RICS FINAL ASSESSMENT MOCK INTERVIEW

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS TUTORIAL

QUANTITY SURVEYING & CONSTRUCTION

COMMON APC RUMOURS

 The APC is a hugely difficult task with an incredibly high fail rate.
 The Interview panel can ask you any question and demand that you know the
answer in order for you to pass.

APC RUMOURS DISPELLED

 APC Pass rate is around 60%, with coaching, hard work and good
organisation, in my experience and in the candidates, I’ve coached over the
last 5 years, your pass rate % can go up to as high as 90%
 You are not expected to know the answer to every question.
 The APC is personal to you.
 This means that the assessors will be using your submission document to base
the majority of their questions.
RICS APC FINAL ASSESSMENT OVERVIEW

• 3-4 minutes - Introduction by the chairperson

• 10 minutes - Your case study presentation
• 5 minutes - Case study and presentation questioning
• 25 minutes - Assessors' questioning
• 10 minutes - Chairperson's questioning, with a focus on mandatory
competencies, ethics and Rules of Conduct
• 1-2 minutes - Chairperson closes the interview, including your opportunity to
go back to any questions - you have the last word!
INTERVIEW TECHNIQUE GUIDANCE
INTERVIEW INSIGHT & TIPS

▪ Listen to the specific question carefully and only respond with your answer
that specific question.
▪ Be sure to avoid going off topic as you may fall into a trap here.
▪ You must answer all Rules of Conduct and Ethical Questions correctly,
failure to do so will result in deferral.
▪ It is OK to not know the answer to a few questions.
▪ In your responses be sure to convey these confidently and concisely, avoid
using any hypothetical language.
▪ On Level 2 type questions be sure to talk in a positive, definitive way in the
past tense about what you have actually done.
MOCK INTERVIEW QUESTION & ANSWER PRACTICE

QUANTITY SURVEYING & CONSTRUCTION PATHWAY

DELIVERY OF 10 MINUTE PRESENTATION ON CASE
STUDY…
5 MINUTES OF PRESENTATION RELATED QUESTIONS
Q) Can you tell me how you demonstrated two of the five, Global
Professional and Ethical Standards within your case study
project?

A)

• Act with integrity

• Always provide a high standard of service

• Act in a way that promotes trust in the profession

• Treat others with respect

• Take responsibility.
Q) When presenting your case study you mentioned that you’ve prepared a
pre-tender estimate, could you just tell me what assumptions and exclusions
you made as part of that estimate?
A)

▪ Asbestos removal

▪ The specification, drawings and scheme information are to be clearly

referenced

▪ Caveats are included on the amount of project contingency being

recommended

▪ The position on Construction & Tender Inflation are clarified

▪ VAT is excluded

Q) Why?

A) Different organisations pay VAT at different levels

Q) In producing the Order of Cost Estimate on your case study project, what
level of contingency did you recommend?

A)

The level of contingency varied throughout different stages of the project. A

risk register was compiled with the project team and each risk was assigned
an appropriate level of contingency funding.

As the scheme progressed from RIBA Work Stage 2 to 4, more detailed

information became available and the level of contingency was adjusted
accordingly.

Q) What level of project contingency would you recommend with no risk

register at RIBA Work Stage 2?

A)

At RIBA Work Stage 2 based on a concept design I would recommend a

minimum contingency of 10% of the anticipated project cost.
Q) You also mentioned that you prepared some of the financial reports for client,
what components did they contain?

A)

▪ Provisional Sum Updates

▪ Remaining Project Contingency

▪ Original Contract Sum plus Agreed and Anticipated Variations

▪ Anticipated Total Forecast Cost

▪ Cashflow Forecast

▪ Project Risk Register

Q) You mentioned that you included some provisional sums on
your project. Were these defined or undefined provisional sums?
A)
Defined provisional sums are those that are sufficiently well
defined and/or detailed to allow the contractor to make allowances
for them in their programming, planning and pricing preliminaries.

There will be sufficient design information to describe how the

works item in question is to be fixed to the building, in which
location and in what quantity.

