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RICS Ethics Test practice questions

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Question 1Rules of conduct

A candidate has signed a written agreement to be bound by RICS's disciplinary framework. Which statement best describes the practical effect of that undertaking?

  1. RICS may act only where a client has already obtained a court judgment against the candidate.
  2. RICS may act only after the candidate's employer has dismissed them.
  3. RICS may investigate and sanction the candidate for breaches of the Rules of Conduct, including conduct outside professional practice. Correct answer.
  4. RICS may act only in relation to conduct occurring during billed professional work.

Explanation

By signing the agreement to be bound, a candidate accepts that RICS can investigate alleged breaches of its ethical standards and impose disciplinary sanctions. This extends to personal conduct that brings the profession into disrepute, not merely conduct during paid instructions. It does not depend on a court judgment, an employer's decision, or whether the work was billed.

Question 2Rules of conduct

Which of the following best captures the overarching purpose of the five ethical principles in the RICS Rules of Conduct?

  1. To describe the technical standards for measuring floor areas.
  2. To replace national statutory regulation with a single global code.
  3. To set out a detailed tariff of fees that members must charge clients.
  4. To protect the public and maintain confidence in the profession by requiring honest, competent and accountable behaviour. Correct answer.

Explanation

The ethical principles exist to protect the public interest and sustain trust in the profession, requiring members to act honestly, competently, with integrity and accountability. They are behavioural standards, not fee schedules or measurement rules. They also operate alongside, rather than replacing, local statutory regulation.

Question 3Rules of conduct

A surveyor is asked to provide a valuation for a lender on a property in which the surveyor's spouse holds a 30% beneficial interest. What is the most appropriate course of action under the conflicts of interest principle?

  1. Proceed and disclose the interest only if the lender later asks about it.
  2. Decline the instruction or obtain informed consent after full written disclosure and put safeguards in place. Correct answer.
  3. Proceed without disclosure because the spouse's interest is a private family matter.
  4. Proceed but reduce the fee to reflect the perceived conflict.

Explanation

A close family financial interest creates a clear conflict that could compromise objectivity. The member should either decline the instruction or, where appropriate, make full written disclosure and secure informed consent with effective safeguards. Reducing the fee or waiting for the client to ask does not manage the conflict.

Question 4Rules of conduct

A member receives a gift of significant value from a contractor shortly before a tender evaluation in which the member is involved. How should the member respond under the integrity principle?

  1. Accept the gift because hospitality is customary in the construction sector.
  2. Refuse the gift or, if refusal would cause embarrassment, declare it promptly to the employer and follow their policy. Correct answer.
  3. Accept the gift but record it in a personal diary.
  4. Accept the gift and reciprocate with a gift of similar value.

Explanation

Accepting a valuable gift from a party with a live commercial interest in the member's decisions risks improper influence and breaches the integrity principle. The member should refuse it, or where that is impractical, declare it promptly and follow the employer's gifts and hospitality policy. A private diary note or reciprocal gift does not remove the conflict.

Question 5Rules of conduct

Under the competence principle, what is expected of a member who is offered an instruction in a specialist area outside their current expertise?

  1. Decline all instructions in that area permanently.
  2. Accept the instruction and learn the specialist area while delivering the work.
  3. Decline the instruction, or accept only if competent support or supervision is obtained and competence can be maintained. Correct answer.
  4. Accept the instruction and rely on the client to check the technical output.

Explanation

Members must only undertake work for which they have the necessary knowledge, skills and resources, or obtain appropriate support and supervision. Learning entirely at the client's expense, or relying on the client to check output, is inconsistent with the competence principle. A blanket permanent refusal is unnecessary where competence can properly be built.

Question 6Rules of conduct

A member discovers that a colleague has falsified a building survey report submitted to a client. What does the principle on acting with integrity and accountability require of the member?

