One of the most prestigious routes to becoming a Chartered Quantity Surveyor is through the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). Achieving chartership demonstrates professional excellence, credibility, and commitment to the highest industry standards. In this post, we’ll break down the MRICS competency requirements for the Quantity Surveying pathway, giving you a clear overview of what’s expected and how to prepare.
The RICS Submission
Your RICS submission consists of three key elements:
- CPD Log – a record of your continuous professional development.
- Competencies – broken down into mandatory, core, and optional requirements.
- Case Study – a detailed project write-up showcasing your experience and knowledge.
Here, we’ll focus specifically on MRICS competencies, which form the backbone of the submission.
Competency Levels Explained
Competencies are structured into three levels, each building on the last:
- Level 1 – knowledge and understanding
- Level 2 – application of knowledge
- Level 3 – reasoned advice, depth and synthesis of technical knowledge and its implementation.
Mandatory Competencies
These apply to all RICS pathways and ensure a solid foundation of professional skills.
- Level 3 – Ethics, rules of conduct and professionalism
- Level 2 – Communication and negotiation
- Level 2 – Client care
- Level 2 – Health and safety
- Level 1 – Conflict avoidance, management, and dispute resolution procedures
- Level 1 – Accounting principles and procedures
- Level 1 – Business planning
- Level 1 – Diversity, inclusion and teamworking
- Level 1 – Inclusive environments
- Level 1 – Data management
- Level 1 – Sustainability
Core Competencies
These focus specifically on the quantity surveying profession and must be demonstrated to a high level.
- Level 3 – Project finance (control and reporting)
- Level 3 – Commercial management or Design economics and cost planning
- Level 3 – Quantification and costing (of construction works)
- Level 3 – Contract practice
- Level 3 – Construction technology and environmental services
- Level 3 – Procurement and tendering
Optional Competencies
Candidates also select two optional competencies:
- Level 2 – Capital allowances
- Level 2 – Commercial management (of construction works) or Design economics and cost planning (whichever is not selected as core competency)
- Level 2 –Conflict avoidance, management and dispute resolution procedures or Sustainability
- Level 2 – Contract administration
- Level 2 – Corporate recovery and insolvency
- Level 2 – Due diligence
- Level 2 – Insurance
- Level 2 – Programming and planning
- Level 2 – Project feasibility analysis
- Level 2 – Risk management
Final Thoughts
The RICS Quantity Surveying pathway is rigorous, but understanding the competency requirements is the first step to success. Remember:
- Level 1 – knowledge and understanding
- Level 2 – application of knowledge
- Level 3 – reasoned advice, depth and synthesis of technical knowledge and its implementation.
By structuring your submission around these levels and providing strong real-world examples, you’ll be well on your way to achieving chartership.
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