February 2015

RICS Membership Requirements

Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) MRICS
Academic/professional
qualifications
RICS-accredited degree
Note: Part-time students may
enrol on to the APC during the
final year of study. Placement
year students must enrol on the
APC after graduation. At least 12
months structured training must
be completed after graduating.
Placement experience can be
backdated. Those undertaking an
accredited postgraduate degree
part-time may enrol on to the
APC and complete the structured
training concurrently. They must
have graduated from their degree
course before being eligible to
take final assessment

Relevant prior
experience
None

Structured training /
professional development
o

o
o

24 months structured training

to meet competency
requirements
Regular meetings with
supervisor/counsellor
96 hours of professional
development over structured
training period

Final assessment
submissions
o

o
o
o

Final assessment
interview

Summary of experience
a Word processed
document providing a
brief statement for each
level of competence
required for your
pathway. Mandatory
competencies (1,500
words) and technical
competencies (3,000 to
4,000 words)
Logbook
Professional
development record
Case study (3,000 words)
o

60 minute interview

RICS-accredited degree

Five years
relevant
experience

o
o
o

Note: Pre-degree
experience can
count

RICS-accredited degree

10 years
relevant
experience
Note: Pre-degree
experience can
count

Bachelors degree* OR
RICS-approved professional
body membership OR
Bachelors degree* OR RICSapproved professional body
membership AND successful
completion of 450 study hours
from the final year of an RICS
accredited degree or any year of
an RICS-accredited postgraduate
degree

Five years
relevant
experience postqualification

12 months structured training

Regular meetings with
supervisor/counsellor
48 hours professional
development over the
structured training period

Note: the 12 months structured

training must be completed after
graduating
o No structured training period
o Candidates must provide a
record of professional
development over the 12month period before final
assessment. A minimum of
20 hours
o
o

No structured training period

Candidates must provide a
record of professional
development over the 12month period before final
assessment. A minimum of
20 hours
A preliminary review is
required**

including 10 minute
presentation on case
study
Testing on
professional
practice/ethics

Summary of experience
a Word processed
document providing a
brief statement for each
level of competence
required for your
pathway. Mandatory
competencies (1,500
words) and technical
competencies (3,000 to
4,000 words)
Professional
development record over
last 12 months
Case study (3,000 words)

*Equivalent to UK Qualifications and Credit Framework Level 6. **The preliminary review is not required if you successfully complete 450 study hours
from the final year of an RICS-accredited degree or any year of an RICS-accredited postgraduate course.

Senior Professional Assessment MRICS

Academic / professional
qualifications and experience
10 years relevant experience, and
now in a senior industry position,
either in terms of management
responsibility or acknowledged expert
specialist status

Management / Specialised
Expertise competencies
Managers must demonstrate
attainment in additional
mandatory competencies in
leadership, managing people and
managing resources

The experience requirement is

reduced to five years with 1)
undergraduate degree or equivalent
professional qualification and 2) a
relevant post-graduate degree
(masters level or higher)

Expert Specialists must

demonstrate the extent of
specialist knowledge

Final assessment submission

o
o

Final assessment
interview
o 60 minute interview
Rsum providing evidence of meeting
including 10 minute
the relevant technical and mandatory
personal introduction
skills required by the chosen APC
based on rsum
pathway
Professional development records for the o Testing on
previous 12 months
professional
practice/ethics and
3 case studies (500 words each)
leadership and
demonstrating competence one should
management
include demonstration of management
and leadership skills OR specialist
skill/specialist
expertise depending on the case (with
expertise
the option to substitute a maximum of
two of the case studies with published
articles or presentations taken from the
last three years). At least one case study
should be on a project from the country
the assessment is taking place in

Notes for senior professional academics:

o Experience and seniority the required surveying experience is interpreted as undertaking academic activities relevant to the profession
o Final assessment submission in the case studies, evidence of consultancy work should be provided

Academic Assessment MRICS

Academic/professional
qualifications
RICS-accredited degree

Relevant higher degree

Relevant prior
experience
Undertaken academic
activities relevant to the
profession over a three
year period. (The three
years can be a total, not
necessarily continuous,
i.e. in one block)

Final assessment submission

o

Four items to be evidenced from the list of options below (see

note). At least one must be from each of the three lists and at
least one of the four must be to level 3 in a core competency
from the chosen APC pathway
Teaching options at least one from this list
Post graduate teaching qualification
Successful mentoring of research students
Course leadership and development
Research options at least one from this list
Peer group refereed research paper / report
Book
Book chapter
Conference paper
Patent
Consultancy report
External Engagement at least one from this list
Engagement with employers
Consultancy activities
Engagement with professional organisation

Undertaken academic
activities relevant to the
profession over a 3 year
period on a course that
is now accredited. (The
three years can be a
total, not necessarily
continuous, i.e. in one
block)

Final assessment
interview
60 minute interview
based on portfolio of
evidence with a 10
minute presentation on
one item to demonstrate
knowledge and
understanding of the
mandatory, core and
optional competencies of
the chosen APC pathway
in the context of teaching
and research, as well as
of professional practice,
research ethics and
professional ethics

3,000-word statement that documents the relevance of the

portfolio to the profession and how this has been applied to
the chosen APC pathway
Professional development records for the previous 12 months

Note: all published work presented must have been published/completed within the three years and prior to final assessment interview. It must be of a
quality that is recognised nationally in terms of its originality, significance, rigour and contribution to research and/or policy agendas.

Associate Assessment AssocRICS

Relevant prior experience
Four years relevant experience
Note: the experience requirement is
reduced if you have an RICS recognised
qualification

Final assessment submission

Summary of experience
3,000-word summary of recent experience demonstrating
both the technical (2,000 words) and mandatory (1,000
words) competency requirements of the chosen pathway

Assessment
Online assessment of submission
by two assessors

Case study
2,000-word account of a recent project that demonstrates
technical ability, focusing mainly on the two technical
competencies most relevant to day-to-day work
Record of professional development
48 hours of CPD over the 12 months prior to assessment
Ethics
Successful completion of RICS ethics module

Direct Entry

Some approved professional bodies and other qualifications around the world can provide a streamlined route to RICS membership. For example,
some professional body memberships allow direct entry to RICS, while others may provide exemptions to the academic requirements. Please visit
www.rics.org/professionalbodies for details.