RICS General Knowledge

Question 1

What is the role of the RICS?

Answer 1

Advancing the highest ethical standards for professionals and in land, property and the buit environment.
Protecting and providing benefits to consumers by enforcing standards and codes of practice.
Giving RICS members leading advice and guidance as well as market insight and professional training.
Providing expert impartial advice to governements, businesses and the public.
Promoting the RICS status and standards in key worldwide markets as the mark of property professionalism

Question 2

What is the Royal Charter?

Answer 2

Awarded by Queen Victoria in 1881
It requires the RICS to promote the usefulness of the profession for the advantage of the UK public and in other parts of the world

Question 3

What is the motto of the RICS?

Answer 3

‘Est modus in rebus’ - there is measure in all things

Question 4

What is Lionheart?

Answer 4

This is an independant charity run by RICS members for RICS professionals.
The benevolent fund was established over 100 years ago.
They provide services such as financial support, health and wellbeing packages, free professional counselling, work-related support and legal advice and help if a member or loved one becomes serisouly ill.

Question 5

Why do you want to be a chartered surveyor?

Answer 5

As the RICS is such a prestigious organisation well known within the built environment industry but obtaining my chartership it will show my professional competence.
It will help me to promote the best practice in the profession and provide me with elite professional status, guidance and support.

Question 6

What is the RICS governing strategy?

Answer 6

The governing body is the Governing Council, this is responsible for approving RICS strategy and vision, overseeing the effective delivery of the strategy as well as standards and regulations and must act in the public interest.
They are reponsible for approving changes to the RICS constitution.
Under the Governing Council you have the RICS Board and the Standards and Regulations Board.

Question 7

What is the RICS Board?

Answer 7

The main purpose of the RICS Board is to direct RICS affairs under delegated authority from the Governing Council.
It is comprised of independant individuals (non-members), members and RICS executives.

Question 8

Who is the chair of the RICS Board?

Answer 8

Martin Samworth

Question 9

Who is the current RICS President?

Answer 9

Justin Sullivan is the current RICS President but has opted to step aside while the regulatory process takes place.
Nicholas Maclean is the current Acting President and Acting Chair of the Governing Council.

Question 10

What is the Standards and Regulation Board?

Answer 10

They are accountable to the Governing Council but not directed by the.
They deliver independant professional regulation.
They act in the public interest to uphold standards.
They strengthten trust and confidence in the profession.

Question 11

What is the Levitt Review and why was it commissioned?

Answer 11

Alison Levitt was commissioned to conduct an independant review into historic treasury mangement matters and subsequant actions at RICS.
It showed that sound governance principals were not followed by the RICS.
It found that non-executive board members’ concerns were legitimate and they were wrongly dismissed from their roles.
It also found that there was a lack of clarity around the roles and responsibilites of the various RICS Boards, senior leaders and management.

Question 12

What is the Birchard Review?

Answer 12

It was commissioned by the Governing Council in December 2021, following a recommendation in the Levitt Review that a wide ranging examination of purpose, governance and strategy should be conducted by an external reviewer, replacing ‘Defining out future’.
It aimed to clarify the purpose of the RICS, make proposals on its governing structure and the incoming leadership and governing body.

Question 13

What are the key recommendations in the Birchard Review?

Answer 13

There were 36 recommendations made in the review broadly covering the topics of:
- A renewed and increased focus on the public interest remit of the RICS, including amending the Royal Charter and creating a public interest panel to advise the Governing Council
- Maintaing Self Regulation greater independance for regulatory functions
- Increased focus on diversity and inclusion
- Empowering and enabling members through greater support for regional boards, alongside increased member engagement, with a bigger focus on younger members
- Complete an independant review of RICS governance and effectiveness
- Simplified, clear and accountable governance structure
- Showing more leadership on the issues that matter most to society, such as sustainability and climate change

Question 14

What is the Harris Debate?

Answer 14

It is annually organised to provide a platform to address ethical conerns in the surveying field.
The 2024 debate discussed ethics in the age of Artificial Intelligence and its impact on Valuation Practices.
Although the sole use of AI in the valuation practice could render it not compliant there are some benefits to the use of AI within the industry as a whole as it can help to streamline processes. There does need to be a consideration around how AI will be incorporated in to the modern profession.