When working towards my RICS APC, I kept a running tally of the total costs so these could be claimed back on my expenses. Whilst I was very lucky that my employer offered to cover the majority of the costs such as the enrolment fee and assessment fee, there were a few other less obvious costs such as CPD and revision materials that APC candidates should be aware of. Below is a full cost breakdown of the fees and expenses I incurred which I hope candidates find useful when budgeting for their own APC.
The total cost for a candidate to enrol and pass their APC in 2025 is £1,525.00 assuming that the candidate is on a two year structured training route and passes their APC first time. These costs are made up of the £502.00 enrolment fee, £167.00 annual candidate fee paid for two years and £131.00 election fee. Having passed the Final Assessment Interview, new members also have to pay their first year of MRICS membership fees which vary between candidates depending on their circumstances but on average are around £558.00 per year.
Total Costs of RICS APC Fees – Two Year Structured Training Route
| Fee Type | Costs (£) | Description |
| Enrolment Fee | £502.00 | This fee includes candidate registration, online ethics course and the final assessment interview. |
| Annual Candidate Fee | £334.00 (£167.00 per annum paid for Two Years). | This includes supporting learning materials, access to the RICS Assessment Platform and is payable up to the point the candidate becomes qualified. |
| Election Fee | £131.00 | This covers membership registration and the award pack |
| Professional Membership Fees | £558.00 | Professional Fees become due on 1st January each year. |
| Total | £1,525.00 |
*Costs are current at the time of writing in 2025 and candidates should note that fees are normally charged in your local currency depending on your location.
Total Cost of RICS APC Fees – Senior Professional Route
| Fee Type | Costs (£) | Description |
| Enrolment Fee | £599.00 | This fee includes candidate registration, online ethics course and the final assessment interview. |
| Annual Candidate Fee | £167.00 (Paid for One Year). | This includes supporting learning materials, access to the RICS Assessment Platform and is payable up to the point the candidate becomes qualified. |
| Election Fee | £131.00 | This covers membership registration and the award pack. |
| Professional Membership Fees | £558.00 | Professional Fees become due on 1st January each year. |
| Total | £1,455.00 |
*Costs are current at the time of writing in 2025 and candidates should note that fees are normally charged in your local currency depending on your location.
Total Cost of RICS APC Fees – Preliminary Review
| Fee Type | Costs (£) | Description |
| Enrolment Fee | £599.00 | This fee includes candidate registration, online ethics course and the final assessment interview. |
| Annual Candidate Fee | £167.00 (Paid for One Year). | This includes supporting learning materials, access to the RICS Assessment Platform and is payable up to the point the candidate becomes qualified. |
| Election Fee | £131.00 | This covers membership registration and the award pack. |
| Professional Membership Fees | £558.00 | Professional Fees become due on 1st January each year. |
| Total | £1,455.00 |
*Costs are current at the time of writing in 2025 and candidates should note that fees are normally charged in your local currency depending on your location.
Support With Fees From Your Employer
Whilst the costs of becoming an MRICS member are not insignificant, most candidates will be glad to hear that their RICS APC fees may be reimbursed by their employer, assuming the company wants to support them on their journey to gaining chartered status. Most employers recognise this is mutually beneficial as they will be able to command much higher fees with clients for any fee earning work undertaken by the successful APC candidate. It is definitely worth a conversation with your employer to discuss if any financial support with RICS APC Fees is availble. It is also worth bearing in mind that surveyors with MRICS status earn on average around £16,000 per year more than non chartered equivalents.
When Are Fees Payable?
The enrolment fee is payable when the candidate first enrols on their APC and includes the candidate registration, online ethics course and the final assessment interview. The annual candidate fee of £167 becomes due on 1st January each year that the candidate remains a candidate. The election fee of £131.00 becomes payable when the candidate passes their APC in addition to their first year of professional membership fees which vary between candidates depending on their experience but on average are around £558 per year.
Less Obvious Training & Resource Costs
Whilst the above fees are payable to the RICS directly, most candidates will incur additional costs on training and resources as a result of them studying towards their APC. During the three years I spent working towards my APC, I kept a running total of the below items that I now consider essential to be successful in passing the APC. Note again some employers may cover the majority if not all of these items however not all employers are this supportive and candidates should consider the following items so they can budget for them accordingly.
Text Books, Forms of Contract & Other Resources
Revision text books and forms of contract may add further expense for the majority of APC candidates. From experience I purchased a number of books on contract practice and construction technology in addition to hard copies of the specific suites of JCT and NEC forms of contract I had been using. Below are a couple of books I have read and would personally recommend to APC candidates which will also serve as a guide on the cost of books and learning resources which again will vary between each APC candidate:-
- 5th Edition Advanced Construction Technology
- Construction Contracts by Will Hughes
- RICS APC Guide 1,000+ Questions & Answers
- JCT & NEC Forms of Contract
- Building Magazine Subscription
- Estates Gazette Subscription
CPD Costs
Candidates are required to obtain 48 Hours of CPD Per Year and whilst not all of the CPD I undertook incurred costs, I did chose to attend a couple of specialist APC training events that ranged in cost between £10 to £420. It is extremely difficult to give advice to fellow candidates on the total cost of CPD as this is specific to their own training and how long it takes for them to pass. As a minimum candidates will be expected to undertake 50% of the 48 hours as formal CPD per year. The cost of this formal CPD will vary between candidates however a good rule of thumb may be around £30 per hour for every hour of formal CPD undertaken. Some employers will reimburse the cost of this with some even providing in house formal CPD to support candidates with their APC training.
Final Assessment Mock Interview
I would highly recommend that all candidates undertake a couple of mock interviews prior to sitting their real life final assessment. Whilst some employers may be able to support with arranging this using internal chartered members of staff, not all candidates have this luxury and may wish to undertake a mock interview with a specialist training company. I personally sat a mock interview with a specialist training company called Delever and would highly recommend them to any candidate wishing to attend a mock interview. This was expensive at around £400 but was worth its weight in gold when preparing for my APC. Fortunately my employer offered to cover this expense however not all candidates are this fortunate and should consider budgeting for a mock interview accordingly.
Video Mock Interviews
Please see the below mock interview aimed to help candidates improve their interview technique. More video mock interviews and APC tutorials are also availble on our YouTube channel at:-https://www.youtube.com/@RICSAPCGUIDE
RICS APC Q&A Study Guides
To access the full set of guidance notes I have used to coach candidates over the last 9 years, please use the links below. The guidance contained has helped approximately 90% of my colleagues pass their APC first time between 2015-2024 and I really hope you find these resources useful.
