APC case study structure and the 3,000 word limit
The APC case study has four sections: an introduction of about 500 words on the project and your role, your approach to the key issues and the options you considered, your achievements and the advice you gave, and a conclusion reflecting on what you learned. It is at most 3,000 words from the start of the introduction to the end of the conclusion, headings included, and the submissions page asks you to use 95 to 100 percent of that, which is 2,850 to 3,000 words. The project name, date, confidentiality statement, contents, competency table and appendices are not counted.
How to build the case study to length
The order the guidance implies, done in the draft workspace, where every step is counted as you go.
- Check the window first. Enter your planned submission date and the dates of your involvement, and confirm the work falls inside the 24 months before you submit.
- Set up the parts that are not counted. Put the project name, the date of the project, the confidentiality statement and the contents in their own boxes so they never enter the total.
- Write the introduction to about 500 words. Cover what you did, your level of responsibility, the stakeholders and the timeline, and keep the heading in the count.
- Write the approach and the achievements. Set out the key issues, the options you weighed and why some were not feasible, then what you achieved and the advice you gave.
- Write the conclusion. Reflect on how you performed, what you learned and what you would do differently next time.
- Bring the total into the band. Adjust until the counted total sits between 2,850 and 3,000 words, then check the final count in Word.
- List the competencies and state the count. Fill in the competencies demonstrated, with at least one core competency at Level 3, and state the word count at the end.
The four sections
| Section | What it covers | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Introduction | A summary of the project and your role: what you did, your level of responsibility, the stakeholders and the timeline. | About 500 words |
| 2. My approach | The key issues or challenges, why each was a challenge for you, the options you considered and why some were not feasible. | No figure given |
| 3. My achievements | What you achieved and how, with the reasoned advice you gave for your Level 3 competencies. | No figure given |
| 4. Conclusion | Your reflection on how you performed, the lessons you learned and what you would do differently. | No figure given |
The guide says the introduction should be approximately 500 words; the submissions page says a maximum of 500. The workspace flags anything over 500, heading included, so you can decide which reading to follow. The guide asks you to analyse rather than describe: the assessors want the process you followed and the reasons for your decisions, and will use the case study to question you beyond it.
What the 3,000 words include and leave out
Counted: everything you add from the introduction to the end of the conclusion, including headings and sub-headings. A table or chart in the body counts too, which is why the guide suggests putting tables and charts in the appendices when words are tight.
Not counted: the project name, the date of the project, the confidentiality statement, the table of contents, the table of competencies demonstrated and any appendices. Appendices should hold photographs, plans, charts and tables that support the report, and the guide says they should not be used for further commentary on your experience.
The submissions page asks you to aim for 95 to 100 percent of the allowance, 2,850 to 3,000 words. That is a target, not a rule: the rule is the 3,000 word maximum.
Worked example
A draft has an introduction body of 489 words, an approach of 1,150, achievements of 930 and a conclusion of 310, under the four standard headings. The headings add 6 words, so the workspace counts 2,885 words, 96.2 percent of the limit.
The introduction comes to 490 words with its heading. The front matter, the competency table and 420 words of appendix notes add 454 words that are shown but not counted.
That is already inside the 2,850 to 3,000 band. Had the conclusion run to 460 words, the count would be 3,035, 35 over the limit; cutting it to 330 words brings the total to 2,905, 96.8 percent, back inside the band.
Common mistakes
- Leaving the headings out of your own count. They are counted.
- Moving narrative into the appendices to save words. Appendices are for supporting material, not further commentary.
- An introduction that tells the whole story and leaves too little room for the approach and the achievements, where the analysis is.
- A conclusion that summarises the project instead of reflecting on your own performance and lessons.
- Stopping at 2,400 words. The limit is not a target, but the submissions page asks for 95 to 100 percent of it.
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
Do headings count in the APC case study word count?
Yes. The candidate guide says the count includes any content from the introduction to the conclusion, including headings and sub-headings.
Do tables count?
A table or chart in the body of the case study is counted. Tables and charts placed in the appendices are not, which is why the guide suggests putting them there.
Is 500 words for the introduction a maximum?
The candidate guide says approximately 500 words and the submissions page says a maximum of 500. Keeping it to 500 or fewer satisfies both.
What if my case study is under 2,850 words?
The 95 to 100 percent band is advice from the submissions page, not a rule. The rule is the 3,000 word maximum. Using most of the allowance gives you room to show your analysis.
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: the four sections, the introduction of about 500 words, what is counted and not counted, appendices (pages 11 to 13)
- APC submissions and assessment, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), published 10 August 2026, read 2026-09-27. Used for: the 95 to 100 percent target, the introduction maximum, at least one core competency at Level 3, five to seven competencies
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.