Building a better you
Property Elite’s sole aim is to build better property professionals - supporting your career every step of the way, whether you are an AssocRICS or RICS APC candidate or a MRICS or FRICS Chartered Surveyor simply seeking engaging CPD.
We provide a wide range of training and support, so why not find out more on our website about how we might be able to support you? We work with candidates across all RICS APC and AssocRICS pathways, routes to assessment and geographic regions.
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What is today's blog about?
We're here to help with your Spring 2018 RICS APC assessment, with our top 10 killer revision tips!
You can also listen to our CPD podcast on Anchor for more free AssocRICS and RICS APC training and support.
1. Don't leave it until the last minute...
Start preparing early. Whatever you do, don't leave it until the last minute. Whilst you won't be notified of your final assessment date until 4 weeks prior to interview, your preparation should already be well underway. The more time you have to familiarise yourself with the relevant knowledge, your submission and the technical competency detail, the better.
2. Make a plan
Work out how much time you have around your working hours and essential personal commitments. Consider taking some annual/study leave if you can, to ensure you have sufficient time to prepare (without panicking). With the time you have remaining, block this into the individual competencies and work through these in order of priority.
We recommend starting and finishing with Conduct rules, ethics & professional practice (because a wrong answer = an automatic fail for this competency) and then working through your mandatory and technical competencies from your weakest to your strongest areas.
Make sure you also block out some time for you - the RICS APC process can be all-consuming and you still need to function during this as a human being. Take some time out to spend with family, friends or doing something you enjoy.
Having a plan will make you much more confident in the process - just knowing you have time to cover all of your competencies at the appropriate levels will help to relieve a tiny bit of stress!
3. Read the Property Elite APC and Hot Topic Guides
Sign up for complimentary copies of our Ebooks. These are full of even more helpful advice and tips to help you to pass your RICS APC or AssocRICS with flying colours first time.
We always find that reading and reviewing information in slightly different formats helps it to stick in your mind. Our Hot Topics Guide will also point you in the direction of potential questioning you are likely to face in your assessment.
4. Read around the subject
Being a Chartered Surveyor is about being a well-rounded professional - generally knowing a lot about your core areas of practice, as well as a little about the wider property market and other areas of professional practice.
For example, for an Agency Surveyor this may be having an awareness of changes to business rates and the RICS Service Charge Code.
We also recommend reading as many different sources as possible relating to your mandatory and technical competencies.
Often, a different explanation of a technical concept or reading an opposing viewpoint on recent caselaw, can help to improve your understanding and reasoned advice.
5. Familiarise yourself with your submission
This is vitally important! Your questioning at interview should focus on your submission and specific examples, so make sure you know them inside out.
We recommend detailing each example with brief bullet points in a Spreadsheet to help familiarise yourself with your submission. This is also a very helpful crib sheet for the latter stages of revision.
You can then reflect on this in light of the technical knowledge you have acquired through the rest of the revision process.
6. Book a mock interview
Book a mock interview with Property Elite, either in person or online, and make the most of any mock interviews provided by your employer. Ideally, they will be conducted by current RICS APC assessors who will be able to simulate your final assessment interview as far as possible.
7. Check out the RICS website
The RICS website is full of useful information and knowledge. A great way to revise is simply to explore the website and make notes on key concepts.
8. Be market aware
It's vitally important to be aware of what is happening in the wider property market, economy and political climate. Some great sources of information include Estates Gazette, Retail Week, Retail Gazette, Property Week, BBC News and other newspaper websites. There are also many other excellent podcasts out there to listen to when commuting.
Try to have an opinion about market events which may have an impact on your role or reasoned client advice and be prepared to discuss these at interview. Remember, there is not necessarily a right or wrong answer!
9. Focus on your weaknesses
Starting with your weaker areas will give you longer to bring these up to the required level of competence. It will also improve your confidence as practice generally makes perfect.
10. Think like an assessor
Have a sneaky peak at the RICS website to check out the structure of the interview and what guidance is provided to RICS APC assessors.
How can we help?
Head to our blog archive to access even more free CPD and AssocRICS and RICS APC training and support.
Download your free AssocRICS and RICS APC resources, including e-books and revision quizzes.
Find out more about our bespoke AssocRICS and RICS APC training and support, before booking your free 15 minute consultation and signing up for your services online.
Not sure about signing up? Make sure you read what our recent successful candidates have to say in our Testimonials.
Stay tuned for our next blog post to help build a better you
N.b. Nothing in this article constitutes legal or financial advice.