All candidates, no matter what assessment they are following will need to appoint a counsellor, to support and guide them through the process. The counsellor must be an RICS qualified professional eg MRICS or FRICS. The counsellor will be responsible and accountable for signing off candidates as ready to undertake the prelim or final assessment. The level of support you will be required to give your candidate will vary depending on their qualifications and experience. For example, if the candidate is following the Senior Professional Assessment, the counsellor role will most likely be a peer-to-peer support role. Whereas an APC structured candidate will probably need more hands-on technical support and regular quarterly reviews.

However, the principles behind your role as a counsellor are the same for each type of candidate because the professional standards being assessed and the requirements for demonstrating competence at the final assessment interview are identical. There are only variances in the evidence a candidate will need to provide in their submission.

All counsellors are now required to complete the counsellor module to support them in their role. Get started now, complete the course below.