects did I work on over the last 24 months?

The topic of your Case Study must not be older than 24 months by the time you submit your documents
for final assessment (or preliminary review if applicable)

 In which of my projects was I a key member of the team?

You do not have to be running the project but you must have had a strong degree of delegated
responsibility to deliver the project.

 Out of those, in which ones did I get to personally advise my client?

You must be able to demonstrate level 3 competencies in your Case Study so you need to select a
project in which you have influenced your client’s decision, or at least been involved in the decision
making process. This does not have to be the final client; it can be an internal client such as another
department or another level in hierarchy.

 Out of those, in which ones did the team generally follow industry best practice?

If you select a project in which corners were constantly cut, it is very unlikely that you will have dealt with
your key issues in the manner expected for the purpose of your APC.

What is a good key issue?

Once you have your short-list of projects, you need to consider all the challenges that you have
encountered during your involvement. Hopefully you will have kept a notebook and you can easily go
through your notes to refresh your memory. At this stage, write down everything that comes to your mind!
You then need to identify which among these many challenges are potential key issues.
A key issue has to be something that occurred outside the daily routine tasks. Explaining what you do as
a normal course of action is not dealing with a key issue. Very often, it is the circumstances that made a
relatively standard task a challenge for the candidate to overcome.
For example, demonstrating value for money is part of the day job for a quantity surveyor, but
demonstrating value for money when there is only one specialist contractor in Europe who can deliver the
works is far trickier and therefore a key issue.
Obviously your key issue(s) must be related to the competencies listed in the pathway guide and you
must demonstrate at least two competencies at level 3.
Once you have gathered your list of potential key issues, review them asking yourselves these questions;

 What was specific to this project or client that led to this challenge?

A key issue that occurred because of your own naivety or negligence would be definitively best avoided.
Equally, an over-complex issue may trip you off.

 Were there several options to overcome this challenge or only one possible
course of action?

If there was only one viable option, you will not be able to demonstrate your analytic skills which is
intrinsic to achieving level 3: reasoned advice.

 Were all my options tasks that I would not ordinarily carry out if it was not for this
key issue?
For example checking that I have not made any arithmetical errors is not an option, it is a compulsory
best practice task.

 Did I act in accordance with the RICS standards?

If for a reason or another you had to heavily deviate from best practice in your short-listed key issue, play
it safe and select a different key issue. (And use your best endeavour to follow best practice in the future!)

How many key issues?

Most candidates select two keys issues because it enables them to demonstrate a broader breath of
experience while being able to analyse their options and choices in details.
You may discuss a single key issue if it was particularly complex and enabled you to apply a range of
level 3 competencies.
I would not recommend including a third key issue in your Case Study. If you cannot write 3,000 words on
two key issues, it is probably  because you have not carried out your analysis in sufficient details, or that
your key issues are too weak.

Final words of advice

Whatever the key issue(s) that you will select, remember that you will be questioned on your Case
Study for 10mins and you must therefore be very knowledgeable on these topics and also be able to
justify the decisions that you made. You must be able to demonstrate that you have learnt lessons
from your key issues and that it contributed to your attainment of the skills and behaviours required as a
chartered surveyor.
Finally, remember to verify with your clients that you are authorised to use their project details for your
Case Study without facing issues of confidentiality. It is always wise to obtain their written consent.
 

Further help
If you would like to prepare the detailed plan of your Case Study with our APC trainers and discuss with
them your key issues and options, we offer one-to-one mentoring sessions either face-to-face
(Manchester or London only) or via Skype.
We also offer a documentation review service once you have completed your draft. Please check our pre-
submission services here.
Alternatively, we offer face-to-face training for corporate clients across the UK. Please e-mail us
at Sonia@APCsupport-ltd.co.uk to discuss your requirements.
And as always, we are on Twitter @APCsupport_Ltd and you can send me an invite on LinkedIn if you
would like to be notified of our latest events.

Record of Experience and Diary

Completing your Summary of Experience
POSTED ON AUGUST 22, 2016 UPDATED ON JUNE 23, 2018

Completing your Summary of Experience

Your summary of experience will form the basis of the assessors’ questioning so it is really worth
spending time to get it right. If you are following the Preliminary Review route, a poor summary of
experience is also likely to receive a ‘Not suitable for you to proceed’ response and delay your interview.
So what do assessors expect to see in your summary of experience?

 A demonstration that you have achieved the required levels

 Statements relevant to your declared competencies
 Precise and concise real project examples
 A broad range of experience
 Professional vocabulary and grammar

Writing your summary of experience correctly is a time consuming exercise. It is not unusual for
candidates to spend over an hour on each competency – it is really not as easy as it seems! – and it is a
smart idea to start working on it about 6 months before your interview.

