The first thing you should do now is create an online account at the Assessment Resource Centre (ARC) at the RICS web site.
ARC is the tool that will lead you to the RICS interview. This is your personal platform where you record your progress. This is your communication tool with assessors.
Follow the five steps on this screen.
The five steps in ARC
Update your profile, including uploading your photograph.
Complete the competency selector.
Check your counsellor details.
Apply for the final assessment when you are ready (including the ethics module).
Upload your final assessment documents in a PDF into ARC (with your counsellor sign off).
You can find a complete tutorial on enrolling here.
Be an RICS ambassador
When you become an RICS qualified professional you will be able to use the letters MRICS after your name. This will be very valuable for your career but this designation also comes with a responsibility to represent RICS in the most professional and positive way. It will also mean you are able to give something back; when you are an RICS qualified professional you will be able to put yourself forward to be an ambassador or counsellor.
Click on each character to learn how you can be a RICS ambassador.
FAQs
On this screen you will find the answers to some of the most common questions asked by RICS candidates.
Click on each question to see the answer.
What does RICS stand for?
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyor (not ‘institute’).
As an RICS qualified professional how many hours of CPD must I complete?
Once you are qualified, you will be expected to complete and record 20 hours of CPD each year.
I seem to fit into two or three pathways. How do I select one?
Go through the requirement and competencies guide, then find the best match between the skills you practice in your job and the RICS competencies. Choose that pathway. Your counsellor can help you, but the ultimate decision is yours.
What do I do if I think I am ready but my counsellor doesn’t?
If you counsellor does not agree you are ready and not willing to sign you off, you cannot proceed to the final assessment. In such a case you must sit down with you counsellor and go through the reasons why and identify any gaps that you still need to fulfil before the final assessment.
What is the fee cycle of joining RICS and becoming qualified?
You will have to pay a joining fee (including the candidate annual subscription fee) which your local RICS office will advise you on. You will then pay a candidate trainee annual subscription each year, until you become qualified. When you do qualify, you will be required to pay an election upgrade fee and the MRICS subscription for that year.
How long will it take me to qualify?
It depends on the route to qualification you are applying for. For example if you are a senior professional once you enrol you can apply for the next nearest final assessment in your region. If you are following the APC 24 structured training route, you will need to complete the minimum structured training period before being invited to the final assessment.
I do not know any counsellors. Can RICS help me to identify one?
Yes, RICS will help you find a counsellor if you do not know of any.
Can I take my assessment in local language?
Yes, candidates will be able to take their assessment in local language.
Useful links
On this final screen of the course you will find all the links to useful web resources that you have seen in this course.
Good luck with your application process and we look forward to welcoming you as an RICS qualified professional!
Click on each heading to take you to the page on the RICS web site.
