Steps to Chartered

Find out about the Steps to Chartered

Here you will find out about each of the three steps to Chartered. Can’t find the answer you are looking for? Contact the SCSI education team with any queries you may have by email at education@scsi.ie or online – Book a free 1-2-1

Step 1: Apply Online

After you’ve determined which route to chartered is right for you and talked to one of the SCSI staff team, it is time to submit your APC application!

Still need to find which route to chartered is right for you? Click here.

Click below to apply or get started with your online application.  

Step 2: Record & Prepare

Once your APC application has been accepted, you will begin to record your structured training (if appropriate to route) and prepare for your Final Assessment Submission & Interview.

We provide candidates with support throughout the preparation process with online workshops and free 1-2-1 chats with our staff team. Now that you’ve applied for APC and received approval, you will need to record your structured training, if appropriate and prepare for your Final Assessment interview.

The guides below cover all aspects of preparing for your final assessment.

Take a look and download the documents you need for your APC journey:

Graduate Route 1 Forms & Documents: 
  • APC Diary
  • Candidate Checklist
  • Change of Employer Form
  • Competency Achievement Planner
  • Counsellor’s progress report
  • Education, Employment Details Form
  • Ethics Decision Tree
  • Final Assessment Record
  • Interim Assessment Record
  • Logbook
  • Mark Sheet
  • Record of Progress
  • Referred Candidate Checklist
  • Referred Candidate Record
  • Supervisor & Counsellor Declaration
  • Supervisors Progress Report

 

Access the documents
Graduate Route 2: Forms & Documents:
  • APC Diary
  • Candidate Checklist
  • Change of Employer Form
  • Competency Achievement Planner
  • Counsellor’s progress report
  • Education, Employment Details Form
  • Ethics Decision Tree
  • Final Assessment Record
  • Logbook
  • Mark Sheet
  • Record of Progress
  • Referred Candidate Checklist
  • Referred Candidate Record
  • Supervisor & Counsellor Declaration
  • Supervisors Progress Report

 

Access the documents
Graduate Route 3: Forms & Documents:
  • Candidate Checklist
  • Change of Employer Form
  • Competency Achievement Planner
  • Education, Employment Details Form
  • Ethics Decision Tree
  • Final Assessment Record
  • Logbook
  • Mark Sheet
  • Referred Candidate Checklist
  • Referred Candidate Record
  • Sponsor Declaration

 

Access the documents
Professional Route: Forms & Documents:
  • APC Diary
  • Candidate Checklist
  • Change of Employer Form
  • Competency Achievement Planner
  • Counsellor’s progress report
  • Education, Employment Details Form
  • Ethics Decision Tree
  • Final Assessment Record
  • Logbook
  • Mark Sheet
  • Record of Progress
  • Referred Candidate Checklist
  • Referred Candidate Record
  • Supervisor & Counsellor Declaration
  • Supervisors Progress Report

 

Access the documents

 

Senior Professional Route: Forms & Documents:
  • Resume Template
  • Competency Achievement Planner
  • Ethics Decision Tree
  • Mark Sheet SPR Final Assessment Pack

 

Access the documents
Academic Route: Forms & Documents:
  • Academic Resume
  • Competency Achievement Planner
  • Ethics Decision Tree
  • Mark Sheet Academic Route Final Assessment Pack

Step 3: Final Assessment Submission & Interview

Take a look and download the documents you need for your APC Final assessment:

Submission Group Submission Window Dates Interviews Commence* Submission Status
Property & Land – Spring / Summer 2025
16 December 2024 to 06 January 2025
Construction – Spring / Summer 2025
14 February to 28 February 2025
Property & Land – Autumn / Winter 2025
17 July to 31 July 2025
Construction – Autumn / Winter 2025
15 August to 31 August 2025
Closed
Please note the following submission requirements:
  • All submissions must be submitted in soft copy format only via the submission portal below, no later than 5pm, on the deadline date. 
  • Softy copy submissions must be one PDF file only, submissions containing multiple files will not be accepted.
  • Candidates are requested to name their PDF submission in adherence with the following naming convention: Surname, Initial, FA Submission, Graduate Route X, Date.
  • Digital Signatures will be accepted in submission documentation, please include permission emails from the signatory in your submission documentation. Referred candidates must include updated permission in their resubmission documentation.
  • Incomplete or unsigned submissions will not be accepted.
  • Candidates will be notified between 4 – 6 weeks after the submission deadline closes, of the status of their submission i.e. whether the submission has been accepted for Final Assessment or the grounds on which it was rejected. 
 