Word limit
The word limit for the Mandatory Competencies is 1,500 words maximum. This represents approximately
100 words per ‘box’.
The word limit for Technical and Optional Competencies is between 3,000 to 4,000 words.
As different pathways have different numbers of competencies this adds up to approximately;

 Circa 160 words per box for Building Surveyors and Quantity Surveyors
 Circa 125 words per box for Project Managers
 Circa 185 words per box for Built Infrastructure

 Assessors aim to focus on your levels 3 so the rule of thumb is to be succinct at level 1 and provide more
details in level 3.
 

A demonstration that you have achieved the required levels

Level 1: learning
At level 1 you will be tested on the theoretical knowledge deemed required to carry out your job diligently.
You should (very briefly) explain how you achieved this level: university degree, self-study, employer’s
structured training, CPD, etc. and mention the topics that you have studied. Assessors will use your
statements as a starting point for their questioning but be aware that you are expected to be familiar with
all the topics listed within your pathway guide. Assessors may also use your CPD records and case study
to test your levels 1 and they may bounce back on your answers during your interview to assess some
areas of knowledge in more details.
Level 2: doing
In level 2, you should describe how you have put the theoretical knowledge acquired in level 1 into
practice. Depending on your professional experience, you may not have been exposed to all the activities
listed in your pathway guide. This is why it is important that you provide the assessors with precise
information for their questioning.
You should pick between 1 and 3 activities listed under the relevant competency in your pathway guide
and explain in details the process you followed to carry out these activities in one or several of your
projects. You do not have to name the project if you do not wish to, but you should let the assessors know
what type of project it was: an office refurbishment, a new industrial warehouse, a university teaching unit,
etc.
Level 3: advising
At this level, you need to demonstrate that you have provided reasoned advice to a client. If you work for
a contractor, this may be an internal client such as a director or another department in your company and
if you work for a sub-contractor, this may be the main contractor in the project. Explaining to a trainee how
to carry out a task can count towards your CPD hours but it does not constitute reasoned advice as per
the APC requirements.
To overcome this hurdle, think of your levels 3 like mini case studies:
First, on which topic did you have to provide advice? Present the assessors with some brief background if
necessary.
Secondly, what factors did you have to consider to ensure that you would provide suitable advice? This
may be some specific site conditions, some budget constraints, some technical issues, some programme
considerations, etc.
Then, what course of action did you recommend and why? It is critical that you answer the question
‘why?’ to achieve level 3. The more you can demonstrate that you applied logical thinking, the better.
And finally, try to give sufficient details to demonstrate level 3 but leave some areas open for assessors’
questioning.

 Statements relevant to your declared competencies

The APC requirements are very strict and you must be watchful that the statements and examples given
in your Summary of Experience reflect your selected competencies. For example, you may have gained
experience in planning and programming but if it is not one of your technical or optional competencies,
there is really no benefit in expanding on the topic for your APC.
Your starting point should always be your pathway guide. You should constantly refer to the examples of
activities listed under each competency as you write your Summary of Experience.

Precise and concise real project examples & A broad range of experience
The APC is evidence based. At levels 2 and 3, it is therefore essential that you enhance your statements
with examples from specific projects.
Assessors do not need to know the full project details nor the exhaustive description of what other people
have done. They are only interested in the process that YOU followed.
Some unsatisfactory examples would be:
Project Financial Control and Reporting, Level 2;
‘I am responsible for producing reports in most of my projects, which I do with professionalism and high
standards of work.’
 Here, the candidate does not provide any evidence to support his generic statement.
Construction Technology, Level 3;
‘I always advise to use steel frame in all my projects because it is cheaper and faster.’
The advice provided should be tailored to the specificities of the project and client. While steel frame may
be generally cheaper and faster, it is not the best technical solution for all projects and the candidate is
not demonstrating any logical reasoning in this statement.
Suggested wording:
Procurement and Tendering, Level 3;
‘In the office refurbishment project in Manchester, I was asked to advise my client on the most
appropriate procurement route. I organised a meeting with my client and  several stakeholders to
understand their key priorities. In this case, it was critical that the planned completion date was achieved
and they were willing to transfer a large proportion of risks onto the contractor. I explained that the
contractor would be charging a risk premium which my client acknowledged. Retaining control over the
design was not critical in this simple refurbishment project.  Basing my advice on my experience and  the
use of a procurement scoring matrix, I recommended a design and build procurement route. This route
would enable my client to start the project on site earlier thus providing a greater float towards the end of
the project.  It would also provide my client with a single point of responsibility. My client accepted my
advice and the project was completed within the required timescales.’
 As this example is based on a fictional project, it is still rather generic and you may add more or less
details as relevant to your project.