  1. Take reasonable steps to address the matter, including reporting it through appropriate internal channels or to RICS where warranted. Correct answer.
  2. Discuss the matter only informally with other colleagues in the office.
  3. Delete the report and say nothing further.
  4. Ignore the matter because it is the colleague's personal responsibility.

Explanation

Members are accountable for upholding professional standards and should take reasonable steps to address known misconduct, including escalation through internal channels or to RICS. Simply ignoring, informally gossiping, or quietly deleting evidence fails to protect the client and the public. Accountability requires a positive response to identified wrongdoing.

Question 7Rules of conduct

A member is asked by a client to backdate a professional report to make it appear it was issued before a regulatory deadline. How should the member respond?

  1. Backdate the report but note the true date in a covering email.
  2. Backdate the report because the client bears the regulatory risk.
  3. Refuse, because falsifying the date of a professional document is dishonest and breaches the integrity principle. Correct answer.
  4. Issue the report undated to avoid the issue.

Explanation

Backdating a professional document misrepresents when the work was done and is dishonest, breaching the integrity principle regardless of who bears regulatory risk. A covering email does not cure the misrepresentation. Issuing an undated report to obscure timing is equally improper.

Question 8Rules of conduct

Which statement best describes how a member should handle confidential client information under the Rules of Conduct?

  1. Confidential information should be kept secure and disclosed only where authorised, required by law, or necessary in the public interest. Correct answer.
  2. Confidential information may be shared freely with other clients as market intelligence.
  3. Confidential information becomes public once the instruction ends.
  4. Confidential information may be shared with family members who work in the industry.

Explanation

Members must respect the confidentiality of client information, keeping it secure and disclosing only with authorisation, where legally required, or where the public interest justifies disclosure. Confidentiality does not lapse when an instruction ends, and it does not permit sharing with other clients or industry contacts.

Question 9Rules of conduct

A member is asked to recommend a contractor to a client and has a financial interest in one of the candidate contractors. What is required?

  1. Recommend the contractor and disclose the interest only after the contract is signed.
  2. Disclose the financial interest to the client before making any recommendation and manage the conflict. Correct answer.
  3. Recommend a different contractor to avoid the issue entirely.
  4. Recommend the contractor without mentioning the interest because the recommendation is technically sound.

Explanation

A financial interest in a party the member is recommending creates a conflict that must be disclosed before the client relies on the advice. Early, transparent disclosure allows the client to make an informed decision. Concealing the interest or disclosing it after the event undermines trust and breaches the conflicts principle.

Question 10Rules of conduct

Which of the following is the best example of conduct that could breach the principle requiring members to act in a way that promotes trust in the profession?

  1. Attending a professional networking event.
  2. Publishing an anonymised case study with client consent.
  3. Making abusive public comments online about a client who has complained about the member's work. Correct answer.
  4. Declining an instruction because of a lack of competence.

Explanation

Abusive public comments about a client can undermine public trust and bring the profession into disrepute, even when made outside working hours. Publishing an anonymised case study with consent, networking, and declining work outside one's competence are all consistent with professional standards.

Question 11Rules of conduct

A member is instructed to produce a report that omits a material structural defect the member has identified. How should the member proceed?

  1. Include the defect and accept that the client may be unhappy with the report. Correct answer.
  2. Withdraw from the instruction without explanation.
  3. Omit the defect but mention it verbally to the client.
  4. Comply with the client's instruction and omit the defect.

Explanation

Members must not allow their professional judgement to be compromised or misrepresent findings, so a material defect must be reported even if the client dislikes the outcome. Omitting it, whether in writing or only verbally, misleads readers of the report. Withdrawing without explanation does not serve the client or the public interest.

Question 12Rules of conduct

What does the accountability principle require when a member makes a genuine error in a professional report?

  1. Amend the report quietly without informing the client.
  2. Conceal the error unless the client discovers it.
  3. Acknowledge the error promptly, take steps to correct it, and cooperate with any review or complaint process. Correct answer.
  4. Blame a junior colleague to protect the member's reputation.

