APC ASSESSORS Tips for APC assessors

Jen Lemen BSc (Hons) FRICS   APC Assessor

Jen is a partner and co-founder of Property Elite.

This is the third part of a series of articles Jen has agreed to write. Here she encourages readers to become APC assessors. “We all assess for love, not money, and it is one of the most rewarding experiences out there.” 

APC training and applying 

In my last ACES article, I wrote about how to be a fantastic APC ally, as a counsellor, supervisor or mentor, particularly when delivering e-mock interviews. In this article, we will look at how to advance your APC support role by becoming an assessor. 

Being an APC assessor is essentially a voluntary role – you are paid a nominal fee to cover your time, which many assessors decide to donate to the RICS LionHeart charity. 

Training to become an APC assessor has so many benefits though: 

• Supporting the next generation of chartered surveyors 

• Giving back to the profession 

• Networking with other assessors 

• Providing a fair, consistent and robust APC interview process 

• Enhancing your own skills and knowledge 

• Keeping up to date with the latest hot topics, RICS guidance and legislation 

• Giving you the knowledge to support your own team or other surveyors 

• Making you a better APC counsellor, supervisor or mentor 

• Adding to your formal CPD hours when assessing or attending assessor training 

• Adding to your informal CPD hours when acquiring new knowledge to assess competently 

• Providing evidence for one of the FRICS fellowship characteristics. 

We all assess for love, not money, and it is one of the most rewarding experiences out there. We all remember our own APC interview and the nerves, anxiety and pressure we felt. You will be part of someone else’s APC journey and you can make the final hurdle a positive environment for them to succeed in. 

We are neither gatekeepers nor examiners, in the traditional sense – we are there to assess a candidate’s competence: have they given sound advice, taken robust actions, and have appropriate knowledge across a relevant range of competencies? 

You can apply to become an assessor via the RICS website (https://www.rics.org/contribute/support-future-surveyors/become-an-assessor). You need to have been qualified for at least two years, have a clean disciplinary record and no CPD sanctions in force. 

There are, in fact, a number of different assessor roles that you can apply for, alongside being an APC interview assessor. These are: 

• AssocRICS assessor 

• APC Preliminary Review assessor 

• APC chairperson 

• Senior Professional Assessment and Specialist Assessment assessor (following initial assessor training). 

By becoming an APC assessor, you are committing to assess a minimum of four interviews each year. This could be one full day or interviews on separate days, if taking a day out of your working calendar is challenging. Your agreement to this is formalised in the RICS Assessor Commitment (https://www.rics.org/content/dam/ricsglobal/documents/surveying/Assessor-Chairperson-Service-Level-Agreement_March-2023-Update.pdf ), which you must sign in order to begin assessing. 

This also confirms your agreement to: 

• Be audited regularly 

• Meet key deadlines, e.g., provision of notes in the event of a candidate appealing the interview outcome 

• Pass the RICS Professionalism Module every three years 

• Undertake refresher training every three years or as required by RICS 

• Only assess the pathways you are competent to assess, which is typically one to four pathways, at once (at the higher end where they are closely related) 

• Identify and declare potential assessor conflicts of interest. 

The last point is key to providing a transparent assessment process. Examples of conflicts of interest include not assessing a candidate where: 

• You have provided any form of mentoring or coaching 

• You have a close or familial relationship with them 

• You have a commercial interest in the candidate passing their APC interview. 

If you are ever in doubt, the RICS Assessment Delivery Team is there to provide guidance and support. 

The interview 

The online format of the interviews has made it a lot easier for a diverse range of assessors to get involved. The time and cost implications of the previous in person format perhaps limited the diversity of the assessor pool, although there were clear benefits in having face to face contact with your panel and candidates. 

Being an assessor doesn’t just require your time on interview day. You will also need to: 

• Access the APC Assessment Platform to record availability and access assessment information, such as candidate documents and panel members 

• Review candidate submissions 

• Prepare competency-based questions 

• Contribute to the pass/refer decision on interview day 

• Contribute to candidate feedback/referral report. 

Your assessor training will cover all of these elements and give you the confidence and competence to assess fairly, consistently and robustly. 

The interview must last for exactly 60 minutes – no less and no more, unless the candidate has any access arrangements or special considerations where additional time may be allowed by RICS [Ed – see 2025 Spring Terrier]. 

When preparing for your first (or 100th!) APC assessment, here are some top tips: 

• Skim read the candidate’s submission first to get a feel for their experience, role and scope of competence 

• Although RICS will have carried out basic checks, ensure you also check that the submission is suitable for assessment at interview. This could include the required number and level of competencies, completeness of the submission and CPD hours and formal proportion 

• Then, read it again (and again) when preparing your assessment approach and potential lines of questioning. Generally, the questioning will take its own path, and you will need to think on your feet for follow on questions. Therefore, preparing a black and white list of questions you will ask is not best practice 

• Make notes about the candidate’s strengths and weaknesses, although try not to form too much of a view beforehand – give the candidate every chance to perform well and succeed on the day 

• Ensure you are familiar and competent to assess the candidate’s pathway and declared competencies. 

In the interview, here’s some tips to ensure you are applying best practice: 

• Start questioning at the highest level the candidate has declared 

• Avoid hypothetical questions 

• Avoid questions with multiple parts – keep them simple and to the point 

• Assess the candidate at the level they should be at; not at the level of an experienced practitioner, i.e., have they shown competence to the required level across their stated competencies 

• Ensure that you are aware of and stick to the strict interview timings. Your chair will be managing this, but everything you can do to assist them will be helpful 

• Ask open questions, giving the candidate the opportunity to explain their advice or actions and demonstrate their competence 

• Avoid closed questions, unless you need to confirm facts or information 

• Stay alert, even when you are not questioning the candidate! 

• Use encouraging follow-up questions and work with the candidate if they are nervous (no doubt you might be nervous too, particularly if it’s your first time assessing). Using the candidate’s name and good eye contact can be helpful to build a connection and re-ground a candidate if they are struggling 

• Avoid indicating to a candidate if an answer is right or wrong, such as nodding your head or saying ‘yes’ or ‘well done’ 

• Take notes, as these will aid you when considering your final pass or refer decision. Try to avoid making them distracting. Your notes may also be required in the event of a referral or appeal 

• Dress to impress: a professional appearance and attire is a must. Professional conduct is also essential – treat the candidate as you would want to be treated. Avoid anything that is disrespectful, including sighing or eye rolling, and keep a check on your body language 

• Practise active listening, which can avoid misunderstandings and ensure your questioning is clear and concise. 

Good luck assessing in 2025 – enjoy the experience and do your best for your candidates and fellow panel members!