APC: assessor advice

Be prepared

17 June 2010

With the right approach and attitude your chances of APC success can be greatly improved, say Jane Ballantyne and Justin Bird

'Chartered surveyor' is a globally recognised designation that demonstrates the expertise, dedication and experience of those holding the title. It is precisely to maintain these values that the route to chartership, the APC, is designed to be difficult.

As assessors, we see a depressingly high number of candidates that haven't prepared properly, don't understand the subjects or assume that the bare minimum will do. Avoid these pitfalls and half the battle is won.

There is no replacement for hard work, but it remains important to concentrate your energies on the most vital areas. The advice below will help you do this.

Preparation, practice and a proactive approach

Firstly, obtain the latest RICS guidance (Ref. 1), which should form the basis of how you approach the APC. Read the guidance and return to it regularly, as some elements will become more apparent as your knowledge improves.

Work with your supervisor to keep your record of progress accurate and up-to-date. This needs total honesty from both sides; it is better to know that you're behind schedule and need to catch up than believe you are up-to-date when you are not. Prepare ahead of your supervisor meetings and provide them with information well in advance so that they can also prepare; this will help you to get as much as possible out of this vital contact time.


It is better to know that you're behind schedule and need to catch up, than believe you are up-to-date when you are not

Be proactive in seeking assistance in weak areas; supervisors, counsellors and APC doctors are great sources of advice and will generally make time for APC candidates. Identify areas where you need more experience and proactively seek relevant work to fill these gaps. For example, there is an ongoing shift towards contract-based work in the competency requirements, so ensure your experience reflects this.

Of paramount importance is to understand the requirements of each competency and what is required to reach the necessary level. If you're unsure about any aspect, you can't possibly reach the necessary standard, so seek advice as soon as possible.

And what not to do...

Don't panic - no matter where you are in the process, you are probably in a better position than you think. Take a deep breath and identify what the problem is. Once you know this, you will find yourself much better placed to solve the problem.


We see a depressingly high number of candidates that haven't prepared properly, don't understand the subjects or assume that the bare minimum will do

Of course, the easiest way to avoid panic is to complete work in good time. The APC provides great milestones that allow you to effectively plan your progress and you should take advantage of these. Look ahead and put together a realistic timetable for immediate activity and revision time as you approach the final assessment.

Finally, be honest with yourself and don't overestimate how good you actually are. Convincing yourself that you fully understand a competency makes it easy to gloss over areas when working or preparing for your final assessment. An honest appraisal of your progress will help you reach your goals and assist your supervisor in the support they provide.

This also applies in the final assessment. Candidates are often guilty of stating that certain work 'demonstrates I have met this core competency'. It is up to the assessors to judge whether you have met the competency or not and you shouldn't presume their decision.

The final assessment

Prepare your final submission and presentation well in advance, giving yourself the opportunity to review and properly format what you are submitting. Ask yourself whether the document is good enough to provide to your biggest client, as this is your first chance to impress the assessors and demonstrate your competence.

The final submission also provides a great opportunity to influence your final assessment. The assessors will take their lead from the subjects you discuss and ask questions based on your experience, so make these obvious. 'Signpost' your experience in the document, making it easy for the assessor to formulate questions; this gives you a good chance to prepare for what will be asked.


Ask yourself whether your final submission and presentation are good enough to provide to your biggest client

Conversely, don't 'signpost' elements that you're not competent in. A recent candidate of ours included a paragraph stating that he was 'very experienced' in sustainability matters. However, it soon became clear that his knowledge was patchy at best, and as a result he had to get up to speed on this discipline in the little time before his final assessment. This cramming could have been avoided if he hadn't overstated his understanding.

The presentation and submission are areas where you have complete control over what will be discussed. Maximise this benefit by learning inside out the subjects that these contain; a lack of knowledge in the areas where you claim to have experience reflects very badly indeed.

Familiarising yourself with the final interview structure shows how much control of the time you actually have, making it much less intimidating than it first appears. The hour can be approximately broken down into:

  • 3 minutes: introductions, small talk and confirmation that the candidate is well and able to continue
    Total control - no questions
  • 10 minutes: candidate presentation to the panel
    Total control - no questions
  • 10 minutes (5 per assessor): questions based on the candidate's critical analysis and presentation
    Reasonable control - questions will relate to candidate's project, so they can prepare very effectively
  • 25 minutes (12.5 per assessor): questions based on the candidate's experience and training
    Some control - depends on 'signposting' within the candidate's document. NB: candidate's control diminishes as this section progresses
  • 10 minutes: Chairman's questions on mandatory competencies, or return to previous questions
    Low control - questions can be on anything, but are generally of a more basic, less technical nature
  • 2 minutes: Chairman's close

Take responsibility

If the advice above could be summed up, it would be to take responsibility for your own progress with the APC. It is your APC and, ultimately, you will succeed or fail on the work you put in.

That said, you are not alone. If you are unsure of something, proactively seek help from peers, colleagues, your supervisor, counsellor and APC doctors - they will be busy but they know how much they appreciated support when they were undertaking their APCs. The APC has been structured to create this support network for candidates and to ignore such a valuable resource would be very foolish.

The APC is indeed difficult but with good advice, the right attitude and, most importantly, hard work, it is well within each candidate's capability. Good luck.

Been there, done that...

Candidates from Malcolm Hollis have had an APC pass rate over the past two years of 90%, compared to the RICS average of 61%. Recent passers Dougal Sutherland, Billy Dawes and Leesa Paton, surveyors at the firm, give their advice on what worked for them.

Listen

It sounds simple, but is remarkably easy to forget. Supervisors, counsellors and assessors all know the process inside out and are a great source of advice. But be aware that taking advice from absolutely everyone will just leave you confused and concentrating on often contradictory and irrelevant information.

Get the latest information

Having the most up-to-date templates and candidate guides will ensure you avoid needless small errors.

Give yourself plenty of time

Prepare documents and submissions as early as possible to allow for proofing, formatting and improvements, as well as practice run-throughs where necessary.

Get as much on-site experience as possible

It's easier to remember things you have actually seen rather than just read in a book. When on site, try and work out how buildings are put together and why things have gone wrong. This also gives you examples to use when responding to questions, underlining your experience and improving your answers.

Practise for your assessment

Learn your project inside out, practise your presentation in front of colleagues and revise your answers repeatedly. These are all things that you have control of, so make them count.

Don't panic

Especially in the interview, you're not expected to know absolutely everything, so accept when you're not sure and explain how you would resolve a situation.

Don't try and bluff your way through it

You'll get found out.

Unfortunately, there's no replacement for hard work

But give yourself decent breaks or it will drive you mad...

Jane Ballantyne is a Partner and Justin Bird an Associate at building surveying consultancy Malcolm Hollis and both are licensed APC assessors

Further information

Download a complete “APC: assessor advice” PDF