*Please note the following interview details:
  • Interview dates are subject to assessor availability. Candidates will be notified by email of their confirmed date and time once all submissions have been reviewed after the submission deadline.
  • If a trainee cancels their Final Assessment interview after the interview date and time has been confirmed to them, a reapplication cost will be incurred when they next come forward for assessment.
  • Candidates must be operating and located in the Republic of Ireland when undertaking their Final Assessment Interview. If a candidate is based in a different market or jurisdiction, they must undertake the Final Assessment through RICS.
  • SCSI staff reserve the right to cancel interviews if at any time it becomes known that the key assessment/submission criteria and regulations have not been met.
Specific details will be emailed directly to eligible Final Assessment candidates over the coming weeks confirming details of their online interview.

A range of support videos and guides have been developed for candidates and assessors and are available to view below.  For additional support or queries, please contact us at education@scsi.ie.

Candidate Guidance

All eligible candidates will be contacted to arrange a live demonstration with SCSI staff, which must be undertaken prior to the interview.

Assessors Guidance

Cricitical Analysis Advice

All routes — except for the Senior Professional Route — require the submission of the Critical Analysis for Final Assessment interview. Please refer to the Senior Professional Route Guide for requirements with regards to that particular Route.

Senior Professional Route Guidance for Applicants

What is the Critical Analysis?

The Critical Analysis is a particularly important component of the Final Assessment, both in terms of your documentation and interview.

The Critical Analysis makes up for one-third of your 60-minute Final Assessment interview: you will start by giving a 10-minute presentation on your Critical Analysis, and this will be followed by 10 minutes of related questioning.

It is an opportunity for you to demonstrate to assessors your ability to apply the competencies of your APC in your day to day work.

At its simplest, the Critical Analysis is a detailed analysis of a project, or projects, that you have been involved with during the course of your APC, the conclusion of which will include a critical appraisal of the project together with an outline of the lessons you learned from your involvement.

Points to Consider

Assessors often complain that Critical Analysis are often bland narratives — detailing the minutiae of the project but providing very little information regarding the candidate’s input.

The assessors will be assessing you — not the project — and it is important to keep this in mind when approaching the Critical Analysis.

Before you begin to write, think about the objective of the Final Assessment: you want to demonstrate beyond doubt that you have the necessary competencies to practice as a Chartered Surveyor. How are you best going to show this through the medium of your Critical Analysis?

Choice of topic is important — you do not have to select a large or expensive project, especially if your role has been small or peripheral. It is your involvement or role in the team that you should outline, analyse and provide comment on.

The assessors recognise that the project may have been running for some time and you may not have been involved from the start, or your involvement may not have been continuous, or the project may still be ongoing.

The Critical Analysis must give the assessors detailed evidence of your ability to work competently and your ability to apply the core knowledge relevant to your division/specialism. This includes the core and optional competencies and aspects of the mandatory competencies.

You need to not only understand the project itself but the processes you followed and the rationale behind your decision-making. The assessors will ask you about what you did — and why, and possibly why you did not take an alternative approach. They will also ask you about your understanding of wider issues surrounding the project.

Headings to Include

You will need to include the following headings:

  • Key issues

You are advised to choose issues that presented a genuine challenge — not an everyday standard occurrence that requires no real problem-solving ability. There is no minimum or maximum in terms of the number of key issues. However, if you select too many issues you will merely skim the surface instead of providing a detailed analysis. Be selective. Think about the depth of competencies involved — they should be Level 3. You may have come across one issue so large that it can form the basis of your Critical Analysis. On the other hand, it may be an issue common across a number of projects.

  • Options/Reasons for rejection of certain options

Before proposing a solution, you need to consider all of the options, thus demonstrating your ability to think logically and laterally. You must also demonstrate that you have genuinely considered the options over and above your preferred solution, and give reasons why some solutions may not be feasible. Do not fall into the trap of going down one route only. You need to look at an alternative course of action to cover the key issues in your project. Give reasons for rejecting those options not selected.

  • Your proposed solution to the problem(s) and reasons supporting the choice

You must give a detailed account of the reasons supporting your adopted course of action. Relate your reasons to the core and/or optional competencies. Try to widen your thought processes to think about all aspects that can support your decision: customer care, financial, technical, professional, rules of conduct, ethics and conflicts of interest. You do not have to look at each of these if they did not form part of your decision.

