AI and the APC: what the rules allow and what they do not
The candidate guide says every submission must be your own original work, that using AI software to generate content for it is not permitted, and that candidates must not use generative AI tools in producing it. It also says tools that help with spelling, grammar and word count are allowed. Submissions are checked for plagiarism and AI use, and a suspected breach is investigated. So a word counter or a spell checker is fine; a tool that writes, rewrites or suggests your statements or case study is not.
What the guide says, in our words
- All submissions must be your own original work.
- Using AI software to generate content for the submission is not permitted; the guide names a well known chat assistant as an example of generative AI you must not use.
- Tools that aid spelling, grammar and word count are allowed.
- If you need other technological help because of a specific need, you apply for a reasonable adjustment.
- Every submission is checked for plagiarism and AI, and a submission suspected not to be your own is investigated, with possible regulatory action.
Separately, the guide says submissions may be run through plagiarism software that compares them with other candidates' work and other existing works. A statement copied or closely adapted from a published example is a risk on that ground alone, whatever tool produced it.
Where common tools sit
| Tool | What it does to your text | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Word counter | Counts it; changes nothing | Allowed: word count tools are named |
| Spell checker | Flags misspelt words for you to correct | Allowed: spelling tools are named |
| Grammar checker | Flags grammar for you to correct | Allowed: grammar tools are named |
| Chat assistant drafting a statement | Writes content | Not permitted |
| AI rewriter or paraphraser | Generates new wording from yours | Not permitted: it generates content |
| Phrase banks and sample statements | Supply wording to reuse | A plagiarism risk, and not your own work |
Grammar tools increasingly offer to rewrite whole sentences with AI. Accepting a generated rewrite is closer to generating content than to checking grammar. If in doubt, ask your local office before you submit.
Where APC Draft sits
The draft workspace is a word counter and a checker of dates and hours. It never writes, rewrites, completes or suggests text, it has no AI and no phrase bank, and browser autocomplete is turned off in every box. The structure checklists are in our own words and describe what the guidance asks for; they contain no sentences to reuse.
If you are asked how you prepared the submission, you can say which tools you used. A counter, a spell checker and a grammar checker that flag problems you then fix yourself are all within the rule. Keep your own drafts and dated backups as you go: a trail of your own versions is a simple record that the work developed in your hands.
Worked example
A candidate's case study stands at 3,035 words, 35 over the 3,000 word limit. Pasting it into a chat assistant and asking for a shorter version would put generated wording into the submission, which the guide does not permit.
Instead, the candidate uses the count per section to see where the words are: the approach body has 1,150 words and the conclusion 460. They cut the conclusion themselves to 330, and the count drops to 2,905, inside the 2,850 to 3,000 band. Every word is still theirs, and a word counter is a named allowed tool.
Common mistakes
- Treating an AI rewrite as a grammar check.
- Adapting a sample statement found online. It can match other submissions in a plagiarism check.
- Asking a paid service to write or rewrite the submission. The rule is that it is your own work.
- Assuming a detector will not notice. The guide says every submission is checked.
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.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use ChatGPT for my APC submission?
No. The candidate guide says candidates must not use generative AI software, and gives ChatGPT as its example, in producing the submission, and that using AI to generate content is not permitted.
Can I use a spell checker or a word counter?
Yes. The guide says tools to aid spelling, grammar and word count may be used.
Are APC submissions checked for AI?
Yes. The guide says plagiarism and AI detection checks are carried out on all submissions, and a suspicion that work is not the candidate's own is investigated.
Sources
Last reviewed 27 September 2026 against:
- Assessment of Professional Competence, Candidate guide, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), June 2025, amended March 2026, read 2026-09-27. Used for: own original work, AI generation not permitted, spelling, grammar and word count tools allowed, plagiarism and AI checks (pages 10 and 14)
- Assessment of Professional Competence, Candidate guide, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), August 2026, read 2026-09-27. Used for: checked that the AI wording is unchanged in the newer edition
This guide is our own summary of the published documents, not legal advice and not a finding about your application; the regulator's assessors decide. If it disagrees with the current documents, the documents win. APC Draft is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) or any other professional body.