01
Ethics, Conduct & Professionalism
Level 3
Assessors want to hear
"How you handled pressure to act against your professional obligations — not a recitation of the five Ethical Standards."
Most common referral reason
No real examples given. Choosing commercial interest over public interest.
Assessors want to hear
"How you managed a difficult instruction — setting scope, handling a variation, keeping a client informed when things changed."
Most common referral reason
No mention of written scope. Unable to explain the two-stage complaints procedure.
03
Communication & Negotiation
Level 2
Assessors want to hear
"A real negotiation — your preparation, your approach and the outcome. PREP answers throughout your interview."
Most common referral reason
Rambling answers without structure. No evidence of following up verbal agreements in writing.
Assessors want to hear
"A specific site visit described from an H&S perspective — your pre-visit preparation, how you read and applied RAMS, what you did when hazards were present."
Most common referral reason
Unable to explain RAMS. Citing 24 hours instead of 7 consecutive days for RIDDOR.
05
Accounting Principles & Procedures
Level 1
Assessors want to hear
"The difference between cash and profit — explained in the context of why a profitable business can still fail. Commercial awareness, not accounting theory."
Most common referral reason
Confusing profit and cash. Unable to explain financial statements without jargon.
Assessors want to hear
"Three commercial risks facing a surveying firm — named, explained and linked to how a firm responds. PESTLE applied to a real business context."
Most common referral reason
Generic answers with no surveying context. Unable to name three specific commercial risks.
07
Conflict Avoidance & Dispute Resolution
Level 2
Assessors want to hear
"How you identified conflict early and what you did before it escalated. The five resolution routes named in the correct order. The RICS Conflict Avoidance Pledge by name."
Most common referral reason
Wrong order of dispute resolution routes. Conflict Avoidance Pledge not mentioned.
Assessors want to hear
"All six GDPR principles named — including storage limitation, which most candidates forget. The 72-hour ICO notification rule. What you actually do when a breach occurs."
Most common referral reason
Unable to name all six principles. Unaware of the 72-hour ICO notification requirement.
Assessors want to hear
"MEES non-compliance explained commercially — not just legally. What a stranded asset is. BREEAM ratings named correctly. The EPC methodology shift from 2026."
Most common referral reason
Unable to explain the commercial consequence of a poor EPC rating. Confusing EPC with actual energy consumption.
10
Teamworking, Diversity & Inclusion
Level 2
Assessors want to hear
"I — not we. Your specific personal contribution to a team outcome, ideally across disciplines. What you did, why it mattered, what you would do differently."
Most common referral reason
Describing team activity without any personal contribution. No multi-disciplinary examples.