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Practice Makes Perfect

Advice on the APC Presentation
and Interview

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Advice on the APC presentation and Interview

isurvinfo.com

Practice makes perfect: Ewan Craig provides some advice on

the Assessment of Professional Competence presentation
and interview

You have reached the nal point of your

Assessment of Professional Competence (APC)
- the presentation and interview - marking the
culmination of your time and eort to develop
as a building surveyor. Some candidates see this
nal assessment as a daunting experience, so
how can you strengthen your presentation and
interview technique?
View the nal assessment as your opportunity, when you and your ability to
communicate are key to your success. Your presentation and interview technique
are integral parts of this and these skills can be improved through preparation and
practice.

Preparation
Investment in excellent preparation will improve your performance in the nal assessment
so gain support, guidance and feedback from surveyors such as your supervisor,
counsellor and mentor.

Submitted material
Know your APC nal assessment submission well enough to answer detailed questions
from the panel.

The presentation
Plan your presentation with a clear structure to lead the panel through the issues and so
you can reach a logical conclusion.
Develop the content to t a series of slides. Use them sparingly, say no more than one
to three slides every three minutes. Write the slides for an A4 or A3 ipchart or similar,
avoiding large tracts of text. Make use of visual aids if they add value to the presentation,
such as photographs or plans.
Practise and hone the presentation to a maximum 10 minute duration. Review your delivery
initially using video and then a combination of video and surveyors to seek feedback. Then
hone it even more to give a polished professional result.

View the nal assessment as

your opportunity, when you and

your ability to communicate are key
to your success.

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Advice on the APC presentation and Interview

isurvinfo.com

It is not just the content; it is extremely important to also work on your delivery to give your
own natural style - so think about your voice, the pace and your body language. This will let
your own enthusiasm and professionalism come through.

The interview
Know your competencies, submission material, the guidance notes, rules of conduct
and ethics. This can help you to anticipate questions in the interview. Learn to address
questions in a way that gives a good answer, drawing on your competencies, e.g.
explaining the reasoning behind a decision on a job.
Ask others to question you on the interview areas and listen to your answers, then develop
any weak areas of knowledge and your method of competently answering questions.
Communication skills for presentations and interviews can be improved over time. Embrace
any chance to practise these skills such as at work or with mock APC interviews to boost
your condence, highlight areas to improve and give a better understanding of how it feels
to be interviewed.
Before and on the day
Beforehand, you should run through your presentation and mock interview many times.
Most people are nervous on the day, but try to maintain a calm and condent approach.
Check you have everything required and arrive punctually.
The presentation
Be yourself and let your enthusiasm for surveying show. This will help you to feel more
comfortable and do not forget the panel want to see you rather than a facade.
If you are giving a handout then bring at least three professionally presented copies for the
panel. Help them to help you; speak clearly and at a normal pace. Engage the panel with
good eye contact and avoid dgeting. Even if you have memorised the entire presentation,
a sheet of bulleted notes can be helpful, especially if you lose your way.
Keep to the schedule and if you are running out of time then try to round up to complete
the presentation inside the 10 minutes, rather than have the panel chair stop you.
The interview
The panel will question you to assess you and what you have done. As with the
presentation, try to stay calm and give complete answers to questions. Guide the panel
through your answers, drawing in the relevant competencies and experience.
Do not try to bluff your way through an answer. This is unacceptable and the panel will spot
it. If you cannot answer a question then say how you would nd the answer, e.g. by naming
sources of information. If you feel that you would like to add further to an answer, there is
an opportunity at the end of the interview to do so.
Practice and preparation can usurp luck, so produce a presentation and have an interview
technique to give you the success you want in the nal assessment.
Ewan Craig is a member of the Building Surveying Professional Group Board
and the Course Leader for the BSc (Hons) in Building Surveying at the College of
Estate Management

Beforehand, you should run through your

presentation and mock interview many

times. Most people are nervous on the day, but try
to maintain a calm and condent approach.

isurv

+44(0)247 6868 433

Advice on the APC presentation and Interview

isurvinfo.com

Further Information:
Features like this one, key APC guidance, readings and document
templates are all available on RICS isurv. Sign up for a free isurv
demo at isurvinfo.com/APC or call +44(0)247 6868 433
With specic content that closely aligns with the APC pathways, and direct links to key
reading and guidance, isurv helps ensure you develop a strong foundation of knowledge to
pass the nal assessment.
isurv couples its professional and technical content with:
detailed explanations of all APC pathways and direct links to relevant reading
material - guidance on key technical skills required for all pathways linked to isurv
recommended readings for each skill
full guidance on all key competencies - detailed advice on what types experience
demonstrate the different levels of mandatory and core competencies
numerous resources to help you prepare for the nal assessment - all the
required paperwork, templates and essential advice to improve your chances of
passing rst time
exclusive online access to the RICS APC: Candidates Guide Book and specic
Pathway Guides frequently updated to ensure that you gain access to the latest
APC information.

What is isurv
isurv is the online information portal from RICS. It has more than 40,000 pages of practical
information on all surveying issues. It acts as an independent library resource that is used by
surveyors at all experience levels to research issues and update their knowledge.
isurv is spilt into 10 practice areas so it is easy for users to drill down into specic topics and
get impartial information from RICS and industry experts. isurv provides additional insight into
topical issues that can help explain the how to and turn RICS theory into practice.
Practical information, guidance and insight on all aspects of the surveying profession is
available through isurv.

For more information,

visit isurvinfo.com or
call +44(0)247 6868 433

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+44(0)247 6868 433

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