Explanation

Accountability means owning mistakes, correcting them promptly, and cooperating openly with reviews or complaints. Concealment, shifting blame, or silent amendment denies the client the opportunity to understand and respond to the error. Transparency in correcting errors preserves trust.

Question 13Rules of conduct

A member is offered hospitality by a supplier that is lavish but not linked to any current procurement decision. How should the member evaluate whether to accept?

  1. Accept only if the hospitality is expensive enough to be memorable.
  2. Accept only if the supplier is a long-standing contact.
  3. Accept any hospitality provided no procurement decision is currently live.
  4. Consider whether acceptance could influence, or appear to influence, judgement and apply the employer's policy on hospitality. Correct answer.

Explanation

The test is whether the hospitality could improperly influence the member's judgement or create a perception of influence, together with compliance with the employer's policy. The absence of a live procurement decision does not automatically make lavish hospitality acceptable. Value, relationship length, or memorability are not the relevant tests.

Question 14Rules of conduct

Which of the following best reflects the principle requiring members to treat others with respect and promote equality?

  1. Keeping personal views on equality out of all professional decisions.
  2. Avoiding discrimination and harassment and challenging inappropriate behaviour in the workplace. Correct answer.
  3. Applying different standards to clients based on their background.
  4. Delegating equality matters entirely to the human resources department.

Explanation

The respect and equality principle requires members to avoid discrimination and harassment and to challenge inappropriate behaviour. Applying different standards by background is discriminatory, and delegating all responsibility to HR does not discharge the individual's duty. Personal views do not displace the professional obligation.

Question 15Rules of conduct

A member is asked to sign a report prepared entirely by another firm without reviewing the underlying work. What is the appropriate response?

  1. Sign the report and rely on the other firm's insurance.
  2. Sign the report because the other firm is reputable.
  3. Sign the report but add a caveat that it was prepared by another firm.
  4. Refuse to sign unless the member has reviewed the work sufficiently to take professional responsibility for it. Correct answer.

Explanation

Signing a professional report signifies that the member takes responsibility for its content, so it should not be signed without sufficient review. Reputation, a caveat, or another firm's insurance does not transfer that responsibility. Reviewing the underlying work is necessary to sign in good conscience.

Question 16Rules of conduct

A member is asked to act for two competing bidders in the same tender process. What is the most appropriate course of action?

  1. Act for both but keep the information separate.
  2. Act for one and decline the other without telling either party why.
  3. Act for both because the member can be objective.
  4. Act for neither and explain the conflict to both parties. Correct answer.

Explanation

Acting for two competing bidders creates an irreconcilable conflict because the member would hold confidential information relevant to each. The appropriate course is to decline both instructions and explain the conflict transparently. Claiming objectivity or information separation does not cure the conflict.

Question 17Rules of conduct

Which of the following best describes the relationship between a member's personal conduct and the Rules of Conduct?

  1. Personal conduct is relevant only if it results in a criminal conviction.
  2. Personal conduct is entirely outside the scope of the rules.
  3. Personal conduct can fall within the rules where it risks bringing the profession into disrepute or undermining trust. Correct answer.
  4. The rules apply only to conduct during paid instructions.

Explanation

The Rules of Conduct are not confined to paid instructions; conduct in personal life can be relevant where it risks bringing the profession into disrepute or undermining public trust. The rules are not limited to conduct during instructions, nor do they require a criminal conviction before they apply.

Question 18Rules of conduct

A member is asked to provide an opinion on a matter in which they previously advised the opposing party. What should the member do?

  1. Accept the instruction because the earlier matter is complete.
  2. Accept the instruction and rely on memory alone.
  3. Accept the instruction but avoid mentioning the earlier matter.
  4. Assess whether confidential information from the earlier matter creates a conflict and decline or obtain informed consent as appropriate. Correct answer.

Explanation

A previous relationship with the opposing party may mean the member holds confidential information relevant to the new instruction, creating a conflict. The member should assess this and, where a conflict exists, decline or obtain informed consent with safeguards. Completion of the earlier matter or silence does not remove the risk.