  • A critical appraisal of the outcome and reflective analysis of the experience gained

Finally, and most importantly, your conclusion must include a critical appraisal of the outcomes, together with your own thoughts and feelings on what you have learned from the experience. This part of your report can make up to a quarter to a third of the total number of words. The critical appraisal is about being introspective. You need to look at the project, consider what has gone well — and identify what did not go well. That way you can plan how you might improve the next time you carry out a similar task. Next stand back from the project and reflect on what you have learned. The assessors will use your Critical Analysis as a starting point to assess your knowledge of the profession, by probing both your understanding of the direct issues raised within your Critical Analysis and those of wider importance to the Chartered Surveyor. Start these processes while you are still writing your Critical Analysis so you are well prepared for the interview. Focus on matters that cross the whole project. Do not try to match every experience to every individual competency.

Points to watch

As with the other Final Assessment documentation, it is expected that the Critical Analysis demonstrates your written communication abilities and professionalism. Make sure that you get others to read over your Critical Analysis for possible typos and grammar — and to ensure that it makes sense and is clear in its execution.

  • Confidentiality

You must ensure you get your employer’s consent to disclose sensitive details. If you cannot get permission, you may disguise facts that might otherwise make the project identifiable.

  • References

Extracts from Acts, case law and other sources should not be quoted at length but essential references must be given.

  • Total word count

You must adhere to the word count (3,000 words excluding appendices) and state it at the end of your Critical Analysis. You can include notes on what you have included in the count. Please note that Critical Analysis submissions exceeding 3,300 words will be rejected and you will not be eligible to undertake the Final Assessment at that time.

  • Photographs and plans

Include photographs and plans (no larger than A4 size when folded)

  • Signed and dated

Be signed and dated by you and certified by your supervisor and counsellor.

Finally above all your Critical Analysis must reflect:

  • Your written and graphic communication
  • Professional standards of organisation and presentation
  • Analysis, reflective thought and problem solving
  • Learning from experience gained.
Final Assessment Interview

Although the Final Assessment is a 2-part process — submission of documentation and a one-hour interview — you should utilise the time in between. The documentation will form the basis of the assessors’ questions, so revisit and review your Logbook, PQSL Record and Interim and Final Assessment Records.

The first 10 minutes of the Final Assessment interview will comprise a presentation on your Critical Analysis followed by 10 minutes’ questioning on the presentation. You are not permitted to use a laptop for the purposes of your presentation, but you may use cue cards. The presentation must be sent to us as soon as possible in the format of PDF only, the panel will have a copy of this while you present.

It is important that you stick to the 10-minute time limit — the chairman of the panel will enforce this strictly.

Some candidates present a summary of the Critical Analysis; others provide an update; and others expand on particular aspects or key issues. There is no right or wrong choice in this regard. However, preparation is key. Know your Critical Analysis inside out — be able to discuss and defend the reasoning behind your actions and choices on the project(s) and be familiar with the wider issues which might affect it.

Get friends and colleagues to read your documentation and pose questions — get yourself used to answering questions relating to your experience and the profession.

Ensure that you have at least one mock interview before the day. The more familiar you are with the process, the more confident you will feel in front of the assessors. If you have any trouble organising a mock interview, contact the Education and Membership Department.

The Final Assessment interview is 60 minutes’ duration:
Interview SegmentTime
Introduction by Chairman2–3 minutes
Candidate’s Presentation10 minutes
Questions on the presentation10 minutes
Candidate’s general training and experience 
Assessor 1 — questions on the core, optional and mandatory competencies12–13 minutes
Assessor 2 — questions on the core, optional and mandatory competencies12–13 minutes
Chairman — questions on competencies, PQSL and Ethics10 minutes
Close of interview1–2 minutes
Total60 minutes

What to expect: 

  • Ensure that you arrive 10 minutes before your interview is due to start.
  • This is a professional interview, and you are expected to dress and act appropriately.
  • After the interview, you can expect to wait 4–6 weeks to receive your result.

APC Enrolment Fee: Cost per application is €305 – This fee includes the Trainee fee for the year of admission regardless of the date and should be paid upon acceptance.

Final Assessment Fee (FA): Cost is €300 – Payment must be made prior to submitting your documents.

