per application process guide

rics.org/experience

Applicant Handbook: Introduction and application

Professional Experience Route

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APPLICANT HANDBOOK: INTRODUCTION AND APPLICATION02

Introduction

Route to membership 03

Applicant profile 03

Process 03

Pathways and competencies 03

Application

Requirements 06

Qualifications 06

Professional experience 06

Competency self-assessment 06

Training and development 06

Proposer 07

RICS assessment 07

Contents

All rights in this publication, including full copyright or publishing right, content and design, are owned by RICS, except where otherwise described. Any dispute arising out of this publication is subject to the law and jurisdiction of England and Wales.

Published by: RICS Education and Qualification Standards

03 APPLICANT HANDBOOK: INTRODUCTION AND APPLICATION03

Introduction

This handbook will support and guide you through the process

of applying for RICS membership through the Professional

Experience Route.

Route to membership

RICS offers this route to membership to give applicants

recognition for relevant experience. If you have been working

in the surveying sector, you should have been gaining the

competencies you need for professional practice. RICS

recognises that a graduate with a period of high-level relevant

experience can achieve the level of practice expected of an

RICS professional member.

You apply by submitting evidence of your competence to

RICS. There is a preliminary written assessment of your evidence.

As a result of the preliminary assessment, you will either be

invited to a final assessment interview, or be informed what

further knowledge or experience you need to gain before

final assessment.

If you are successful at final assessment you will become

a professional member of RICS.

Applicant profile

To be eligible, you must have a degree (in any subject) or a

graduate-level professional qualification. If you need to check

that your qualifications are at the right level, please contact

RICS for advice.

You must have a minimum of five years’ relevant experience

(at the level expected of a graduate professional) since you

gained your degree/professional qualification.

Process

There are three key stages on the route.

1. Application – provide information to allow RICS to assess

your eligibility for the route.

2. Submission – submit written evidence to demonstrate how

you meet the required level of competence.

3. Final assessment interview – complete online ethics module

and test and attend an interview.

Handbooks are available to guide and support you through

the process and will be made available as you progress

through each stage. You will also have the opportunity

to attend workshops on preparing your submissions

and preparing for your final assessment interview.

Ultimately however, you are responsible for your progress

through each stage. The time it takes for you to become an

RICS professional member will depend on your personal

circumstances and work schedule. The diagram overleaf

shows the process, followed by a timeline from application

to membership approval.

Pathways and competencies

The RICS qualification covers many different professional

disciplines in land, property and construction. RICS has

identified competencies required for each of these disciplines,

and each set of competencies is known as a pathway.

You must select the pathway that reflects your job

– see www.rics.org/pathway. Contact RICS to discuss

this if you are in any doubt.

There is a pathway guide for each set of competencies,

which explains the competencies in detail in the context

of your chosen pathway.

Competencies

A competency is a statement of the capabilities required

to perform a specific role and is based upon behaviours,

knowledge, skills and aptitudes. RICS competencies, detailed

in the pathway guide, are written in levels of expertise.

• Level 1 is about technical knowledge and understanding.

• Level 2 is about the application of knowledge and

understanding.

• Level 3 is about giving reasoned advice and/or depth

of technical knowledge.

Each pathway requires you to demonstrate three types

of competency:

• mandatory – personal, interpersonal and business skills

common to all pathways

• core – compulsory and related to the primary skills

of your chosen pathway

• optional – selected by you from the list for your

chosen pathway.

04 APPLICANT HANDBOOK: INTRODUCTION AND APPLICATION 04

Introduction

Sta

ge 1

Sta

ge 2

if unsuccessful

approved for PER

approved for final assessment

on successful completion

if successful

if unsuccessful

referred

Sta

ge 3

Application• evidence of qualifications• relevant experience• training and development• competency self-assessment• proposer

Submission• 7 competency statements (300–500 words each)

• 2 case studies (500–1,000 words each)

• professional development record (12 months completed + 12 months planned)

• organisation chart

Final assessement interview

60-minute competence-based interview using submissions and

assessor report from stage 2

Evaluation by RICS staff

Advised to consider gaining further academic or work experience or alternative route to membership

Assessment by RICS member

Assessment by RICS members

Online ethics module and test

MRICS

Advised of actions to take before resubmitting

Referred to apply for further interview

05 APPLICANT HANDBOOK: INTRODUCTION AND APPLICATION

Submit your application form

Approved for routeEvaluation by RICS staff 2 weeks

Submit for preliminary assessmentPrepare your submissions 4–8 weeks

Preliminary assessment by RICS member

Approved for finalassessment interview

4–6 weeks

2–12 weeks

Approved for membership

MRICS Total 14–30 weeks

2 weeks

Prepare for finalassessment interview

Assessment by RICS interview panel

Attend finalassessment interview

This timeline is based on being successful at each stage at the first attempt.

06 APPLICANT HANDBOOK: INTRODUCTION AND APPLICATION 06

Application

This section of the handbook explains the information you

must give RICS in your application form.