Question 19Rules of conduct

A member becomes aware that their employer is systematically overcharging a public sector client. What does the integrity principle require of the member?

  1. Adjust personal timesheets to offset the overcharging.
  2. Take reasonable steps to address the overcharging, escalating internally and, where appropriate, externally. Correct answer.
  3. Continue the work and let the client's auditors detect the issue.
  4. Resign quietly without raising the matter.

Explanation

Systematic overcharging is dishonest and members must take reasonable steps to address it, including internal escalation and, where warranted, external reporting. Leaving detection to auditors, resigning silently, or manipulating timesheets fails to address the wrongdoing and may compound it.

Question 20Rules of conduct

Which of the following best describes the standard of professional competence expected of a member when relying on the work of a specialist consultant?

  1. The member should take reasonable steps to satisfy themselves that the specialist's work is appropriate for the purpose. Correct answer.
  2. The member should exclude the specialist's work from their own report.
  3. The member may rely on the specialist without any review because the specialist is qualified.
  4. The member should redo the specialist's calculations personally.

Explanation

Members remain responsible for the overall professional advice and should take reasonable steps to confirm that specialist input is appropriate and reliable. Blind reliance, personal re-performance of all calculations, or excluding the specialist's work are not reasonable approaches. The duty is proportionate verification, not duplication.

Question 21Rules of conduct

A member is asked to provide a reference for a former colleague whom the member knows to have falsified records. What is the appropriate approach?

  1. Provide a reference that is honest and, where appropriate, declines to give an unqualified endorsement. Correct answer.
  2. Decline to provide any reference without explanation.
  3. Provide a glowing reference to avoid conflict.
  4. Provide a reference that omits the falsification and relies on the colleague to disclose it.

Explanation

References must be honest and should not mislead the recipient about a candidate's suitability. A glowing reference or one that omits known misconduct misrepresents the candidate and may expose others to risk. Declining without explanation is less helpful than an honest, appropriately worded response.

Question 22Rules of conduct

Which of the following best describes the purpose of the RICS disciplinary process in relation to the Rules of Conduct?

  1. To award compensation to clients for losses caused by members.
  2. To resolve fee disputes between members and clients.
  3. To provide a forum for commercial claims against members.
  4. To investigate alleged breaches and impose proportionate sanctions to protect the public and uphold standards. Correct answer.

Explanation

The disciplinary process exists to investigate alleged breaches and impose proportionate sanctions, protecting the public and maintaining professional standards. It is not a fee-dispute resolution forum, a commercial claims process, or a compensation scheme. Those matters are handled through other routes.

Question 23Rules of conduct

A member is asked by a client to destroy documents that are relevant to a current complaint. How should the member respond?

  1. Retain the documents but refuse to tell the client why.
  2. Destroy the documents but keep a private copy.
  3. Retain the documents and explain that they must be preserved for the complaint process. Correct answer.
  4. Destroy the documents because the client owns them.

Explanation

Destroying documents relevant to a complaint obstructs the proper handling of that complaint and breaches the integrity and accountability principles. The member should retain the documents and explain the need for preservation. Keeping a covert copy or refusing to explain is inconsistent with transparent professional conduct.

Question 24Rules of conduct

A member is considering accepting an instruction that would require them to act contrary to a legal requirement in the client's jurisdiction. What is the appropriate response?

  1. Accept the instruction because the client has agreed to bear the legal risk.
  2. Accept the instruction and rely on the client's legal advisers to manage the risk.
  3. Accept the instruction but document the legal risk in the file.
  4. Decline the instruction, because members must comply with the law and not assist in unlawful conduct. Correct answer.

Explanation

Members are expected to comply with the law and must not assist clients in unlawful conduct, regardless of who bears the risk. Client acceptance of risk or reliance on the client's lawyers does not authorise the member to participate. Documenting the risk does not make unlawful conduct permissible.

