The ‘progress to date’ report form (pages 38 and 52) should be completed in approximately 2,000 words. My thanks to Sophie Anagnostopoulos of CB Hillier Parker for pointing this out.

With the arrival of the enhanced APC in July 2002, an important change took place. Flexibility was introduced to the selection of the optional competencies.

Previously, each faculty route set out the minimum requirements and levels for the optional competencies in the front of the APC/ATC requirements and competencies guide. Selection was made from a list, which was included in the details of the faculty route.

This has now changed. While the minimum requirements are set out as before, candidates can now choose their optional competencies from the full list of competencies, as set out in the alphabetical index in the second half of the guide. On page 8 of the APC candidate's guide (July 2002, edition one), it is stated that :

'The philosophy of giving you the widest possible choice in most cases is to reflect the diversity of work undertaken by surveyors'.

But take care! Your choice of competencies must not only reflect your day-to-day work, but should also be appropriate to your chosen faculty. The candidate's guide goes on to say that when you reach the end of your training:

'you must have experience that is appropriate to your chosen area of practice'.

In choosing your optional competencies, you must therefore read carefully the appropriate 'faculty statement'. You will find these statements in the front of the APC/ATC requirements and competencies guide, immediately preceding the page that sets out the minimum competency requirements of your route.

Take as an example the 'commercial property' route. On page 12 of the APC/ATC requirements and competencies guide, you will find the minimum competency requirements of that particular route. On the preceding page, you will find the faculty statement (there is no heading with the words 'Faculty Statement', but the narrative on page 11 clearly sets out 'the work of chartered surveyors in this area…'). You will then find a series of sub-headings, ranging from the purchase, sale and leasing of real estates, to real estate finance and funding. These indicate the work that the commercial property faculty considers appropriate in terms of areas of training and experience. This approach and format is the same for all of the APC routes.

The reason why it is important to study the faculty statements and select your competencies carefully is as follows:

'At the final assessment, the assessors will take these choices into account and will also assess you on the appropriateness of your choices'.

(APC candidate's guide, page 8).

To all rules, there is an exception! The exception to the above is the management consultancy route. The selection of optional competencies for this route is made from the list that follows on from the minimum requirements of the route - not from the full alphabetical list of competencies in the second half of the APC/ATC requirements and competencies guide. However some flexibility is allowed, in that substitution is permitted. Candidates for this route should refer to the special notes that apply.

I cover this in detail in the two books above. However, I do have some extra words of advice here. With the exception of the rule that allows candidates to use one mandatory competency as an optional competency, my advice is to ignore the mandatory competencies completely when selecting your optional competencies. Select the optional competencies using the guidance contained in the faculty statement for your chosen route or specialism, thereby steering yourself towards the vital technical skills. This will help you to avoid accidentally doubling up more than one mandatory competency as an optional competency, which for most routes and specialisms is not appropriate. It will also ensure that you continue to focus on the technical requirements of your route.

The candidate's guide tells you to record experience in your diary in half-days. However, you may attend a training or CPD event or talk that lasts for just an hour or two. There is nothing to stop you recording this as a quarter-day of experience - or alternatively, keeping a running total of hours that can be added up and copied across to your diary later. If the learning is experience-based, the best place to record it will be your log book. If it is learning of a CPD nature, keep a note of it as part of your professional development record. It is all good information for the final assessment panel!

You should find the monitoring tables useful in applying some rigour and discipline to your record of progress in individual competencies.

The 'Date' column should be completed in line with the time at which a particular level of competence was achieved. It will be the same as in your record of progress.

In the 'Summary of experience/training completed' column, I would suggest that you break down the level of the particular competency statement into its component parts and record your achievements accordingly. For example, for Level 2 in Valuation, you may wish to detail some of the work you have carried out using comparable methods, along with a few notes concerning the types of property valued, and some of the issues faced.

In the 'Details of experience/training planned' column, record work that you have planned, again in line with the requirements of the competency.

This should help you to develop a more detailed understanding of each competency, assisting you in your preparation for the final assessment. It is a useful discipline in developing your understanding of the component parts of the competencies and of how your daily experience relates to these.