RICS SENIOR PROFESSIONAL ASSESSMENT Changes to the RICS APC Senior Professional Assessment Applicant Guide in 2026

Jen Lemen

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

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Jen outlines an alternative route to become a RICS professional member if your colleagues do not have the academic qualifications. 

Opportunities for senior practitioners

Have you worked your way up through an organisation, public sector body, local authority or firm, learning on the job and developing your skills as a property professional?

In recognition of the contribution that such individuals bring to the industry, the RICS provides the Senior Professional Assessment (SPA) to become MRICS.

The first step is to pass an initial vetting process, demonstrating that you are working at the level required of a senior professional. This process requires submission of a CV, organisational chart and 400-word senior professional profile.

Criteria and submission

However, the fundamental criteria are that you can demonstrate at least 10 years’ experience in the industry, at a senior level, and have developed certain behaviours relating to ethical standards, best practice and promoting the profession, among others.

You will be responsible for a team and for a budget, together with having management and leadership responsibilities on a day-to-day basis. On balance, you will undertake more senior management work than technical work. You are likely to delegate or oversee a team undertaking technical work, acting as a role model and senior manager.

There is no requirement for any specific academic achievement. Having said that, if an individual has a relevant postgraduate degree, the minimum period of relevant experience is reduced to five years.

Once accepted onto the Senior Professional Assessment, you have to prepare a written submission and pass a 60-minute online assessment interview. Interviews are scheduled in the Spring and Autumn each year, a month or two after the submission window closes.

The focus of the interview is a peer-to-peer review of your career, experience and technical competencies. You will also be tested on three Senior Professional competencies - Leadership, Managing People, and Managing Resources – all to Level 2. This means that you must demonstrate knowledge of the theory behind these competencies and how you have put them into practice, talking about specific examples.

Key changes and updates

If the SPA route looks right for you, then you need to ensure that you read the newly released RICS Senior Professional Assessment Applicant Guide(dated March 2026). You should also read this if you are acting as a Counsellor to SPA candidates

Here is a summary of the key changes and updates...

1. Strict policies on generative AI and plagiarism

The most notable addition to the 2026 guide is a new policy section titled Plagiarism and the use of AI:

• Generative AI prohibited - candidates must not use generative AI software (such as ChatGPT) to produce content for or to write their vetting form or final assessment submission

• Allowed digital tools - spelling, grammar and word-count checking tools are allowed. Any other technological aids require prior approval via a formal Reasonable Adjustment application

• Automated AI detection checks - RICS uses software to run both plagiarism and AI-detection checks on all submissions. Submissions flagged for suspicious AI-generated content or plagiarism will be subject to formal regulatory investigation, potential disciplinary action, or removal from the assessment process. It is not worth the risk!

2. Enhanced interview security and screen sharing rules

To maintain the integrity of the online interview process, RICS has expanded the powers of assessment panels during the online assessment.

• Screen sharing - the Chairperson now has authority to ask a candidate to share their computer screen at any point during the 60-minute interview. This ensures candidates do not have access to their written submissions, notes or AI software during the interview

• Comprehensive 360° room checks - the pre-interview environmental check requires candidates to conduct a 360-degree pan of their surroundings, explicitly including the area above them, their desktop and the floor area.

3 Clearer case study word count and formatting guidelines

RICS has provided clear formatting instructions regarding case study word counts (1,000–1,500 words per case study):

• Calculated via Microsoft Word - submission word counts are calculated using standard MS Word parameters

• What is INCLUDED in the word count - all body text from the introduction to the conclusion, including all headings and sub-headings

• What is EXCLUDED from the word count - project name, project dates, confidentiality statements, table of contents, competency tables and appendices

• Embedded tables and charts - any charts or tables embedded directly within the body text are included in the word count. To optimise your available word count, place all supporting charts, photos and diagrams in the appendices.

4. Technical case study competency mapping

The updated guide provides clear instructions on mapping competencies across the three required case studies:

• Case Study #1 (Senior Professional) - covers a project demonstrating Leadership, Managing People, and Managing Resources

• Case Study #2 (Core Technical) - must cover a minimum of two technical competencies drawn directly from the core technical list of your chosen pathway (including at least one at Level 3)

• Case Study #3 (Core Technical and Optional Technical) - must cover a minimum of two technical competencies from either the core or optional technical list for your pathway and must use different technical competencies than those demonstrated in Case Study #2.

Summary checklist for SPA candidate

Before submitting your application on the RICS Assessment Platform, ensure you have verified:

1. Originality - your written submissions are entirely your own work, with no generative AI content used

2. Word count compliance - each case study strictly adheres to 1,000–1,500 words, with body tables moved to appendices to avoid exceeding limits

3. Validity period - projects discussed in your case studies fall within the rolling 36-month window prior to your submission date

4. CPD logging - you have recorded 20 hours of CPD over the previous 12 months (at least 50% of your total must be formal).