Instructions
Complete each worksheet sequentially — do not work through all seven at once. Complete Worksheets 1 and 2 before watching Lesson 3.3; Worksheets 3 and 4 before Lesson 3.4. Work through all seven before booking your Lesson 3.5 coaching session. Upload all seven worksheets via the Calendly booking form.
Section 1 — Evidence Extraction
Review your career history and identify projects or situations where health and safety was relevant to your professional work. List up to four candidate examples below. Write in brief notes — you are extracting raw material, not drafting answers.
| Project / role |
Health and safety issue or context |
What you did or advised (one sentence) |
| Write here… | | |
| Write here… | | |
| Write here… | | |
| Write here… | | |
Prompts — if you are struggling to identify examples
Have you worked on any project where CDM 2015 duty holder obligations were relevant to your commercial advice? Have you ever quantified the cost implications of a health and safety compliance requirement for a client? Have you encountered a situation where a contractor's health and safety performance had commercial consequences — delays, remediation costs, insurance implications? Have you been involved in procurement where health and safety track record or management systems were part of the evaluation?
Section 2 — Answer Builder
Select your strongest example from Section 1. Use the four-part structure below to begin drafting your answer. Write in full sentences.
Health and Safety Answer Builder — Four-Part Structure
1
The Situation
Describe the project, your role, and the context in which the health and safety issue arose…
2
The Issue You Identified
What was the specific health and safety issue, obligation, or risk that you identified or were asked to advise on?
3
The Advice or Action You Took
What did you advise or do? What were the options you considered? Why did you recommend the course of action you chose?
This is the Level 2 element — professional engagement and advice, not just execution of a process.
4
The Outcome
What was the result of your advice or action?
Self-Assessment
Does your answer describe what you advised — or what you did? (Be honest.)
Write here…
What follow-up question would you expect an assessor to ask based on this answer?
Write here…
Anticipating the follow-up is the best preparation you can do. Write the follow-up question, then write your answer to it below.
Your answer to the anticipated follow-up question
Write here…
What a weak answer sounds like — avoid this
"Health and safety is always a key consideration on my projects. I ensure contractors have suitable policies in place and I am aware of CDM 2015 and the duty holder roles."
What a strong answer sounds like — aim for this
"On a lift renewal project under a JCT ICD contract, a scope change introduced new Building Safety Act obligations that had not been anticipated at tender. I advised the client that the CDM Principal Designer role needed formal review and potentially reassignment. I prepared a supplementary cost report quantifying the compliance costs — additional designer fees and programme implications — so the client could make an informed decision before committing to the change. The client accepted my recommendation and we agreed a revised programme before issuing the instruction."
Section 1 — Evidence Extraction
Sustainability for a QS is broader than specialist environmental consultancy. Look for projects where whole-life value, environmental impact, sustainable procurement, or sustainability standards were part of your professional advice or cost management work.
| Project / role |
Sustainability context |
Your professional contribution (one sentence) |
| Write here… | | |
| Write here… | | |
| Write here… | | |
| Write here… | | |
Prompts — if you are struggling to identify examples
Have you prepared a cost plan or cost comparison that included whole-life costs or maintenance implications? Have you procured works under a framework or tender process that included environmental or sustainability criteria? Have you advised a client on the cost implications of a sustainability standard — BREEAM, PassivHaus, EPC ratings, net zero requirements? Have you worked on a refurbishment or retrofit project where the sustainability case for retaining the existing structure was part of the client decision you supported commercially?
Section 2 — Answer Builder
Sustainability Answer Builder — Four-Part Structure
1
The Situation
Project, your role, and the sustainability context…
2
The Sustainability Consideration You Identified or Addressed
What was the specific sustainability issue, requirement, or opportunity that was relevant to your professional work?
3
The Advice or Analysis You Provided
What did you advise, analyse, or recommend? What options did you present? How did your professional input influence a decision?
Level 2 requires that you applied your knowledge to a real situation. Describe the application, not the knowledge.
4
The Outcome
What decision was made and what was the result?
Self-Assessment
Does your answer demonstrate that sustainability considerations genuinely influenced a professional decision — or does it describe a project that happened to have sustainability features?
Write here…
Anticipated assessor follow-up question and your answer
Write the follow-up question, then your answer below it…
Weak — avoid this
"Sustainability is increasingly important and I always try to consider it in my work. I am aware of BREEAM and net zero targets and I encourage clients to consider sustainable options where possible."
Strong — aim for this
"On a highways renewal programme under NEC3 Option C, the client was comparing two surface treatment specifications with a significant capital cost differential. I prepared a whole-life cost analysis over 20 years including maintenance cycles, replacement intervals, and performance degradation. The analysis showed the higher-capital option had a substantially lower whole-life cost and a better environmental profile in terms of material consumption. I presented this with a clear recommendation. The client adopted the higher-capital specification, citing both the whole-life cost evidence and the sustainability credentials in their project approval documentation."
