The Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) is a period of structured on-the-job training and assessment.

• In order to enrol on to the APC, a candidate must have an accredited qualification and be in relevant employment.

• The minimum required duration of the APC is 24 months. However, candidates with 10 years’ or more relevant work experience will be considered for the Experience route - which has a 12 month requirement.

• The APC is comprised of a set list of skills – or competencies – set out by each of the Society’s divisions. In order to become Chartered within one of these divisions, a candidate must attain these competencies to the required level.

• The competencies are a mix of interpersonal, business and technical skills.

• Over the course of the APC, a candidate must record their experience against each of the competencies in a logbook. They are also obliged to attain a set amount of structured learning (through reading and research, attendance at CPD lectures, in-house training courses, etc).

• A candidate’s APC is overseen by a Chartered Surveyor from within their division. The Chartered Surveyor – who is trained by the Society for this role - acts as counsellor, mentoring the candidate throughout the course of their APC, assisting them to achieve the competencies to the required levels and assessing their performance. 

• The APC culminates in the Final Assessment – a two part process comprising submission of documentation and the sitting of a one-hour interview. Documentation comprises the logbook and structured learning record, as well as a 3,000 word project. The 60-minute interview is an assessment of the candidate’s attainment of the competencies, based on the project and documentation.

• Successful completion of the APC at Final Assessment results in a candidate being elected by the Society Council as a Professional Member of the Society of Chartered Surveyors (MSCS), a Chartered Surveyor.

For more detailed information regarding the Assessment of Professional Competence, take a look at the three APC guides:

• Candidate’s Guide
• Guide for Supervisors, Counsellors and Employers
• Requirements and Competencies Guide

Alternatively contact the Education Office at education@scs.ie / 01 6765500.