Q) Could a contractor claim additional preliminary costs resulting

from the expenditure of a defined provisional sum?

A)
No this would not be a valid claim due to the Provisional Sum
being defined, all Main Contractor preliminary costs needed to
expend the Provisional Sum are deemed included in the Contract
Sum.
MANDATORY COMPETENCY QUESTIONS
ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES & PROCEDURES
Q) What are the key financial statements that all companies must
provide? / What are company accounts?
A) The key financial statements to be provided by companies are
Profit and loss account, balance sheet and cash flow statement.

Q) When have you used company accounts in your work or when

do you think you may in the future?
A) To assess the financial strength of contractors at PQQ and
tender stages

Q) Why do you analyse companies’ accounts?

A) To assess a company’s financial performance over a period of
time and against similar companies.
To verify the solvency and financial suitability of potential
tenderers for a project
BUSINESS PLANNING
 Q) What are your firms Terms of Business?
A) Within our letter of Engagement Letter, the T&C's will form the contract
between our firm and and the Client, these are:
Our General Obligations - Provide 'Services' detailed in Engagement Letter
with the skill, care and diligence expected of professional person.
Our Liability - Claims are against ECH and not Partner/Employee.
Remuneration - Paid interest on late payments in accordance with Late
Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998.
Termination and/or Suspension - Minimum 7 days notice to suspend work.

Q) What is a SWOT analysis?

A) It is a structure analysis of the market (demand side). It is used to analyse

internal strength and weaknesses and external threats and opportunities to
exploit strengths and opportunities and mitigate weaknesses and threats.
CLIENT CARE
Q) When should you decline an instruction of new work from a client?
A) If there is a Conflict of Interest
Not in clients interest - you can't resource the job
Illegal

Q) Give me an overview of the principles of client care?