Question 25Rules of conduct

Which of the following best describes the principle of objectivity in the context of a valuation instruction?

  1. The valuation must match the most recent comparable transaction.
  2. The valuation must be reviewed by the client before issue.
  3. The valuation must be the member's impartial opinion, uninfluenced by the client's wishes or by personal interest. Correct answer.
  4. The valuation must reflect the client's desired outcome to maintain the relationship.

Explanation

Objectivity requires the valuation to be the member's impartial professional opinion, free from client pressure or personal interest. Aligning with a client's desired outcome, matching a single comparable, or requiring client approval would compromise independence. The member's judgement must remain independent.

Question 26Rules of conduct

Under the RICS Rules of Conduct, which principle requires a member to take responsibility for their own actions and for the actions of those they supervise?

  1. The principle of confidentiality
  2. The principle of sustainability
  3. The principle of proportionality
  4. The principle of accountability Correct answer.

Explanation

The accountability principle requires members to be personally answerable for their professional work and for work delegated to staff under their supervision. It means a member cannot deflect responsibility onto juniors or systems when something goes wrong. Confidentiality, proportionality and sustainability address different duties.

Question 27Rules of conduct

A member is asked to give a professional opinion on a property in which their spouse holds a significant undisclosed ownership stake. What does the Rules of Conduct require the member to do first?

  1. Proceed because the interest belongs to the spouse, not the member
  2. Ask the client whether they mind and proceed if they do not object
  3. Accept the instruction but reduce the fee to reflect the conflict
  4. Declare the conflict of interest and decline or manage the instruction transparently Correct answer.

Explanation

The rules require members to identify and disclose any actual or potential conflict of interest before accepting or continuing an instruction. A close family financial interest is a conflict that must be declared and either avoided or managed with informed client agreement. Proceeding silently or relying on an informal comment is not sufficient.

Question 28Rules of conduct

Which statement best describes the scope of the RICS Rules of Conduct for a member working outside the UK?

  1. They apply to the member's professional conduct wherever they practise Correct answer.
  2. They apply only to members holding a UK practising certificate
  3. They apply only where local law is silent
  4. They apply only to work performed on UK soil

Explanation

The Rules of Conduct attach to the individual member and follow them across jurisdictions, not to a particular territory. Where local law or regulation is stricter, the member must also comply with that standard. The rules therefore travel with the member's professional practice.

Question 29Rules of conduct

A member is asked to write a marketing article describing a development they have not inspected, using only the developer's sales brochure. What is the most appropriate response under the Rules of Conduct?

  1. Publish the article anonymously to avoid personal responsibility
  2. Write the article but add a short disclaimer at the end
  3. Decline to present unverified brochure claims as the member's professional opinion Correct answer.
  4. Write the article and describe it as an independent professional assessment

Explanation

Members must not lend their professional status to statements they have not verified, because doing so misleads readers about the basis of the opinion. The article could be written only if the member clearly states the limited basis and does not present brochure content as independent assessment. A disclaimer does not cure a fundamentally misleading claim.

Question 30Rules of conduct

Which of the following best describes what the Rules of Conduct mean by acting with integrity?

  1. Being honest and straightforward in all professional and business relationships Correct answer.
  2. Avoiding any public comment on professional matters
  3. Maximising the fee achievable on each instruction
  4. Following the client's instructions without question

Explanation

Integrity is the duty to be honest and straightforward in all professional and business dealings, including admitting errors and refusing to mislead. It is not about maximising income or deferring entirely to client wishes. Public comment is permitted where it is honest and competent.

Question 31Rules of conduct

A member is instructed by an employer to use a valuation methodology that the member believes produces a materially misleading result. The employer insists because it is firm policy. What should the member do?

  1. Apply it but keep a private note of concerns
  2. Raise the concern formally and refuse to sign off a misleading valuation Correct answer.
  3. Resign immediately without further discussion
  4. Apply the methodology because firm policy overrides professional judgement

Explanation

A member must not produce or sign a professional output they believe is materially misleading, regardless of internal policy. The correct course is to escalate the concern through the firm and, if unresolved, decline to sign. A private note does not protect the client or the public.

