Chartered surveyor degree apprenticeship: how it works

What is the Level 6 chartered surveyor standard?

The apprenticeship standard is ST0331, Chartered surveyor (degree), and Skills England publishes it. It is a Level 6 non-integrated degree apprenticeship. That means the degree and the end-point assessment are separate. It has been approved for delivery since September 2015, and the current version is 1.2. The typical duration is 60 months, not counting the assessment period.

You pick one of three pathways. Building Surveying covers surveys, defects, repair and design. Quantity Surveying and Project Management covers cost planning, procurement, contracts and running construction projects. Property covers valuing, managing, buying, selling, developing and leasing land and buildings, minerals included. Job titles at the end include chartered building surveyor, chartered quantity surveyor, chartered valuation surveyor and chartered rural surveyor.

Who pays, and how is the week split?

You are an employee on a wage. Your employer and the government pay for the degree and the assessment, up to a maximum of £27,000. Large employers pay the apprenticeship levy and draw on their levy account. Employers without levy funds pay 5% of the agreed price, and the government covers the rest up to the funding band. Advertised wages vary a lot. Vacancies on the government's Find an apprenticeship service in 2026 ranged from £15,600 in the first year to £30,674 for a Valuation Office Agency MSc apprentice.

RICS describes the usual split as 80% of your time at work and 20% studying with the university. Many firms do this as day release. For starts from 1 August 2025, each standard has a published minimum of off-the-job training hours. For ST0331 the minimum is 1,044 hours. Durations assume you work at least 30 hours a week, off-the-job training included.

How does the end-point assessment link to the APC?

The end-point assessment is the RICS Assessment of Professional Competence. Skills England has applied a temporary dispensation so that the two are one and the same. Where the assessment plan and the APC conflict, the APC wins. You register as an RICS APC candidate when the apprenticeship starts, and you keep a 400-day structured training diary throughout.

Gateway sits between finishing your training and starting the assessment. To pass Gateway you need 96 hours of CPD over the last 24 months, 400 logbook days, proof of your degree, and a form signed by you, your employer and the university. If you were under 19 when you started, you also need Level 2 English and maths. If you were 19 or over, you do not, unless your employer asks for it. You must then sit the APC at the first assessment window. It consists of the RICS professionalism module, a case study, a summary of experience, your CPD record and a final interview with chartered surveyors.

How do Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland differ?

ST0331 is an English apprenticeship. In Scotland the equivalent is the Graduate Apprenticeship in Construction and the Built Environment. RICS lists four universities that run it: Edinburgh Napier, Heriot-Watt, Glasgow Caledonian and Robert Gordon. Edinburgh Napier offers building surveying, quantity surveying and real estate pathways, all RICS-accredited. Glasgow Caledonian runs a quantity surveying pathway.

In Wales, four-year degree apprenticeships in Quantity Surveying, Building Surveying and Real Estate began in September 2024. The Welsh Government fully funds them. They are taught at Wrexham University, the University of South Wales and the University of Wales Trinity St David. In Northern Ireland, RICS says there is no direct building surveying apprenticeship at the moment. It points to other apprenticeships instead, such as construction engineering with surveying at South West College and Digital Construction at Southern Regional College.

Pay

Apprentice wages in 2026 vacancies (examples)

£15,600–30,674

Qualified surveying, UK (lower quartile to median)

£38,300–48,900

Qualified surveying, UK (median to upper quartile)

£48,900–63,100

Qualified surveying, London (lower to upper quartile)

£46,900–77,300

Qualified surveying, Wales (lower to upper quartile)

£32,800–54,200

Qualified surveying, Scotland (lower to upper quartile)

£35,800–59,000

GBP a year, before tax. Apprentice figures are wages from individual 2026 vacancies on the government's Find an apprenticeship service. Qualified figures come from the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, April 2026 (provisional), uprated with a wage index. Regional figures are modelled. Pay changes with pathway, employer, location and whether you hold MRICS. Refer to the Surveying salary guide for figures from live adverts.

What you need

Level 3 qualificationsEmployers set their own entry rules. Skills England says applicants typically already hold Level 3 qualifications, such as A levels or a Level 3 apprenticeship.
English and maths (under-19 starters)If you were under 19 when you started, you need Level 2 English and maths before Gateway, or Entry Level 3 if you have an education, health and care plan. If you were 19 or over, you do not need it unless your employer asks for it.
RICS-accredited degreeYou complete an RICS-accredited BSc. If you already hold a Level 6 degree, you can take an accredited PGDip or MSc instead, after an assessment of prior learning.
A surveying jobYou must be employed in a relevant role. Minimum durations assume you work at least 30 hours a week, including off-the-job training.
RICS candidate registrationYou register as an APC candidate when the apprenticeship starts. This gives you access to the RICS assessment platform for your diary and CPD.
Gateway evidenceYou need 400 logbook days, 96 hours of CPD over the last 24 months, proof of your degree and a signed Gateway form.

Across the UK

England	Uses the Skills England standard ST0331 at Level 6, with a £27,000 funding cap. The end-point assessment is the RICS APC.
Scotland	Uses the Graduate Apprenticeship in Construction and the Built Environment, through Skills Development Scotland. RICS lists Edinburgh Napier, Heriot-Watt, Glasgow Caledonian and Robert Gordon as the four universities running it.
Wales	Welsh Government-funded four-year degree apprenticeships in quantity surveying, building surveying and real estate started in September 2024. They run at Wrexham, South Wales and Trinity St David universities.
Northern Ireland	RICS says there is no direct building surveying apprenticeship at present. It points to other apprenticeships instead, such as construction engineering with surveying at South West College and Digital Construction at Southern Regional College.

How to get there

Before startingGet Level 3 and applyApply for an apprentice surveyor vacancy the way you would apply for any job. Employers usually expect A levels or similar.
Month 1Start work and enrolStart the job, enrol on the RICS-accredited degree and register as an APC candidate.
Years 1-5Work and studySpend about four days at work and one studying. Log your 400-day diary and your CPD as you go.
End of trainingPass GatewayFinish the degree. You, your employer and the university then sign off that you are ready for assessment.
First window after GatewaySit the APCSubmit the case study, summary of experience and professionalism module, then attend the final interview.
On passingBecome MRICSPassing the APC completes the apprenticeship and gives you chartered status.

Questions people ask

Can I do the apprenticeship if I already have a degree?

Yes. If you hold a Level 6 degree in another subject, you can take an RICS-accredited PGDip or MSc instead of a BSc, after an assessment of prior learning. RICS says the postgraduate route typically lasts about 30 months, compared with 60 for the undergraduate route.

Do I pay tuition fees?

In England, the training and assessment cost is funded up to £27,000 per apprentice. Levy-paying employers use their levy account. Other employers pay 5% and the government pays the rest. In Wales, the surveying degree apprenticeships are fully funded by the Welsh Government.

What happens if I fail the APC?

From 1 January 2026, RICS allows up to four attempts at the chartered assessment. A fifth and final attempt is possible after a further 12 months of experience. At each reinterview you are reassessed on all the APC requirements for your pathway.

Can I wait a year after my degree before sitting the APC?

No, not as a new apprentice. The updated rules say you must sit the APC at the first available window after Gateway. Once you pass Gateway you can no longer get training from the university, so only sign off when you are ready.

Which pathway should I choose?

Choose the pathway that matches the work your employer does. Building Surveying suits defects and design work. Quantity Surveying and Project Management suits construction cost and contracts. Property suits valuation, agency and management.

How does a chartered surveyor degree apprenticeship work?