New Pilot AssocRICS and RICS APC Pathways

Jen Lemen
Sep 9
3 min read

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What is this blog about?

In this week’s blog, we look at RICS’ new pilot AssocRICS and APC pathways as part of their ‘innovation programme’. This aims to futureproof the RICS AssocRICS and APC processes and provide opportunities for qualification in new areas of practice.

What are the new pathways?

There are three new pathways:

AssocRICS - Residential Retrofit Surveying (available in the UK only)
MRICS - Sustainability Advisory (available globally)
MRICS - Data Analytics and Intelligence

The Residential Retrofit Surveying pathway will specifically provide AssocRICS-level qualification opportunities for six key roles in the retrofit sector; lead professional, assessor, designer, contract administration, builder and post-retrofit inspector.

What technical competencies are covered by each pathway?

AssocRICS - Residential Retrofit Surveying:

Construction technology and environmental services
Retrofit testing, monitoring and evaluation
Building pathology
Measurement
Fire and building safety
Risk management

MRICS - Sustainability Advisory:

Principles of sustainability
Governance, disclosure and reporting
Digital and Low carbon technology
Climate risks and resilience
Sustainable finance and investment
Social value, health, place and community
Materials, circularity and adaptive systems

How are RICS piloting the new pathways?

RICS are not launching the new pathways immediately.

Instead, they are undertaking a viability pilot exercise with expressions of interest from 30 candidates requested by 31 October 2025 for the first two pathways listed above; Residential Retrofit Surveying and Sustainability Advisory.

The third pathway, Data Analytics and Intelligence, is under development with a pilot to be launched at the end of 2025, with expressions of interest requested during 2026.

If the pathway pilots are successful, then it is hoped that the new pathways will be launched in Q4 2025. If a candidate qualifies via the pilot pathway and the pathway is not then subsequently launched, candidates will still retain their AssocRICS or MRICS status.

Want to find out more?

Expressions of interested are invited by RICS through the below links:

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