A) Identify clients, both existing and new to maintain working relationships and bring in
new work.
Understand different types of clients and genres and understand their general
objectives and interests.
Make reference to RICS code of conduct when building and maintaining relationships.
Have a complaints procedure
Collect and respond to client feedback
HEALTH & SAFETY
Q) What would you find in the H&S File?
A)
▪ It only needs to contain H&S information that would be useful for the planning of
future works or maintenance. The construction plan, building manual and contract
docs are not useful here.
▪ a brief description of the work carried out;
▪ any residual hazards which remain and how they have been dealt with (for example
surveys or other information concerning asbestos; contaminated land; water bearing
strata; buried services etc);
▪ key structural principles (for example, bracing, sources of substantial stored energy
– including pre- or post-tensioned members) and safe working loads for floors and
roofs, particularly where these may preclude placing scaffolding or heavy machinery
there;
▪ hazardous materials used (for example lead paint; pesticides; special coatings which
should not be burnt off etc);
Q) Are you aware of any RICS guidance notes on Health & Safety?
A)
The RICS Guide to Surveying Safely
Q) What are some of the topics covered in this document?
Guidance on Lone Working
How would rescue be achieved
Would others be aware of lone working
Procedures for keeping in contact
Travelling to and from Site
Condition of the Property
Site Specific risks
SUSTAINABILITY
Q) What is sustainability?
A)
▪ The ability to meet our own needs without affecting the ability of future generations
to meet their own needs.
▪ It involves a combination of environmental, social and economic issues.
Q) How is it relevant to quantity surveyors?
A)
▪ Carbon zero target by 2016, so need to take into account future costs in estimates.
▪ Energy Act 2011 makes it illegal to lease a building with EPD below E by 2018. Need
to take this into account in pricing refurbishment projects.
▪ Make sure that our clients have allocated a realistic portion of their budget to comply
with sustainability requirements.
▪ One of the biggest challenges is to demonstrate the financial benefits of sustainable
solutions to clients.
DATA MANAGEMENT
Q) What web based tool did you use to manage data?
A) Will be based on personal experience, this could be software packages such as
Business Collaborator, Google Docs or Dropbox. It should provide each member of
the project organisation access to view all relevant project documents. It should be
secure and ensure privacy and protection of data.
Q) How are businesses to remain compliant with the GDPR Regulations?
A)
▪ Raise awareness across your business. ...
▪ Audit all personal data. ...
▪ Update your privacy notice. ...
▪ Review your procedures supporting individuals' rights. ...
▪ Review your procedures supporting subject access requests. ...
▪ Identify and document your legal basis for processing personal data.
CONTRACT PRACTICE
Q) What 8 conditions need to be met for a contract to be in place?
A)
▪ Offer by one party (ie. Tender)
▪ Acceptance by the other party (ie. Tender return; Caution: Qualifications in tender =
counteroffer)
▪ Consideration (price of the promise, exchange of money, services or goods; must be
on both
▪ Intention to form a contract (lending money to a friend is a favour not a contract)
▪ Legality of contract (nothing prohibited by law)
▪ Capacity to make agreement (therefore exclude minors and insane people)
▪ Consent (must be meeting of the minds; not use of force or influence on vulnerable
persons)
▪ Possibility of performance
Q) What the advantages of standard forms over bespoke contracts?
A)
▪ a) Written by legal experts
▪ b) Rights and obligations of each party are clearly set out to the required level of
detail
▪ c) Risks should have been allocated equitably between the parties
▪ d) Parties should be familiar with the provisions in the form – greater consistently in
application
▪ and fewer unforeseen anomalies
▪ e) The time and expense of preparing a fresh document for each occasion is avoided
▪ f) Case law is built up over time – provides good source of knowledge and clarity of
terms
Q) When pricing an EOT what would you include for and what rates?
A)
▪ When pricing an EOT I would include costs for prolongation of site cabins, site
utilities, welfare
▪ facilities, management staff, security, cleaners, inefficient use of labour & plant
resources,
▪ subcontractor mobilisation costs, head office (hudson), finance charges & loss of
profit
PROJECT FINANCIAL CONTROL & COST REPORTING
Q) What would you include in a financial report?
A)
▪ a) Contract sum
▪ b) Instructed variations
▪ c) Potential future variations as advanced warnings
▪ d) Claims
▪ e) Anticipated final account total
▪ f) Total of certified payments
Q) 2. What is the purpose of a financial report?
A)
▪ To report against budgeted values and act as a working cost check on the project
budget.
▪ To give the Client an understanding of any savings or additional monies required.
▪ To report on contract progress against pre-contract predictions.
Q) What are variations?
A)
▪ - Alterations or modifications to the design, quality or quantity of the contract works,
to the
▪ site access or working conditions
Q) Why might they arise?
A)
▪ a) change to spec etc
▪ b) discrepancy between contract documents
▪ c) discrepancy with statutory requirements
▪ d) errors and omissions
▪ e) deficiency in employer’s requirements
Q) How would you assess an adverse weather claim for EOT?
A)
This would need to be supported by historical weather data taking into account the time
of year and region the project in question is located in.

The contractors claim should be based on data from a recognised independent source
such as the Met Office and the rainfall and temperatures referenced would be compared
against previous years to determine if these would adversely impact the progress of the
Main Contractor for a prolonged period that is equivalent to the extent of extension of
time being sought.
QUANTIFICATION & COSTING OF CONSTRUCTION WORKS
Q) What are the key differences between SMM and NRM?
A)
▪ elements being broken down further within NRM2 with 41 work sections against the
22 trade sections in SMM7,
▪ many small items deemed to be included within the rates (these had to be priced
separately within SMM7 which was a complete uneconomical use of a surveyor’s
time),
▪ clearer definitions of prime cost and provisional works and allowances for risks,
Q) What is a Prime Cost Sum?
A)
A prime cost sum is the cost of an item that has either not been selected or the price
was unknown at the time the contact was entered into. If the price of the item chosen is
greater than the PC sum the client will pay the builder any difference plus a profit
margin as stated in the contract
Q) What is GEA?
▪ Gross External Area
▪ This is the area of the building measured externally at each floor level
▪ What is GIA?
▪ Gross Internal Area
▪ This is the area of the building measured to the internal face of the perimeter wall at
each floor
Q) Where are all of these defined?
▪ The Code of Measuring Practice, 6th Edition, published by the RICS
Q) How do you measure cut and fill?
▪ CAD Measure
▪ If I did not have this software available to me I would obtain drawings with existing
levels & proposed levels. I would divide the area of excavation into a grid &
interpolate the levels on the grid to establish an average existing & proposed level to
determine which area was in cut and which area was in fill
CLIENT CARE
Q) When should you decline an instruction of new work from a client?
A) If there is a Conflict of Interest
Not in clients interest - you can't resource the job
Illegal

