APC submission guides
Plain answers to what candidates ask about the written submission: what the word counts include, levels 1, 2 and 3, the case study structure and its 24 month window, CPD hours and what the rules say about AI. Each is written from the published candidate guidance, with the date it was last reviewed.
Questions about the workspace itself are answered in the APC Draft FAQ.
APC word count rules: what counts and how it is counted
The APC word limits in one place: 1,500 and 4,000 words for the summary of experience, 3,000 for the case study, what is counted, and how Word counts words.
Last reviewed 27 September 2026
Summary of experience: what levels 1, 2 and 3 ask for
What the APC summary of experience asks at each level, how many statements your pathway needs, and how to share 1,500 and 4,000 words across them, worked out.
Last reviewed 27 September 2026
APC case study structure and the 3,000 word limit
The four sections of the APC case study, what the 3,000 word count includes and leaves out, the 500 word introduction and the 2,850 to 3,000 word target.
Last reviewed 27 September 2026
The APC case study 24 month window, worked out from your dates
An APC case study must cover work from the 24 months before you submit. How the window is worked out, projects that started earlier, and when it runs out.
Last reviewed 27 September 2026
APC CPD: 48 hours every 12 months, at least half formal
APC candidates need 48 hours of CPD in every 12 months, at least 50 percent formal, counted back from submission. What counts as formal and a worked check.
Last reviewed 27 September 2026
AI and the APC: what the rules allow and what they do not
The APC rules on AI: generative AI must not write your submission, but spelling, grammar and word count tools are allowed. What that means for your draft.
Last reviewed 27 September 2026
APC pathway competency checklist for five pathways
Mandatory, core and optional competencies and levels for quantity surveying, building surveying, commercial real estate, valuation and project management.
Last reviewed 27 September 2026
Count and check your own draft
The draft workspace holds your case study, your summary of experience by competency and level, your CPD and your diary days. It counts words the published way, checks the 24 month window and the 95 to 100 percent band, and shows what is still missing. Everything stays in this browser.