 Selection of project examples

I have only presented one project example in this blog as an illustration, but you may state 2 or 3
examples in each level 2 and each level 3 to demonstrate a broader range of experience if a single
example is too narrow.
Obviously you will find yourself limited with the word count which is why being concise but precise is
crucial. In the other extreme, do not try to squeeze in as many examples as possible as you would have
to be so brief that the quality of your submission would suffer.
Be also mindful that some areas of your competencies will be more important than others. For example,
under Contract Practice, you are expected to have provided advice on the most appropriate form of
contract to achieve level 3, or at least be able to convince your assessors that you would know exactly
how to proceed if you had to.
If you do not mention a key topic in your Summary of Experience, you should still expect to be questioned
about it during your interview.
Some questions will probably still take you by surprise but if you can answer most of the assessors’
questions precisely and with confidence, you will be on the right track to becoming chartered.
 

Final tips
As you read once again your final draft before sending it to the RICS, it is worth focusing on a few last
points;

 Check your grammar and spelling – Get a couple of people to proofread your
submission.
 Use the first person – Assessors are only interested in what YOU did.
 Use active phrases rather than passive.
 Use the appropriate terminology in particular in contract practice and rules of conduct – If
you are unsure, check in a textbook or google it!
 Give some breathing space to your summary of experience by jumping to the line
between topics.
  And once again, make sure that your levels 3 demonstrate logical reasoning like mini-
case studies.

Further help
If you require a detailed review of your APC submission documents, we offer this service for APC
candidates in most pathways both in the UK and outside the UK. Please visit our website for more
information: http://www.apcsupport-ltd.co.uk/pre-submission-support
If you need to enhance your understanding of the competencies, APC Support Ltd offer on-demand
revision webinars covering all the technical and mandatory competencies in Quantity Surveying, Built
Infrastructure, Building Surveying, Building Control, Project Management and Facilities Management.
Alternatively, we offer face-to-face training for corporate clients across the UK. Please e-mail us
at Sonia@APCsupport-ltd.co.uk to discuss your requirements.

Being Chartered Qualified: MRICS – The five letters that inspire

consumer trust and market confidence
Being chartered qualified i.e. an MRICS (Member of RICS) is a key differentiator for you as a
professional working in the built environment sector. The globally recognized qualification is
your competitive advantage, as it adds weight to your stature and credibility as a professional. 
Being an MRICS is a matter of personal and professional pride and enhances your career
progression. 
Globally, it is recognized as a hallmark of professionalism and excellence by employers and
stakeholders. Greater preference is awarded to those who possess these credentials, as it denotes
confidence, trust and credibility.  
Governments (including the Ministry of HRD, Govt. of India since 1975), leading employers and
industry acknowledge the RICS qualification as evidence of the highest level of professionalism,
ethics and consistency in practice. Qualified professionals bring assurance and integrity in the
markets they serve.
 
  

Know more on the journey to being RICS qualified

 How to enroll:
You can enroll at any time in your career, but must meet one of the following before
applying for assessment:

 Have an RICS-accredited degree

 Five years of relevant experience and any bachelor’s degree

 10 years of relevant experience operating at an advanced level by seniority,

specialization, or in academia
  

Routes to membership
  The most common way of qualifying as a Chartered Member is through the
Assessment of Professional Competence (APC)
 The APC ensures that candidates are competent and meet the high standards of
professionalism required to become a chartered surveyor
 These are a mix of technical and professional practice, interpersonal, business and
management skills
 The APC can be completed with or without learn- while-you-earn (on the job) /
structured training depending on your experience.
 If your career has progressed based on seniority, specialization or through academia,
there are other assessment routes to match your experience.
  

Formal assessment: what does it entail

Written submissions
You will need to submit the following written summaries for formal assessment:

 Summary of experience: statements for each level of competence required for

your sector pathway. Mandatory competencies (1,500 words) and technical
competencies (3,000 to 4,000 words)
 Case study: 3,000 words on a recent project that shows your technical abilities.
The project should not be older than 24 months.

CPD record
You must have completed 48 hours of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) training during the
last 12 months. Or 96 hours of CPD undertaken during the last 24 months, if you are undertaking 24
months structured training.
RICS online ethics course
You’ll also need to complete the RICS online ethics course, before you can attend an assessment
interview
60-minute assessment interview
Following a 10-minute presentation by you on your case study, the panel of trained RICS assessors will
ask questions on your presentation and your selected competencies.

For Senior and Specialist Assessments the enrolment criteria is:

  Personal statement: your CV and a 400-word statement
 Case studies:Three 1,500-word case studies on projects that show your professional
qualities
 CPD: 20 hours of training undertaken during the last 12 months.

The formal assessment process is separate for all Senior and Specialist
Assessments
 Written submissions
 Personal statement: your CV and a 400-word statement
 Case studies:Three 1,500-word case studies on projects that show your
professional qualities
 CPD: 20 hours of training undertaken during the last 12 months.
 RICS online ethics course

You’ll also need to complete the RICS online ethics course, before you can attend an
assessment interview

 60-minute assessment interview

Dear Anamul,

 Thank you for sharing your resume.

