1. What are the RICS five ethical principles?
Explanation: Ethics is a mandatory competency; you must know these by memory.
Answer:
The five principles are:
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Honesty & integrity
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Competence
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Service
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Respect
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Responsibility
I apply them by being transparent with clients, working only within my competence, treating all stakeholders respectfully, and taking responsibility for decisions.
2. Give an example of when you demonstrated ethical behaviour.
Explanation: APC assessors want a real example.
Answer:
A subcontractor offered me hospitality during a tender evaluation. I politely declined and recorded the offer in our gifts & hospitality register, ensuring full transparency and avoiding the perception of bias.
3. What is a conflict of interest and how do you manage it?
Answer:
A conflict arises when personal or organisational interests could influence professional judgement. I manage it through early identification, disclosure, seeking client instructions, or recusing myself if necessary.
4. What must you do if you suspect professional misconduct?
Answer:
Follow the firm’s whistleblowing policy, gather factual evidence, escalate concerns internally, and if unresolved, report to RICS as required under Rule 7 of the RICS Rules of Conduct.
5. Describe the difference between negligence and breach of contract.
Answer:
Negligence is a failure to exercise reasonable skill and care in tort, while breach of contract is failure to fulfil a contractual obligation. Both can lead to damages, but contractual obligations may impose higher or different duties.
6. What is Professional Indemnity Insurance (PII) and why is it important?
Answer:
PII protects both the surveyor and the client from financial loss arising from professional errors. It is mandatory for all RICS-regulated firms.
7. How do you ensure you work within your level of competence?
Answer:
By assessing my experience relative to the task, seeking senior oversight where needed, refusing work beyond competence, and maintaining CPD to stay current.
8. Describe a situation where you delivered excellent client care.
Answer:
I redesigned a cost report format to meet a client’s board-level needs, improving clarity and allowing quicker decision-making. Feedback highlighted enhanced satisfaction and trust.
9. What must a client care charter or service level agreement include?
Answer:
Clear roles, communication protocols, deliverable timelines, escalation procedures, dispute resolution method, and KPIs.
10. What is the purpose of a professional appointment?
Answer:
It defines scope, fees, responsibilities, liability caps, insurance, and termination rights—protecting both parties and ensuring clarity.
Technical Questions – Quantity Surveying / Construction
11. What is the role of a Quantity Surveyor in the pre-contract stage?
Answer:
Cost planning, estimating, procurement advice, risk allowances, tender documentation, tender evaluation, and recommendations.
12. What is a cost plan and why is it essential?
Answer:
A framework estimating project cost, developed from elemental breakdowns. It guides design decisions and maintains cost control.
13. What is value engineering?
Answer:
A structured review to achieve required functionality at lowest life-cycle cost without reducing performance.
14. What procurement routes do you know?
Answer:
Traditional, Design & Build, Management Contracting, Construction Management, Two-Stage Tendering, Frameworks, PPP/PFI.
15. Give an example of advising on procurement.
Answer:
For a complex façade package, I recommended two-stage D&B to secure early contractor expertise while retaining competitive tension.
16. What standard forms of contract have you used?
Answer:
NEC4 ECC, JCT SBC/Q, JCT D&B, CECA/ICE forms depending on project type.
17. Explain the difference between JCT and NEC.
Answer:
JCT is more prescriptive and adversarial; NEC is flexible, proactive, and based on early warning and collaborative management.
18. What is a contingency?
Answer:
An allowance for known risks with uncertain cost impact. It is managed through risk registers and reviewed throughout the project.
19. What is the difference between preliminaries and preambles?
Answer:
Preliminaries relate to project-specific requirements and site operations; preambles describe measurement rules.
20. Explain a change/variation.
Answer:
A change to the employer’s requirements or contractor’s scope. It must be instructed, valued according to contract rules, and recorded.
21. What is an interim payment?
Answer:
A periodic payment for work completed to date, assessed according to the contract. Must follow payment notices and deadlines.
22. Explain the pay-less notice.
Answer:
A notice served by the payer stating reasons for withholding money. It must be issued within contractual timescales.
23. What is an early warning notice (NEC)?
Answer:
A mechanism to flag risks early so parties can mitigate time and cost impacts through collaboration.
24. Explain retention.
Answer:
A percentage withheld from payments to ensure completion and remedy defects. Usually released at PC and end of defects period.
25. What is a final account?
Answer:
The agreed final cost of the project including variations, claims, loss and expense, and adjustments.
26. What is a delay analysis?
Answer:
Assessment of programme impacts using methods like Time Impact Analysis (TIA), As-Planned vs As-Built, or Windows Analysis.
27. What is loss and expense?
Answer:
Costs incurred due to employer-related delays or disruption. Must be substantiated with evidence and valued per contract.
28. Explain extension of time (EOT).
Answer:
A contractual mechanism to relieve contractor from liquidated damages if delay is caused by relevant events or compensation events.
29. How do you deal with a contractor claim?
Answer:
Review contract, investigate facts, analyse programme, request evidence, negotiate fairly, and advise client.
30. What is liquidated damages?
Answer:
Pre-agreed damages for delay, representing a genuine pre-estimate of loss.
Construction Technology & Design
31. What are the main elements of a building you check during an inspection?
Foundation, structure, envelope, services, finishes, drainage, compliance with fire and accessibility requirements.
32. Explain the difference between frame and load-bearing construction.
Frame: loads carried by structural frame.
Load-bearing: walls support loads.
33. What considerations are required for sustainable design?
Energy efficiency, materials selection, lifecycle cost, low carbon systems, waste reduction, water efficiency, biodiversity.
34. What is BREEAM / LEED?
Green building assessment methods measuring sustainability performance.
35. Explain airtightness and thermal bridging.
Airtightness prevents uncontrolled air leakage.
Thermal bridges are areas of higher heat loss requiring insulation detailing.
Project Management / Risk / H&S
36. What is a risk register and how do you manage it?
A live document listing risks, likelihood, impact, owners, and mitigation actions. Reviewed regularly.
37. What is meant by ‘ALARP’ in risk management?
“As Low As Reasonably Practicable” — risks reduced to reasonable levels considering cost vs benefit.
38. What is the role of the Principal Designer (PD) under CDM 2015?
Plan and manage pre-construction health and safety, coordinate designers, eliminate foreseeable risks.
39. What must be included in a Construction Phase Plan?
Site organisation, welfare, risks, method statements, traffic routes, emergency procedures.
40. Give an example of managing H&S on your project.
I reviewed RAMS for working at height, ensured edge protection was adequate, and coordinated with the PD to update risk controls.
Law / Dispute Resolution
41. What is adjudication?
Fast-track statutory dispute resolution under the Construction Act; decisions binding unless challenged.
42. What is arbitration?
Private, binding dispute resolution by an arbitrator; usually final and enforceable.
43. What is mediation?
Facilitated negotiation led by a neutral mediator; not binding unless parties agree.
44. Explain privity of contract.
Only parties to a contract can enforce its terms, except where collateral warranties or third-party rights apply.
45. What are collateral warranties?
Separate promises directly linking consultants/contractors with funders, tenants, or purchasers.
Finance / Economics / Commercial
46. What is Net Present Value (NPV)?
A method to evaluate investment viability by discounting future cashflows to present value.
47. What is Whole Life Costing?
Assessment of costs over a building’s entire life including operation, maintenance, replacement, and disposal.
48. What factors influence construction inflation?
Labour demand, materials availability, energy prices, macroeconomic conditions, currency fluctuations.
49. How do you manage project budgets?
Regular cost reporting, change control, forecasting, value engineering, risk allowances, and client communication.
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