APC: Preparing for the big day

All RICS APC candidates need to pass their final assessment interview to become a chartered surveyor. This is irrespective of the chosen route, eg structured training, preliminary review or senior professional, and pathway, eg commercial property, planning and development or valuation. That said, the structure of the final assessment interview is different for senior professional candidates (see below). The final assessment interview will last for one hour. It aims to explore whether candidates can: communicate clearly through the case study presentation and interview; articulate knowledge (level 1) and experience (levels 2 and 3) declared within the written submission; demonstrate an understanding of the role and responsibilities of a chartered surveyor; and provide reasoned advice to clients using their professional and technical skills. Candidates will be assessed by a panel of two or three chartered surveyors, who have been trained by the RICS and will have been selected for their alignment to a candidate’s experience, role and pathway. One of the surveyors will act as the chairperson and will be responsible for managing the interview. How will it work? The interview itself will explore all elements of the written submission, including the case study, summary of experience and CPD record. Don’t forget that anything in the latter can be explored by the assessors – anything written in the submission is fair game! There may also be an assessment on wider experience and knowledge, including key issues such as ethics, rules of conduct and current hot topics. It is, therefore, very important to have a good level of market awareness by reading EG and being aware of any relevant RICS guidance or legislation. Be prepared not only to discuss the detail, but also your views – as a professional you are expected to be able to advise clients in the context of rapidly moving market conditions. Your assessors will question you at the highest level you have declared, eg if you have a level 3 competency they will ask you about the reasoned advice you provided. The questioning will be specific to the examples and experience you have stated in your written submission and will probe into your advice and actions. You may also be asked about wider issues or knowledge underwriting the advice you gave. It is important to remember that you are not expected to be an expert in every element of every competency – the interview is not an exam. However, the assessors are judging your overall ability and whether you have met the minimum levels of competence required. Essentially, are you a safe pair of hands who the assessors would be happy to set up in practice as a sole trader after qualifying? You will need to ensure you are 100% on the ball in relation to ethics, as a wrong answer in this competency will constitute an automatic fail. Being able to advise clients ethically, independently and with integrity is a key attribute of a chartered surveyor – so make sure you are aware of relevant RICS guidance and legislation. This includes issues relating to bribery, money laundering and conflicts of interest. In all other areas the assessors will take a holistic view of your training, written submission and interview performance. Your interview will be conducted online via Microsoft Teams, with full support and guidance provided beforehand by RICS. At the start of your interview, you will be welcomed by the chairperson. Ensure you test out your equipment and all systems beforehand to avoid any technical issues on the day. Your 60-minute interview will only start when you commence your 10-minute presentation. This should focus on your case study – this may be the whole project or you may choose to focus on one of the key issues in further detail. You will be able to share your screen or present to the camera during your assessment, as the option will no longer be available to e-mail your PDF visual aid beforehand.  Use any visual aids that you’re sharing on screen, as an opportunity to demonstrate your presentation and communication skills – anything complicated may be difficult to use and is likely to detract rather than add to your presentation. The timing of your presentation is key and you need to try to finish as close to 10 minutes as possible. You should consider this requirement to be an essential requirement of the interview – just as you would respect and adhere to a key client requirement or KPI. It demonstrates that you are able to work to a client brief, can present effectively and have good time-management skills; all essential to being a chartered surveyor. You will then face 10 minutes’ questioning on your case study presentation and 30 minutes’ questioning on your overall experience, including CPD, technical competencies, rules of conduct and professional practice. The final 10 minutes will be handled by the chairperson, who will question you on professional and technical matters, CPD, rules of conduct and mandatory competencies. Senior professional interview The senior professional interview is slightly different in its format, although you will still be questioned on your written submission (three case studies and CPD record) with a strong focus on professional ethics.  Your interview will still be 60 minutes, starting with a 10-minute presentation focusing on your senior profile (rather than your case studies). This will allow you to explain to the panel about your background and career history. The following 50 minutes will focus on a discussion of your case studies and wider experience, to include leadership, managing people and managing resources. There will also be questioning on wider professional issues including ethics. The last challenge In conclusion, the final assessment interview is the last challenge to overcome in the long process of preparing to become a chartered surveyor. Being familiar with the process and the requirements of the RICS will set you up for success, although this will only be possible if you also take time to plan ahead and prepare effectively. Make sure you are able to participate in a mock interview beforehand, preferably online, to simulate what you will experience in the real thing. It is also worth practising as much Q&A as possible with friends, family and colleagues – being able to articulate your written submission out loud is a difficult skill to finesse. Ensure that your answers are clear and concise and you do not simply list everything you know out loud. Listening closely to the questions and asking for clarification where appropriate will help you to give relevant, considered answers demonstrating your required competency levels. If you are not sure about an answer, ensure you have a toolbox of ways to provide practical answers and solutions. This might be signposting the assessors to a resource or another professional, for example. Top assessor tips Look professional for your interview, even though it is online – it instils confidence from the outset that you are ready to become a chartered surveyor. Prepare by speaking with candidates who have recently gone through the process – find out how they dealt with the stress of the day and make your own plan to succeed. Check all the systems, ie Microsoft Teams, beforehand and make sure you know how to use them. Don’t look unprofessional by not being able to work the basic tools for your assessment. Top candidate tips Check your WiFi speed beforehand. If it’s not good enough, book a meeting room or use a quiet room at a friend or relative’s house instead. Read the news – being aware of current affairs really gave me confidence to answer wider questioning in my interview. Know your submission inside out – there’s nothing worse than not knowing your own experience and examples on interview day. Professional guidance: what’s new? RICS has launched a new Commercial Rental Independent Evaluation Service to help landlords and tenants negotiate payments during Covid-19: www.rics.org/uk/news-insight/latest-news/press/press-releases/new-rental-evaluation-service-launched-to-help-address-commercial-rent-crisis RICS has updated its material valuation uncertainty guidance: www.rics.org/uk/news-insight/latest-news/press/press-releases/material-valuation-uncertainty-important-update RICS has published updated guidance on the EWS1 form process: www.rics.org/uk/news-insight/latest-news/press/press-releases/the-external-wall-fire-review-forms—rics-collaborative-working Further reading and resources APC candidate guide: www.rics.org/globalassets/rics-website/media/assessment/apc-candidate-guide Senior professional guidance: www.rics.org/uk/surveying-profession/join-rics/chartered-member-mrics/senior-specialist-academic-assessment EG podcast on the new online assessment process: www.podbean.com/eu/pb-wwdid-e11a80 Jen Lemen FRICS is a co-founder of Property Elite, a chartered surveyor, a registered valuer and an APC assessor