Please note – if a trainee cancels their Final Assessment interview after the interview has been confirmed to them, a reapplication cost will be incurred when they next come forward for assessment.

Payment can be made by Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT)

(FA Fee: Include full name and membership No.) – Needs to be paid prior to submission


Account name:Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland
IBAN:IE63 BOFI 9014 9072 5988 06
BIC:BOFIIE2D
Sort Code:901490
Account No.:72598806

Should you require assistance, contact us at education@scsi.ie

Getting Referred

  • Being referred at Final Assessment is a disappointing experience but there is no reason for you not to pass on re-assessment — so long as you address the reasons for your referral and ensure you are prepared for your second attempt.
  • All candidates who are unsuccessful at Final Assessment receive a detailed referral report which explains the reasons for referral and advises on the action you must take in order to be successful at re-assessment.
  • In addition, your counsellor will subsequently receive a copy of your referral report.
  • Once you receive and read the report, you should arrange to sit down with your counsellor and discuss the panel’s comments. First, ensure that you understand the reasons for your referral and the advice that you are being given. Agree with your counsellor the steps that you will take to address the issues. Complete the forward plan of the Referred Candidate’s Record.
  • You can come forward at the next sitting of the Final Assessments — but you must ensure that you have adequately addressed the issues outlined in the referral report and your counsellor must be happy to sign you off as being ready for re-assessment.
  • When you are ready to resubmit for Final Assessment, complete the summary of the Referred Candidate’s Record, which will help you checklist all of the issues that you were required to address.
  • The main reason that candidates are referred more than once is that they have not taken on board the comments provided in their referral report. The panel at your second Final Assessment will focus on the previous report and will, in the first instance, be seeking — through the documentation and your answers at interview — to ascertain that you have addressed the issues. They will also assess you in general with regard to your competencies, PQSL and Ethics.

 

Final Assessment Appeals Process

  • All candidates who are referred have the right to appeal.
  • The SCSI will select the Appeals Panel.
  • The panel does not question the merits of the assessor’s decision – It looks at the way the final assessment was conducted, and will allow the appeal only if, on a balance of probabilities, there was fault in the process. It does not reach any conclusion about the candidate’s competence to practice: it considers only administrative or procedural matters.
  • The appeal panel has no powers to admit a candidate to SCSI membership: if an appeal is upheld, the original final assessment interview is disregarded and the candidate is given a fresh interview.
  • The appeal panel’s decision is final. There is no further right of appeal.

FAQs 

Step 1: Apply

As part of your online application, you will need to upload several supporting documents. 

Competency Achievement Planner

All routes (Graduate 1, Graduate 2, Graduate 3, Professional Route and Senior Professional route) must be submit a Competency Achievement Planner. 

Download the Competency Achivement Planner: Download PDF / Download Word

Resumé

All routes apart from Graduate 1 must submit a resumé as part of their application. 

Download the resumé template: Download PDF / Download Word

Evidence of Qualification

All routes must submit a photocopy/scanned copy as part of your online application. 

Fee

To complete your application, you will need to submit an application fee of €305.

 

*If you are having trouble accessing word document files, please try another browser.

Step 1: To start your application, submit your initial route form

 

Click here to submit your initial form

Your application will be reviewed by the SCSI Membership Committee and if approved, you may then register for final assessment and prepare your submission documents. Please do not begin preparing your final assessment submission until approval is received from the Membership Committee.

A detailed Candidate guide is available here.

Step 2: Once accepted, you will then submit your senior professional route supporting documents including: 

  • Resumé:Download
  • Competency Achievement Planner: Download
  • Organisation Structure
  • Fee: €305

 

Additional Application Information

 

Resumé

In section 4 of your resumé, you should choose 4 – 5 characteristics from either the senior professional or expert status checklists.  You must then write a minimum of 250 words on each characteristic citing specific examples of how you demonstrate these characteristics in your day to day work. You must demonstrate that you have significant experience at a very senior level or as an expert specialist.

Competency Achievement Planner

List the competencies you have selected from your chosen pathway along with mandatory competencies.  You must also include the senior management competencies of:

  • Leadership
  • Managing people
  • Managing resources

 

Organisation chart

You must provide a structure chart of your organisation that clearly shows your position in relation to others in the organisation. In addition, clearly outline your position within the organisation and describe your roles and responsibilities. These should cover leadership, managing people and managing resources. Please note that applicant must be able to clearly demonstrate significant experience over a number of years at a very senior level in the industry or as an expert specialist.

