APC Mock Interview Review: Quantity Surveying & Construction

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering RICS APC competencies in Quantity Surveying and Construction, including procurement, contract practice, design economics, CDM regulations, financial accounting, and professional ethics.

Cavendish v Makdessi

The legal test for liquidated damages establishing that the rate must protect a legitimate interest and not be out of all proportion, moving beyond the traditional 'genuine pre-estimate of loss' standard.

S · R · O · A · R Routine

A structured ethical decision-making routine for RICS professionals standing for: Spot the issue, Rule engaged, Options and consequences, Act / escalate / decline, and Record.

RICS Rule of Conduct 1

The professional standard requiring members and regulated firms to be honest, act with integrity, and comply with their legal and professional obligations.

RICS Rule of Conduct 3

The professional standard requiring members and firms to provide a good-quality and diligent service to their clients.

Conflict of Interest (RICS Standard)

A situation where professional duties or personal interests pull in different directions, managed through the mandatory three-step procedure: identify, disclose, and manage (proceeding only with informed written consent).

Order of Cost Estimate (NRM1)

An early, high-level cost estimate produced when design information is limited (often based on gross internal floor area or functional units) that carries significant allowances for risk.

Formal Cost Plan (NRM1)

A detailed cost plan prepared as the design develops, structured and broken down by elements, against which subsequent iterations and the project budget are checked and evaluated.

IPMS (International Property Measurement Standards)

A global set of standards establishing consistent rules for measuring floor areas of buildings across international markets.

ICMS (International Construction Measurement Standards)

A global standard framework that sets how construction costs and life-cycle carbon emissions are classified and reported consistently across countries.

Three-Point Estimate

A probabilistic cost estimating technique calculating minimum, most likely, and maximum figures to reflect the true level of cost certainty when dealing with unknown risk factors (such as substructure conditions or fire strategies).

Alternative 2 (JCT Tendering Practice Note)

A formal tendering procedure governing errors or qualifications, under which a tenderer who submits an uninvited qualification is given the opportunity to withdraw the qualification and confirm their price to specification.

PCSA (Pre-Construction Services Agreement)

A contract appointing a contractor during stage one of a two-stage design and build route to provide early input into buildability, programming, and subcontractor procurement before entering into the main construction contract.

Defined Cost (NEC3 Option A)

The cost basis used under NEC3 Option A which, together with the agreed Fee and the contractor's people rates submitted in Contract Data Part Two, forms the contractual mechanism to value compensation events.

Deemed Acceptance (NEC3 Compensation Events)

The contractual mechanism whereby if a Project Manager fails to respond to a contractor's compensation event quotation within two weeks, and does not respond after a reminder notification, the quotation is treated as accepted.

Supervisor (NEC)

The designated independent role under NEC contracts responsible for testing, checking the quality of work on site, and notifying defects, operating separately from the commercial and administrative Project Manager.

Contract Administrator (JCT)

The individual nominated under a JCT contract to administer the contract terms, issue instructions, value variations, decide extensions of time, and issue interim and final payment certificates.

Risk Allowance (NRM1)

A quantified sum allocated to specific, identified risks grouped under NRM1 as design development, construction, employer change, or employer other, which reduces as risks are resolved or passed to others.

Contingency

A general monetary sum held within a budget for unforeseen, unknown project items, distinct from an allowance for specific identified risks.

Principal Designer (CDM 2015)

The dutyholder responsible for planning, managing, monitoring, and coordinating health and safety in the pre-construction phase, assisting with pre-construction information, ensuring designers eliminate risks, and compiling the health and safety file.

Principal Contractor (CDM 2015)

The dutyholder responsible for managing health and safety during the construction phase, including preparing the construction phase plan, organizing site cooperation, providing inductions and welfare, and securing the site.

Approved Document Part M

The statutory UK Building Regulation standard governing the access to and use of buildings, including step-free access, door widths, circulation space, and accessible sanitary facilities.

Whole Life Carbon

The total carbon emissions produced across a building's entire lifecycle, comprising embodied carbon (from material extraction, manufacturing, construction, and end of life) and operational carbon (from energy use).

Statutory Adjudication (Construction Act 1996)

A statutory dispute resolution process under the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 that can be initiated at any time, requiring referral within 7 days and an adjudicator's decision within 28 days.

Overcladding

A construction technique where a new roof covering and insulation are installed directly over an existing roof structure without removal, requiring checks on structural capacity, Part L thermal performance, condensation, and fire risks.

Most Advantageous Tender (MAT)

The tender evaluation standard introduced under the Procurement Act 2023 replacing MEAT (Most Economically Advantageous Tender), requiring pre-disclosed award criteria, transparency, and consistent assessment records.

Balance Sheet

A financial snapshot at a single point in time showing what an organization owns (assets), what it owes (liabilities), and the owner's stake (equity).

Profit and Loss Account

A financial statement summarizing total income and deducting costs and expenses over a specific accounting period to determine overall profit or loss.

Terms of Engagement

The formal agreement establishing client care parameters, including scope and exclusions, fee basis, project timescales, client responsibilities, liability and professional indemnity insurance (PII), and the complaints handling procedure with ADR.