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The introduction of new RICS APC guides is not change for change’s sake. The RICS has made changes after discussion with many different parties involved in the APC process. The new guides are currently only relevant for UK candidates starting their APC on or after 1 July 2006, although there is a transitional arrangement available. The RICS APC Guides July 2002 are valid until July 2008 for candidates who have enrolled on the APC prior to 1 July 2006.

So, what is different about the RICS APC Guides July 2006? Here are my ten top tips:

1 The 24-month minimum training period is still the same but pre-submission requirements have changed. The pre-submission three months prior to assessment has been replaced with the requirement that a candidate completes the full minimum training period. This simply means completing 24 months’ training with a minimum 400 days recorded, all sign-offs of competencies by supervisor and counsellor and the complete allocation of professional development (48 hours per 12 months of experience).

The RICS will accept a candidate’s application one month prior to APC final assessment, but the application must be complete. Should the pre-submitted documentation be incomplete, it will be returned to the candidate and their final assessment deferred to the next batch of assessments. Not getting your documents right first time could delay your final assessment by six to eight months.

2 There is a six-year ruling. From the point of applying and starting on the APC, candidates must achieve the APC within six years.

3 The interim assessment is still required at month 12 for graduate route 1 candidates but the candidate, supervisor and counsellor are now required to send the RICS a declaration form (template 7) stating the interim assessment has been completed within the required one month from the candidate’s proposed interim assessment date. Failure to do this will jeopardise the candidate’s proposed final assessment date.

4 The APC templates have been adjusted and reduced in number to ensure that the templates submitted do not get confused with the sample templates that the RICS suggests candidates, supervisors and counsellors use for day-to-day APC process management and also to simplify the process and paperwork.

5 The APC faculty routes are now called pathways, and a number of new pathways have been added. The two worth noting are Property Finance and Investment, and Home Inspection.

6 The APC competencies have been streamlined. There are still mandatory, core and optional competencies but they have been reduced to 10 mandatory competencies. The core and optional competencies, now referred to as technical competencies, are picked from a finite (or ‘closed’) list offered under each specific pathway.

7 The faculties within the RICS have been asked to offer contextual guidance relevant to their pathway competency options. This will be useful guidance for candidates and assessors.

8 Diary days are to be recorded to a minimum of a half or whole day and must be linked to only one area of competency per half or whole day. Mandatory competencies do not need to be recorded but they will still require stringent assessment and signing off against the required levels stated in the guides.

9 Enrolment and application cut-off dates have changed and candidates must ensure that they download this information from the RICS website. Missing either date will result in, as has always been the case, a potential delay in the final assessment date.

10 Professional development is the same but now limits private study and reading to a maximum of two-thirds of the total required allocation. Candidates undertaking additional education that is relevant and can be recorded as professional development should take extra care to ensure that their professional practice skills are achieved.