 I would request you to please apply on the link below and after applying online, please let us know  and after your
online enrolment my colleague @Ravneet Kaur will share the next steps regarding your payment as you are from
ELP, she will inform you the amount of MRICS fees.

 APC Preliminary Review

You have a degree AND 5 or more years of relevant work experience*

Or a degree AND membership of another RICS approved association – full list can be viewed here

*You can enrol on this route at any time however you need to meet the 5 year minimum experience requirement
before you are able to submit for assessment

Apply now for APC Prelim https://apply.rics.org/APCPrelim/ContactDetails

 
Submission Requirements: Zero Tolerance Policy – Maximum word count set below must be followed
 Candidate Profile

(This includes Employment History, Academic Qualification and Professional Membership)

 Case Study

3,000 words, template is available in ARC

 Summary of Experience

Mandatory Competencies – 1500-word count

Technical/ Core Competencies – 4000-word count

 CPD Hours

48 hours. These should be within the last 12 months prior to your submission.
 Ethics Test/ Assessment

A link to the test is provided in the ARC, you need to attain 75% passing rate, if you fail you can take the
test again after 24 hours, the test is for FREE.  

Counsellor How to Find

When selecting the right counsellor, you should be seeking the assistance of an MRICS or FRICS member. You
want them to be locally within the same county or region and also from the same pathway.

You may choose to pick someone from your organisation or externally to help with networking and increase your
professional network.

 Finding a counsellor:

Speak with your line manager, team leader, boss or HR coordinator. They could direct you to RICS members inside
your company that might assist.

 RICS Find a Member Portal, I recommend the website, where you can see who are professional members within a
city, state, or country. Some members have their direct contact details, or using LinkedIn, you could reach
out. www.rics.org/uk/find-a-member/.
 On LinkedIn, RICS has created the Assessment Portal Group. You are welcome to join and ask questions or post
that you are looking for a counsellor. Someone in the group may reply or direct message you to
assist. www.linkedin.com/groups/3340280/

 OR Using LinkedIn, you can search MRICS or FRICS to seek those within your professional network and make
new connections with RICS members. You can message a few members to see who can assist.

 Found a Counsellor

Once you have found a counsellor, you can reply or e-mail the RICS team to update this for you in the system.

APC Final Assessment Submission Timetable*:

Please note all Final assessment submissions need to be submitted via the Assessment Resource Centre (ARC) the
system will not allow you to apply for final assessment unless all elements show green on your dashboard and the
relevant approvals have been received. Any submissions received via email or are incomplete on the portal will be
rejected and you will need to reapply for the next session.
 
*APC Prelim candidates can only apply for final assessment if they pass the Prelim Assessment.
 
Assessment Session 1 (2021) Assessment Session 2 (2021)
Final Submission 25 January – 5 February Final Submission 26 April – 07 May 2021
deadline 2021 deadline
Final Assessment Date Final Assessment Date
Interview
Interview
March 2021 June 2021

Online Video Interview - MS Teams Online Video Interview - MS Teams

Assessment Session 3 (2021) Assessment Session 1 (2022)
Final Submission 26 July – 06 August Final Submission To be confirmed
deadline 2021 deadline
Final Assessment Date Final Assessment Date
Interview
Interview
September 2021 March 2022

Online Video Interview - MS Teams Online Video Interview - MS Teams

 

Best Regards,

 Shilpa Yadav
Candidate Support Coordinator, APAC & AEMEA, RICS

 m: 7042614445 e syadav@rics.org  w rics.org

Dear All

 
Greetings from RICS.

With regard to online sessions, barring one session from Ms Reema Bali all other sessions are over. We
are trying alternate session as she was unavailable due to covid.

This mail is to update you the schedule of the remaining programme;

1. Completion of Virtual Sessions – May 9, 2021, Reema’s session is delayed we are arranging the
same.
 
2. Start of Project Work – April 1 , 2021 (You can apply for MRICS by this date, write to Ms Shilpa
Yadav, syadav@rics.org). Please do not copy us on the mail as this is a separate team looking
after it.
 
 
3. Completion of Project Work – May 20, 2021 (A project work is a compilation of a project giving its
background, project data like scope, plans, schedules, photos etc. Within the project you can
identify 3-4 problems that were solved during the project citing your contribution in the same. The
project cited should not be more than 2 years old). Also note that we will not follow-up for
submission, those who fail to submitted will not be allowed to sit for final exam.
 
4. Exam – May 27, 2021.- This will be based on your classroom sessions.
 
5. Exam Results – May 30, 2021
 
6. Certification – Mid June, 2021. (prior to the certification you should have completed the project,
exam and paid all balance fees).