Assessment Resource Centre

Senior Professional Candidate user guide

rics.org
ARC SPA candidate user guide
 Introduction

First step

As a new candidate your first step is to familiarise

yourself with the Assessment Resource Centre
(ARC). This is the environment where you will keep
all your training and experience records, CPD
activity, and your selected competencies.

This is also the place your counsellor will sign off

your competencies and support you through each
stage of your assessment.

Follow this guide on how to use the Assessment

Resource Centre.

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ARC SPA candidate user guide
 Contents

Contents

Home 04 Ethics assessment 19

Profile view 05 Final assessment — application 20

Profile edit — personal 06 Final assessment — selection 21

Profile edit — employment history 07 Final assessment — submission 22

Profile edit — academic qualifications 09

Profile edit — professional qualifications 10

Selecting your competencies 11

Mandatory competencies 12

Core competencies 13

Competency detail 14

Competency review 15

Messages 16

Case study 17

CPD 18
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ARC SPA candidate user guide
 Candidate home

Home The candidate home allows you to see your progress at a

quick glance and reach the key areas of your journey so far.

2 1
01. Profile, message and help
Click the dropdown arrow to edit your profile.
Click the envelope to view messages from your
counsellor or RICS; a red circle indicates the
number of unread messages. Click the question
mark to access help (see 9 below).

3
02. Navigation bar
Hover on the navigation bar; it will expand to
4 show you all areas of the ARC. Click the RICS logo
to return to the homepage from any screen.

03. Candidate details

Your name, company, job title and pathway will
show here.
5

04. Counsellor details

Name and contact details of your selected
counsellor.

6 7 8
05. Progress overview
Displays the status of the key activities you need
to complete to meet the minimum requirements
for your assessment. The blocks also provide
shortcut links to these areas of the ARC.

06. Competencies
A shortcut to access your competency
information.

07. Messages
9
A shortcut to access your messages.

08. User guide

Access details of your local RICS office.

09. Help
Access your local RICS office contact details, the
user guide and your pathway guide.

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ARC SPA candidate user guide
 Profile

Profile view The profile view displays information about you.

01. Your profile photo, name, honours and contact

details.

02. Your company address.

03. Your chosen pathway for assessment.

04. The academic qualifications you provided when

you completed your enrolment. This will form
part of your final assessment submission.

05. The professional qualifications you provided

when you completed your enrolment. This will
form part of your final assessment submission.
1
06. Your employment history. This will form part of
your final assessment submission.

07. Your counsellor’s membership number.

2
08. Your assessment type.
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5 7

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ARC SPA candidate user guide
 Profile

Profile edit — personal

You can insert and edit the following personal details:

01. Profile photo

Note: your profile photo will be used

on your submission documentation which will
be shared with the assessors at your final
assessment interview.

1 Make sure that it is a professional passport sized

5 photo, which has been taken within the six
months prior to applying for final assessment.

02. Title
2

6 03. Honours

04. Personal address

3 05. Phone numbers

06. Email address

4 Any changes you make will automatically update the central

RICS database. There is no need to contact RICS with these
changes.

To amend your name you will need to contact your local RICS
office.

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ARC SPA candidate user guide
 Profile

Profile edit — employment history You can add your employment history and edit your current
employer details.

01. Click to add a new employment entry.

02. Indicates your primary employment.

Note: Adding a new employment entry will

automatically default it to your primary
employment. You can change this by clicking the
slider.

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ARC SPA candidate user guide
 Profile

Profile edit — employment history You can find your employer on the RICS database.

01. Enter the country and then post code or city

as prompted. Click ‘Look up’ and select your
company from the list.

Note: if your employment details are not listed

you will need to contact your local RICS office to
update them.
1
02. Enter your job title.

03. Enter your telephone number (if current

employer).

04. Enter your start date, and end date [if not current
employer].

3 4

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ARC SPA candidate user guide
 Profile

Profile edit — academic qualifications

The academic qualifications you entered when you completed your enrolment will be displayed. To add a new Enter the qualification details. Click ‘Reset’to clear your entries. Click ‘Save’ to add the qualification to your
academic qualification click ‘New’. profile.

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ARC SPA candidate user guide
 Profile

Profile edit — professional qualifications

The professional qualifications you entered when you completed your enrolment will be displayed. To add a Enter the qualification details. Click ‘Reset’to clear your entries. Click ‘Save’ to add the qualification to your
new professional equalification click ‘New’. profile.

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ARC SPA candidate user guide
 Competency selector

Selecting your competencies 01. Hover the cursor on the navigation bar and it will expand. Click
on ‘Competencies’. Click on ‘Competency selector’.

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ARC SPA candidate user guide
 Competency selector

Mandatory competencies
01. Menu bar
Indicates the competency type you are currently
reviewing.

02. Competency requirements

1 States the number and level of competencies you
must demonstrate.

2 03. Individual competency

Each competency is displayed in a box with the
selected level highlighted in purple.

4 04. Competency detail

Click ‘i Show info’ to read full details on each
competency.

3
05. Save and Continue
Click to progress to the core competency
selections.

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ARC SPA candidate user guide
 Competency selector

Core competencies
01. Competency requirements 05. Your competency selection
States the number and level of Competency levels you have selected are
competencies you must select. displayed here. Click the x symbol to
remove a competency from your selection.
02. Competency list
1 Displays the competencies available to 06. Competency detail
select. Click on a competency to read an Click ‘i Show info’ to read full details of the
overview of the levels. competency at each level.
2 3

03. Competency overview 07. Clear

Displays the competency description for Use this if you want to remove all
each level of the highlighted competency. competencies from your selection.

4 04. Competency level 08. Save and Continue

Click on the level you wish to be assessed Click to progress to the next stage.
at. You can only select the level(s)
highlighted in purple. Note: You will progress to the optional
competency selections or the final review
5 6 page. This is dictated by your pathway
criteria.