Requirements

It is important to give RICS as much relevant information as

possible right from the outset. RICS will use this information

to give you early guidance on how closely you meet the profile

the assessors will be looking for.

There are two main elements to the initial scrutiny:

your knowledge base and your experience.

Qualifications

You must provide details of your degree1 (or equivalent

professional qualification). RICS will check this to ensure

it meets the basic requirements. Please scan your degree

certificate or evidence of professional qualification, and

forward it to RICS with your application. You can also

comment, if you wish, on how the degree is relevant

to your chosen pathway.

Professional experience

You must complete a detailed record of your relevant

experience. You should also detail any management

experience you have because this could affect the type

of assessment you are offered.

Competency self-assessment

The other main component of the application form is your

self-assessment against the competencies for your chosen

pathway. As you progress towards assessment, you will be

asked to select from this list of competencies. At this initial

stage, however, all you are doing is a rough assessment of

your own level in all of the competencies. If you have not had

any experience in a particular competency, leave it blank.

The purpose is simply to introduce you to the competencies,

get you to think a little about them, and get you to judge for

yourself whether you have a broad range of skills at a high

enough level to achieve a professional qualification.

When you are thinking about this, reflect on your past

experience and your whole career to date. Be realistic.

Remember in particular that for all the competencies the

highest level – level 3 – is the level at which you can give

reasoned advice. You should only rate yourself at level 3

in a competency if, in the course of your work, you would

be authorised by your employer to give advice to clients

independently and with a minimum of supervision. To be an

RICS professional member you will have to demonstrate that

you operate at this level.

Training and development

RICS regards continuing professional development (CPD)

as essential for all responsible professionals.

If you are approved for the route you will need to submit a

record of your CPD that covers your completed CPD activities

from the past 12 months and your planned CPD activities for

the next 12 months.

1A degree must be awarded by a nationally recognised university and the level of award will be confirmed by the independent external consultant NARIC/ENIC. For undergraduates it must be a minimum of a bachelor’s degree (honours level) requiring a minimum of 3,600 study hours (or the equivalent under any internationally accepted classification system). For postgraduates it must be a minimum of a master’s degree requiring a minimum of 1,800 study hours (or the equivalent under any internationally accepted classification system). Exceptions will be considered by RICS on a case-by-case basis.

07 APPLICANT HANDBOOK: INTRODUCTION AND APPLICATION07

Proposer

You must provide the name and contact details of a proposer.

This should preferably be an RICS member who knows you

and your work. If you do not know an RICS member, you

can provide the details of your line manager or HR/training

manager (although at the final assessment stage a signature

from an RICS member will be needed).

You should provide your proposer with the Proposer and

sponsor guide so he/she understands his/her responsibilities.

RICS will normally contact your proposer by telephone for a

brief confirmation that the information you have given in your

application form is accurate.

Your completed application form, including evidence of

your qualifications, must be sent to RICS electronically.

RICS assessment

On receipt of your application, RICS staff will make an initial

evaluation. This is based on your academic qualification,

experience in the required competencies and, if relevant,

management experience. RICS will contact you by telephone

and/or email to discuss the outcome with you.

This is not a pass/fail stage of the process. Provided you have

shown you meet the headline criteria – you have a degree and

five years of relevant experience – at this stage you will only be

advised how likely you are, on the basis of the information you

have provided, to progress through the route.

RICS may, for example, advise at this stage that you are

likely to need more underpinning knowledge, exposure to a

wider range of activities, or to work at a higher level. RICS

will not stop you going on to the next stage, and you may

consider that with some more evidence you can put a stronger

case together. However, RICS would strongly advise you to

give credence to the pointers you receive in this part of the

process. RICS want to ensure you are realistic about your

prospects of gaining professional qualification. Furthermore,

the next stage for you, as an applicant, involves considerable

work and payment of an assessment fee. RICS would not

wish to encourage you to undertake this without a reasonable

prospect of success.

RICS HQ

Parliament Square London SW1P 3AD United Kingdom

Worldwide media enquiries:

e [email protected]

Contact Centre:

e [email protected] t +44 (0)870 333 1600 f +44 (0)20 7334 3811

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Advancing standards in land, property and construction.

RICS is the world’s leading qualification when it comes to professional standards in land, property and construction.

In a world where more and more people, governments, banks and commercial organisations demand greater certainty of professional standards and ethics, attaining RICS status is the recognised mark of property professionalism.

Over 100 000 property professionals working in the major established and emerging economies of the world have already recognised the importance of securing RICS status by becoming members.

RICS is an independent professional body originally established in the UK by Royal Charter. Since 1868, RICS has been committed to setting and upholding the highest standards of excellence and integrity – providing impartial, authoritative advice on key issues affecting businesses and society.

RICS is a regulator of both its individual members and firms enabling it to maintain the highest standards and providing the basis for unparalleled client confidence in the sector.

RICS has a worldwide network. For further information simply contact the relevant RICS office or our Contact Centre.

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rics.org/experience

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