Section 1 — Knowledge Check
In your own words, what does inclusive design mean and why does it matter to the built environment professions?
Write here…
Do not copy a definition — write it in your own words. An assessor can tell the difference between a rehearsed definition and genuine understanding.
What is the difference between minimum Building Regulations compliance on accessibility and a genuinely inclusive approach to the built environment?
Write here…
Name one RICS initiative, guidance document, or professional standard relevant to inclusive environments that you are aware of.
Write here…
E.g. RICS guidance on inclusive design, Built Environment Professional Education (BEPE) project, or any relevant British Standard.
Section 2 — Evidence from Practice
Identify a project where inclusive design or accessibility considerations were relevant to your professional work — even as one element of a larger scope.
Project name and brief description of the inclusive environments context…
What was your professional contribution in relation to that inclusive environments consideration?
Write here…
At Level 1, this does not need to be a detailed Level 2 application. A clear example of awareness and professional engagement is sufficient — e.g. cost planning to include accessibility provisions beyond minimum requirements, procurement criteria that referenced inclusive design standards, or advice to a client on the cost implications of accessibility improvements.
If you cannot identify a specific project example, describe how inclusive environments considerations are relevant to the type of work you do and how you would apply them in practice.
Write here…
Section 1 — Diversity and Inclusion
Why does diversity matter in the construction and surveying profession specifically — beyond the general case for diversity in any industry?
Write here…
Consider: the nature of the built environment and who it is designed by and for; the industry's historical demographic composition; the RICS's stated commitments on diversity.
Describe an experience in your professional career where working with a diverse team or with colleagues from different professional backgrounds contributed to a better project outcome.
Write here…
Have you undertaken any professional development, training, or personal reflection related to diversity and inclusion? If so, describe it briefly and what you took from it.
Write here…
Section 2 — Teamworking
Describe a specific example of effective professional teamworking from your career — ideally one that involved challenge, pressure, or a complex team dynamic that you helped to navigate.
Project, team composition, the challenge, your contribution, the outcome…
Your contractor/consultant dual experience is relevant here. Working across both sides of the commercial relationship requires a particular kind of professional teamworking skill — understanding motivations, managing tension, and finding workable outcomes. Draw on that experience.
What does effective teamworking look like in a commercial construction context — and how do you ensure it happens on projects you are involved in?
Write here…
Section 1 — Rules of Conduct Knowledge Check
In your own words, what are the five RICS Rules of Conduct for Members? (Do not look them up — write what you know first, then verify.)
Write here…
The five Rules are: Act with integrity · Always provide a high standard of service · Act in a way that promotes trust in the profession · Treat others with respect · Take responsibility. Write what you understand each one to mean in practice.
What is the difference between a conflict of interest and a perceived conflict of interest — and why does the distinction matter?
Write here…
What does RICS require you to do if you identify a conflict of interest before accepting an instruction?
Write here…
Section 2 — Ethical Situation from Practice
Identify a situation from your professional career where you faced an ethical question, a conflict of interest, or a situation where professional judgement about the right course of action was required.
Ethics Answer Builder — READY Structure (Level 3)
R
Recognise — What was the ethical issue or conflict?
Describe the situation, your role, and what you identified as the ethical dimension. Be specific — name the Rule of Conduct that was engaged.
E
Evaluate — What were the options and the considerations?
What courses of action were available? What were the professional, commercial, and reputational considerations for each? Who was affected?
A
Advise — What did you recommend or decide, and why?
What professional advice did you give, or what decision did you make? What was the reasoning? How did the RICS Rules of Conduct inform your position?
This is the Level 3 element. An assessor needs to see that your decision was grounded in professional reasoning — not just intuition or what felt right.
D
Deliver — What action was taken?
What happened as a result? Was the instruction declined, disclosed, escalated? What was the outcome?
Y
Your Responsibility — What did you take personal ownership of?
What did you take personal responsibility for in this situation?
If you cannot identify a direct personal example, describe how you would handle the following scenario: A client asks you to exclude a known defect from your cost report because it will affect their ability to refinance the project. What do you do and why?
Write here…
Weak — avoid this
"I always act with integrity and follow the RICS Rules of Conduct. Ethics is very important to me and I would never act in a way that compromises the profession."
Strong — aim for this
"On a disposal project, the client's agent instructed me to present a net development value figure that excluded known ground contamination remediation costs from the cost plan. I identified this as a conflict between my duty to the client and my professional obligation under RICS Rule 1 — Act with Integrity. I declined to present figures I knew to be materially incomplete and advised the client in writing that doing so would misrepresent the development economics and potentially expose them to liability. I offered two alternatives: present the full cost plan with contamination costs clearly identified, or present a conditional appraisal with the remediation scope noted as a risk. The client accepted the second approach. The instruction proceeded on that basis."