Q) Give me an overview of the principles of client care?

A) Identify clients, both existing and new to maintain working relationships and bring in
new work.
Understand different types of clients and genres and understand their general
objectives and interests.
Make reference to RICS code of conduct when building and maintaining relationships.
Have a complaints procedure
Collect and respond to client feedback
Q) What are the key steps when preparing for a negotiation?
A) There are 3 stages up to negotiation:
Claim notified / received (identify what the issue is, what needs to be negotiated, who is involved,
background research required)
Initial response & planning (what is stance, any bargaining power, aims, strategy & how this fits
with other party, what can be conceded, influence meeting by disclosing information)
Preparing to meet (further detailed planning, negotiation team selection & role definition)
Negotiation meeting

Q) What do you think about e-mail communication?

They have the same legal value than a letter and contracts can be inadvertly created by e-mail.
We must therefore be very careful to the content and form of e-mail communication. There tends
to be lax as they are perceived as informal.
Always communicate in a professional manner even if other parties don’t.
Make sure that you select the correct recipient and do not show others’ e-mail addresses without
their consent.
RULES OF CONDUCT & ETHICAL STANDARDS
Q) What are the RICS’ 5 principles of better regulation?
▪ Proportionality
▪ Accountability
▪ Consistency
▪ Targetting
▪ Transparency

Q) How many professional and ethical standards are there?

▪ Name them
▪ Act with integrity
▪ Always provide a high standard of service
▪ Act in a way that promotes trust in the profession
▪ Treat others with respect
▪ Take responsibility
Q) Why does the RICS have Rules of Conduct?
▪ To provide a framework that we can all work to and so the client knows he is getting a set level of service.
▪ As well as being an important tool for the Institution, the Rules of Conduct are also a useful professional
guide for individual Institution members.

Q) How many Rules of Conduct for members are there and can you name them?
▪ 9
▪ Name them
▪ Interpretation
▪ Communication
▪ Ethical Behaviour
▪ Competence
▪ Service
▪ Continuous Professional Development (CPD)
▪ Solvency
▪ Information to RICS
▪ Co-operation
Q) What procedures must you follow if you are starting up a new practice?
▪ Contact the RICS for guidance – provide a company start up pack
▪ Inform the RICS and register for regulation
▪ Appoint a contact officer for all RICS communication
▪ Prepare a complaints handling procedure
▪ Obtain PI cover
▪ Abide by the Rules of Conduct for Firms
▪ Use the designation ‘Regulated by RICS’ on all practice material

Q) What insurances would you need if you were starting up your own firm?
▪ PI
▪ Employer’s Liability
▪ Public Liability
▪ Building insurance of own office.
Q) What must a complaints handling procedure include?
A)
▪ The RICS provides a model form
▪ Must include a redress mechanism
▪ Details should be issued to the client with the Terms of Business
▪ It must be clear, quick, transparent and impartial and free of charge
▪ Names and contact details of the nominated investigating person must be stated
▪ The complaint must be investigated within 28 days
▪ All complaints, their progress and outcomes must be recorded
▪ Note the need to advise PI insurers of a complaint
▪ Must have two stages as a minimum:
▪ Consideration of the complaint by a senior member of the firm or the complaints handling officer
▪ If not resolved, referred to an independent third party with the authority to award redress
END OF Q & A