Changes to RICS APC Rules
- Duncan Cartlidge
- Dec 16, 2025
- 2 min read
Four strikes and you're out !
From 1st January 2026, a significant change will take effect regarding the RICS Assessment of Professional Competence (APC). Candidates will now be limited to four attempts at the APC, a move designed to encourage better preparation among aspiring professionals.
This new rule made me reflect on the 1970s, a period when RICS still conducted its own external examinations. At that time, I taught an evening measurement class at Thames Polytechnic in Hammersmith, London, where we prepared students for the RICS Final Part II exam, the final step towards qualification. Measurement, specifically taking off quantities, was a standalone paper in the final exams. Part-time students, who worked during the day, were required to attend classes four nights a week—Monday to Thursday, from 18:30 to 21:30.
The RICS exams were known for their difficulty, with pass rates sometimes as low as 30%. As a result, it was common for candidates to attempt the exams multiple times. The situation was further complicated by the RICS’s approach to setting and reviewing their own exams, which often included trick questions and ambiguities in the wording to catch out unsuspecting candidates. I vividly recall one year’s measurement question involving a post office hardwood letter sorting unit—the type with numerous pigeonholes above a hardwood cabinet all finished off with brass fittings. Candidates had to measure each component in detail, rather than referring to a bill diagram or simply enumerating the unit. Additionally, the RICS Final Part I exams included a structures paper, which required surveyors to design structural elements such as beams and columns—what were they thinking?
I particularly remember one student in my class, let’s call him George, not his real name, who was in his mid to late twenties and worked in his father’s private practice. He had been promised a partnership if he could pass his RICS exams. Unfortunately, George was on his sixth attempt and still struggling to cross the finish line. At that time, there was no cap on the number of attempts—only the candidate’s perseverance and finances determined how long they continued. George’s struggle was far from unique, and many candidates faced similar challenges. I often wonder what became of him.
Duncan Cartlidge FRICS
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