In November 2021, the Entry and Assessments Steering Group launched a review that aims to:

• evaluate entry and assessment procedures to the profession, as well as the process for grades of membership (including admission and transfer) and

• make recommendations on future entry and assessment frameworks to the Qualifications and Assessments Committee.

A survey and a series of roundtables took place from January to May 2022, and 903 responses were received. An interim report is due to publish by the end of 2022, and the work of the Steering Group will conclude in October 2023.

At the end of 2021, a major IT upgrade disrupted our assessment capabilities, which had a major impact on our UK and Ireland candidates. RICS staff, many firms and our incredible network of assessors went above and beyond to assess all candidates whose assessments were pushed into the beginning of 2022. We fully appreciate the disruption this caused and continue to support those starting out in their professional career with RICS. A new platform will be launched by the end of 2022.

In November 2021, the SRB formally established the Qualifications and Assessments Committee (QAC). The QAC is responsible for the delivery of assessments, direct-entry routes, accreditation of degrees, and consistent assessment standards. The QAC has been focusing on repairing the assessment system after the impact of the failed IT upgrade.

The QAC has been reviewing and accrediting surveying degrees. We currently accredit 576 undergraduate and 682 postgraduate programmes globally. The impact of COVID-19 and the failed IT upgrade impacted our ability to review each of these programmes in line with their review dates, and a number of extensions were granted. A handful of programmes declined to continue with their RICS accreditation.