7 8

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ARC SPA candidate user guide
 Competency selector

Competency detail
You can read the full details of each competency by clicking ‘i Show info’ in the top right
3 corner of the competency box. Core competencies will display examples of the types of
work/experience you are required to demonstrate the competency at each level.
2

01. Read the description at each level before confirming your selection.
1
02. Click the level to read the competency description at each level.

03. Click ‘i Hide info’ to return to the competency selector page.

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ARC SPA candidate user guide
 Competency selector

Competency review The review page displays all the competencies you have
selected. Review them before you submit.

01. The mandatory competencies are listed, there is

no option to edit them.

02. Your technical competencies will be listed

with an edit button to use if you wish to edit
them.

Note: You can change your competencies at

any time before you submit for final assessment
but the edit button will remove all competencies
from your selection.

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ARC SPA candidate user guide
 Messages

Messages We will contact you through the ARC with key messages as
you progress with your assessment.

01. Total messages

The total number of messages you have received.

02. Unread messages

The total number of unread messages.

03. Title
1 2 6 The title of the message.

04. Mark as read

3 4 When you select a message it will be marked as
read.

05. Message content

Use the dropdown arrow to open and close the
message content.
5
06. Help
Access contact details for your local RICS office
and the ARC user guide.

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ARC SPA candidate user guide
 Case study

Case study Access the case study area from the navigation bar or the
candidate homepage.

01. Case study template

To allow for images, tables and appendices your
case study must be prepared using the template.
Download it here.

You should insert the information from your

original application/CV with your case study
template.

02. Browse, Save or Clear

2 Click ‘Browse’ to select your case study to upload.
Click ‘Save’ to upload it.
Click ‘Clear’ to restart.

Note: you cannot remove uploaded documents

from ARC. You can upload new versions of your
1
case study. The system will always include the
most recent when you are ready to finalise your
full submission.

When you select ‘Save’ a banner will appear

at the top of your webpage confirming that the
save is in progress. When completed this banner
will change to ‘File Uploaded’.

03. Request review

Submit your case study for review by your
counsellor. You will receive a message when
your counsellor has completed the review.

Note: The option to request review will only

appear after your case study file has been
uploaded on ARC.

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ARC SPA candidate user guide
 CPD

CPD Access the CPD area from the navigation bar or the
candidate homepage. Click ‘New’ to add a CPD activity.

01. Description
Enter a brief summary of the activity.

02. Activity status

You can enter planned activities for the future or
completed activities from the past.

1
03. Start date
Enter the date the activity is planned for or was
2 3 4 completed.

04. Hours and minutes

Enter the amount of time you are allocating to
the activity.
5
05. Activity type
Select how you gained the CPD. Select if the
method is formal or informal learning.
Remember: at least 50% of your required CPD
6
must be formal.

06. Learning outcome

7 Enter a brief summary of what the outcome of
your CPD is.

07. Save
Click to save the activity to your record.

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ARC SPA candidate user guide
 Ethics assessment

Ethics assessment
Access the ethics assessment from the navigation bar or
the candidate homepage. This will transfer you to the RICS
Online Academy.

Follow the instructions on the page to complete the ethics

assessment and download your completion certificate.

Note: Your certificate must be dated within the 12 months

before you apply for final assessment.

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ARC SPA candidate user guide
 Final assessment

Final assessment – application From this stage all actions for you will appear in the middle
of the homepage in the assessment banner.

01. Progress overview

All elements in your homepage progress overview
will show green when you have completed your
submission. You are now ready to proceed to the
final assessment stage.

Your counsellor will be notified to approve you

for final assessment. When your counsellor has
approved your case study and overall approval
the assessment banner (see below) will appear
with instructions for you to apply.

02. Assessment banner

If the next assessment submission window is
open you will be able to apply. Click ‘Continue’.
2

03. Assessment submission window

If the next assessment submission window is
not open the assessment banner will inform you
when it will be available.
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ARC SPA candidate user guide
 Final assessment

Final assessment – selection The selection page allows you to provide the additional
information we need to schedule your assessment.

01. Location
Select your preferred locations. Click ‘Save’.

1 02. International experience

Identify if your submission includes experience
from a country different to your assessment
location. Click ‘Save’ if you have completed this
box.

03. Special considerations

Notify us of any circumstances that may affect
your performance at the assessment. Click ‘Save’
if you have completed this box.

2 3
04. Specialist area
If your pathway and RICS region request a
specialist area, please select it here. Click ‘Save’
if you have completed this box.

05. Proposer and seconder form

Download the form and follow the instructions.
Upload and click ‘Save’.

4 5 If you are taking your assessment within the UK,

Middle East or Oceania regions, fill in section one
and three only; otherwise if you are taking your
assessment in any other location please fill in
section two and three only.

06. Your submission document

See next page for details.

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ARC SPA candidate user guide
 Final assessment

The final stage of the application is to check your

submission document.

Final assessment – submission 01. Download submission

ARC will create a PDF document with all your
submission information.

1 2

3 Check the document to ensure your submission

is accurate. To amend any information you need
to go back to that area of ARC.

Note: a standard RICS template is used. Spacing

will appear to adjust for your word count and this
may affect the presentation of your summary of
experience and CPD. Assessors will be aware to
expect this.

02. Accept final assessment

Click the slider to confirm you are ready to
submit for assessment. * Once you submit for
final assessment your work will be locked down
and you will be unable to make any
amendments. Make sure you have checked your
submission document and are happy to proceed.

03. Assessment banner

Your homepage assessment banner will change
to confirm you have completed submission. Your
result will show shortly after the assessment.

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ARC SPA candidate user guide