Section 1 — Evidence Extraction
Review your career and identify situations where managing a client relationship, client expectations, or a client complaint was a material part of your professional work. Look for situations where the relationship itself — not just the technical work — required professional judgement.
| Project / client |
Client care situation or challenge |
How you managed it (one sentence) |
| Write here… | | |
| Write here… | | |
| Write here… | | |
Prompts — if you are struggling
Have you managed a situation where a client received a cost report that significantly exceeded their expectation — and had to advise them professionally on their options? Have you managed a client who was unhappy with a contractor's performance and needed your advice on their contractual rights? Have you received a client complaint and had to handle it formally or informally? Have you had to advise a client that their preferred course of action carried professional risk or was not in their best interests?
Section 2 — Answer Builder
Client Care Answer Builder — Four-Part Structure
1
The Client Situation
Project, client type, and the specific client care challenge — what was at stake for the client and for the professional relationship?
2
What the Client Needed (vs What They Wanted)
Was there a gap between what the client was asking for and what their professional interest actually required? How did you identify it?
This is often where Level 2 Client Care evidence lives — the situations where acting in the client's best interests required more than just compliance with their instructions.
3
Your Professional Response
What did you advise, communicate, or do? How did you manage the relationship while maintaining your professional position?
4
The Outcome
What was the result — for the project, the client, and the professional relationship?
Weak — avoid this
"I always put the client first and ensure they are kept informed at every stage. Good communication is key to client care and I always respond promptly to client queries."
Strong — aim for this
"At a mid-project cost review on a residential scheme, my updated cost plan showed a £340,000 overrun against the approved budget — driven by scope additions the client had authorised informally without instructing formal contract variations. The client's expectation was that the original budget still held. I arranged a meeting rather than sending the report alone, presented the gap with a clear breakdown of its causes, and advised the client that three of the scope additions were recoverable through proper variation instructions to the contractor. I also recommended they pause two further scope additions that had not yet been instructed. The client restructured their instructions. The final account came in £85,000 above the original budget — significantly better than the position the report had initially shown."
Section 1 — Communication Evidence
Describe a situation where written professional communication — a report, letter, formal notice, or recommendation — had a material impact on a project outcome. What did you write, to whom, and what was the effect?
Write here…
Examples: a cost report that influenced a client's decision to redesign; a contractual notice that protected your client's entitlement; a tender recommendation that was accepted and delivered the expected outcome; a formal response to a contractor's claim.
Describe a situation where verbal communication — a meeting, presentation, or difficult conversation — was the critical factor in moving a project issue forward. What was the challenge, what did you say, and what was the outcome?
Write here…
Section 2 — Negotiation Evidence
Identify your most substantive negotiation example — one where the outcome was commercially significant and where your professional skill in preparing for and conducting the negotiation made a difference to the result.
Negotiation Answer Builder — Five-Part Structure
1
The Negotiation Context
What was being negotiated, with whom, and what was the commercial significance? What were the positions of each party at the outset?
2
Your Preparation
What analysis, evidence, or strategy did you prepare before the negotiation? What was your target position, your walkaway position, and your opening position?
Assessors can tell the difference between a candidate who negotiated and one who prepared to negotiate. Preparation is where professional judgement is exercised — before you sit down.
3
How the Negotiation Was Conducted
What approach did you take? How did you handle the other party's position? Were there concessions, trade-offs, or technical arguments that shifted the outcome?
4
The Outcome
What was agreed? How did it compare to your target position? Was the outcome documented and formalised?
5
What You Would Do Differently
What did you learn from this negotiation? What would you do differently next time?
Assessors rate candidates who can reflect critically on their own professional practice. A considered answer here signals maturity and Level 3 readiness.
Weak — avoid this
"I negotiated the final account on a refurbishment contract. There were several disputed items and we eventually reached agreement. Good communication throughout the project helped us get to a reasonable outcome."
Strong — aim for this
"On a JCT Design and Build contract for a healthcare fit-out, the contractor submitted a final account £620,000 above our agreed contract sum, largely on the basis of alleged employer's agent instructions and a prolongation claim. I prepared a detailed analysis of each item — accepting £95,000 as properly instructed variations, challenging £310,000 on the basis of contractual non-compliance with the instruction requirements, and preparing a counter-analysis of the prolongation claim using the programme and contemporaneous site records. I presented this to the contractor at a without prejudice meeting, walked through the evidence item by item, and offered a negotiated settlement of £190,000 above the contract sum. The contractor accepted £205,000 — within £15,000 of my recommended figure. The client's exposure was reduced by over £400,000 against the contractor's opening position."
Before your coaching session
Review all seven completed worksheets before uploading them. Check: does each answer describe professional engagement with the competency — or just awareness that the competency exists? Worksheets 5, 6, and 7 in particular should show professional judgement and reasoned action, not general statements of good practice. The coaching session is for refining strong evidence — not rescuing weak answers.