To complete your application, you will need to submit an application fee of €305.

Applicants will find this guide a useful tool to walk you through your APC journey. Click below to access the guide relevant to your route:

Please note that all applications with the exception of Graduate Route 1 will be reviewed and approved by the Membership Committee before you can proceed.

Step 2: Prepare

Supervisor & Counsellor

These individuals work with candidates on Graduate Route 1 and 2 and the Professional Route to ensure that the candidate is properly trained as a surveyor.  They will meet with the candidate regularly to discuss progress and training and sign off on progress on the journey towards APC.  See the full guide here.

Competency Achievement Planner

This Is required to ensure that each candidate has interpreted the competencies correctly for their chosen pathway. Your Competency Achievement Planner should be developed with guidance from your supervisor and counsellor, depending on your route.

APC Diary

This is to be used to assist you and your supervisor/counsellor in recording your progress and maintaining your Logbook.

APC Logbook

You are required to record your Core and Optional Competencies in your Logbook. Logbook entries should be recorded in days and not hours. You are not required to record your Mandatory Competencies in the Logbook.

APC PQSL Record

You are required to record 48 hours PQSL per year.  See the guide for further info on what counts as PQSL here.

When planning your PQSL or CPD we recommend that you ensure these activities align with your declared pathway competencies to help you gain extra skills and knowledge that support your competency development.

What counts as PQSL?

  • Formal training, academic study, structured  webinars, workshops and seminars,
  • Informal reading or private study, 

See SCSI CPD Framework and CPD Policy for further guidance.

Remember, PQSL must:

  • be linked to declared pathway competencies including technical/business/interpersonal skills,
  • relate to maintaining or improving skills and knowledge,
  • demonstrate a variety of material and activities undertaken,
  • gained in a structured manner,
  • have clear Learning Outcomes – descriptions of the knowledge, skills or expertise that you will get from completing the activity,
  • evaluate activities undertaken e.g. what did you learn from the CPD lecture/ industry article/ workshop?

Don’t forget!

  • Meetings with supervisor & counsellor do not count!
  • Work related meetings and site visits should not be included.
  • Social and networking events are not  suitable activities and should not appear in your PQSL record.
  • PQSL must be planned and discussed with your Supervisor and Counsellor.

 

When planning your PQSL ensure you have a balance of activities and are able to demonstrate a good variety of material being covered across the following areas: 

  • Personal skills e.g. mandatory competencies
  • Technical skills e.g. core & optional competencies
  • Professional practice skills e.g. Ethics.

 

Professional Development Record

You are required to record 48 hours Professional Development/CPD for the previous 12 months.  Graduate Route 1 candidates must submit 48 hours of PQSL each year for 2 years.

APC Record of Progress

Your Record of Progress details your competencies to the required levels and are signed by your supervisor/counsellor.

Supervisor’s Progress Reports

To be completed every three months.

Counsellor’s Progress Reports

To be completed every six months.

Interim Assessment Record

To be completed at the 12 months stage and is submitted with the Final Assessment submission. It comprises a summary, forward plan and supervisor and counsellor comments and signatures. (Please note that this is only applicable to Trainees on Graduate Route 1).

Final Assessment Record

To be completed at the end of the trainee period for Graduate Route 1, 2 and the Professional Route when you have achieved all the required levels of the competencies. It is to be submitted as part of your Final Assessment submission. It comprises a summary and supervisor and counsellor comments and signatures.

Referred Candidate Record

Is required to be submitted by all referred candidates as part of the Final Assessment submission. It comprises a forward plan, summary and supervisor and counsellor comments and signatures.

Sponsor Declaration

All Graduate Route 3 candidates must be sponsored by an SCSI member (Sponsor). The Sponsor will conduct a preliminary interview with the candidate and sign/sponsor the application for Final Assessment if — and only if — s/he is reasonably satisfied that you have met the essential requirements to go forward for assessment.

Resume

Candidates are required to submit an updated version of their resume relating their past 10 years’ experience to the individual competencies of their chosen APC pathway

Change of employer form

If you change employer during the course of your Assessment of Professional Competence, you must notify the Society.

Step 3: Final Assessment Submission & Interview

Final Assessment interviews take place online and are 60 minutes long. 

Candidates will receive results within 2 weeks of the final interview taking place.

 

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