RICS APC Ethics Questions: How to Prepare for Ethics Scenarios

Why ethics questions refer candidates

Ethics questions refer candidates who do not know what the RICS Rules of Conduct require and who cannot reason through a professional dilemma to a defensible position. Both failures are common and both are preventable.

The most common referral scenario is not a candidate who gives the wrong answer. It is a candidate who gives a correct action but cannot explain the reasoning behind it, or who identifies the ethical dimension of the scenario but is unclear about which specific Rule of Conduct applies.

What assessors are testing

Assessors want to know three things: can you identify the ethical issue in a professional scenario, do you know what the RICS Rules of Conduct require in that situation, and can you explain your reasoning under follow-up questioning?

The RICS Rules of Conduct (effective February 2022) set out five rules: Rule 1 — be honest and act with integrity; Rule 2 — maintain professional competence and ensure services are provided by competent individuals; Rule 3 — provide good-quality and diligent service; Rule 4 — treat others with respect and encourage diversity and inclusion; Rule 5 — act in the public interest, take responsibility for actions and act to prevent harm. Most ethics scenarios test one of these five rules specifically. Knowing which rule applies to which type of scenario is essential preparation.

Common scenarios by type

Conflict of interest scenarios are the most frequently examined. A client asks you to act in a situation where you have a personal or financial interest in the outcome. The correct response involves identifying the conflict, disclosing it, and either managing it or withdrawing. The relevant rule is Rule 1.

Fee pressure scenarios test whether candidates will compromise professional standards when clients push for lower fees. The correct response is to maintain the standard and explain why, not to agree and cut corners silently. Rule 3 applies.

Client confidentiality scenarios test whether candidates know when confidentiality can be overridden by a public interest duty. Building safety issues are a common current context here — Rule 5 is directly relevant.

AI and technology scenarios are increasingly common in 2025 and 2026. If you used AI tools in your professional work, know how you would advise a client on the professional and ethical dimensions of AI use in your pathway.

How to structure your answer

Identify the ethical issue in your first sentence. Do not bury the lead. Assessors are watching whether you see the issue immediately or whether you have to be guided to it.

Name the relevant Rule of Conduct. You do not need to recite it verbatim, but you must demonstrate you know which rule applies.

State what you would do and in what sequence. Immediate actions first, then escalation if necessary.

Explain why. This is where most candidates underperform. The assessor will ask "why would you do that?" and the answer must go beyond "because it is the right thing to do." Reference the Rule, reference the client's interests, reference the profession's trust obligations.

Preparing for scenarios you have not seen

The ethics scenario in your final assessment will be drawn from your pathway, but the specific scenario will be one you have not prepared for directly. Memorising scenarios and model answers does not work. Internalising the five Rules of Conduct well enough to apply them to any situation does.

Practise with scenarios from your pathway. After each one, test yourself: which rule applies, what action does it require, what would the assessor ask as a follow-up? The follow-up is where most candidates lose ground.