Associate Assessment
                                    Quantity Surveying  
                                    and Construction 
                                    February 2017
                                                                                                                   Pathway guide
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     a                                            Introduction  .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................3
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     o                                            Competencies 
     ss                                           What is Quantity Surveying?  .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................3
     A                                            Quantity Surveying and Construction competencies  .......................................................................................................................................................4
                                                  Technical competencies  .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................5
                                                  Mandatory competencies  .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................13
                                                  Continuing professional development (CPD)  ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................14
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                                                                                                                                                                        Pathway guide
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       e                                                                Introduction 
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        A                                                               In order to become an RICS Associate you must demonstrate that                    What is Quantity Surveying?
       e                                                                you have knowledge, understanding and practical ability relevant to  
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       a                                                                a surveying role – in this case, Quantity Surveying.                              Quantity Surveying is concerned with controlling and managing the costs 
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       c                                                                This guide explains the competencies for your pathway, with examples              of construction projects. As an RICS Associate in Quantity Surveying and 
       o                                                                of how you can show you meet the requirements.                                    Construction, you could be involved with any stage of a project, from 
                                                                        Refer to this guide while preparing your submission for assessment.               feasibility, design and construction, through to extension, refurbishment, 
       ss                                                               The Associate Assessment Candidate Guide gives further essential                  maintenance and even demolition.
       A                                                                                                                                                  The construction industry is global and wide-ranging. It includes:
                                                                        information on how to prepare for the assessment. 
                                                                                                                                                          •    real  estate – residential, commercial, industrial, leisure, agricultural 
                                                                        Competencies                                                                          and retail projects
                                                                                                                                                          •    infrastructure – roads, railways, waterways, airports, sea ports, 
                                                                        A competency is the knowledge, skills, abilities and behaviours needed                coastal defences, power generation and utilities
                                                                        for a particular role or task. RICS competencies equip you to work in your        •   process engineering – chemical engineering plants and oil rigs.
                                                                        chosen pathway.                                                                   Working in a quantity surveying role, you will be gaining an understanding 
                                                                        The six technical competencies are the pathway-specific ‘hard’ skills             of the technical aspects of construction over the whole life of a building 
                                                                        needed for your role.                                                             or facility. Your work will help achieve the best quality and value within the 
                                                                        The eight mandatory competencies are the ‘soft’ business skills                   client’s specifications. You will need to understand contracts, budgets, 
                                                                        demonstrating your ability to work with colleagues, manage workloads              quantities and measurements. You are likely to be involved in a range of 
                                                                        and act with integrity. All candidates, regardless of their pathway, need         services, from cost consultancy to contract management.
                                                                        these skills.                                                                     When you qualify as an RICS Associate you are likely to be working under 
                                                                                                                                                          supervision, but you will be using many of the core technical skills of a 
                                                                                                                                                          quantity surveyor; and contribute to some activities more likely performed 
                                                                                                                                                          by a chartered surveyor such as benchmarking, lifecycle and whole life 
                                                                                                                                                          costing, and producing/submitting reports to clients.   
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                                                                                                                                                                         Pathway guide
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        A                                                               You must complete the following five technical competencies:                       You must complete all eight mandatory competencies:
       e                                                                •   construction technology and environmental services                             •   client care
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       a                                                                •   contract practice                                                              •   communication and negotiation
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       c                                                                •   procurement and tendering                                                      •   conduct rules, ethics and professional practice
       o                                                                •   project financial control and reporting                                        •   conflict avoidance, management and dispute resolution procedures
       ss                                                               •   quantification and costing of construction works                               •   data management
       A                                                                Plus one of the following technical competencies:                                  •   health and safety
                                                                        •   building information modelling [BIM] management                                • sustainability
                                                                        •    commercial management of construction                                         • teamworking.
                                                                            (those working in a contracting or commercial environment  
                                                                            will probably choose this competency)
                                                                        or
                                                                        •   design economics and cost planning  
                                                                             (those working in a consulting environment within either the public  
                                                                            or private sector will probably choose this competency). 
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