Question 32Rules of conduct

A member is asked to provide professional services to a client who is also a close personal friend and who has asked for a discount in exchange for not requiring a written report. What issue does this raise under the Rules of Conduct?

  1. A potential conflict between personal relationship and professional obligations Correct answer.
  2. No issue, because friends are entitled to informal arrangements
  3. A requirement to report the friend to the regulator
  4. A breach of the sustainability principle

Explanation

A close personal relationship can compromise objectivity and may create a conflict of interest that must be managed. Reducing the deliverable to an unwritten report also risks failing to keep proper records and communicate clearly. The member should formalise the arrangement and consider whether objectivity is at risk.

Question 33Rules of conduct

Which statement best describes a member's duty of confidentiality after an instruction has ended?

  1. It ends when the final invoice is paid
  2. It ends when the client changes adviser
  3. It continues indefinitely unless disclosure is required or authorised Correct answer.
  4. It lasts for twelve months after completion

Explanation

Confidentiality survives the end of the retainer and continues unless the client authorises disclosure, disclosure is required by law, or there is a clear public interest justification. There is no fixed time limit or automatic release on payment or change of adviser.

Question 34Rules of conduct

A member is offered a place on a supplier's fully funded overseas trip shortly before a framework contract is due to be awarded. What is the most appropriate action under the Rules of Conduct?

  1. Accept and record it in the firm's gift register without further action
  2. Accept but pay for meals personally
  3. Accept because no decision has yet been made
  4. Decline or disclose the offer and remove themselves from the procurement decision Correct answer.

Explanation

Hospitality that could influence, or appear to influence, a forthcoming procurement decision creates a conflict and must be avoided or formally disclosed. The safest course is to decline or disclose and step back from the decision. Recording the gift alone does not neutralise the risk.

Question 35Rules of conduct

Which of the following best describes the standard of record-keeping expected of a member under the Rules of Conduct?

  1. Records should be destroyed as soon as the file closes
  2. Records should be kept only in paper form
  3. Records should be sufficient to demonstrate the work done and the basis of decisions Correct answer.
  4. Records should be kept only where the client pays for storage

Explanation

Members are expected to maintain records adequate to show the nature and basis of the professional work carried out. This supports accountability and allows the member to respond to queries or complaints. There is no requirement for paper-only records or immediate destruction.

Question 36Rules of conduct

A member has been asked by a lender to value a property, and the borrower separately asks the member for a copy of the draft report before it is issued. What should the member do?

  1. Send the draft to the borrower because they have an interest in the property
  2. Refuse to speak to the borrower at all
  3. Send an edited version that omits the valuation figure
  4. Obtain the lender's consent before sharing the report with the borrower Correct answer.

Explanation

The report is prepared for the lender and is confidential to that client, so sharing it with the borrower requires the lender's consent. The member should not release the draft or an edited version without authority. Refusing all contact is unnecessary but disclosure without consent is the key risk.

Question 37Rules of conduct

Which statement best describes the RICS approach to continuing professional development under the Rules of Conduct?

  1. CPD must be completed only in the member's first year
  2. CPD is optional for experienced members
  3. Members must maintain and be able to evidence relevant professional competence Correct answer.
  4. CPD is required only after a complaint is made

Explanation

Members are expected to keep their knowledge and skills up to date and to be able to demonstrate relevant CPD activity. The obligation is ongoing and applies throughout a career, not only at entry or after a complaint. Being able to evidence the activity is part of the duty.

Question 38Rules of conduct

A member is asked to act on a matter where they lack the specialist knowledge required, but a more experienced colleague in the firm could assist. What does the Rules of Conduct require?

  1. Accept and rely on the client to check the technical work
  2. Accept and proceed without support to avoid delay
  3. Accept only if competent support is obtained and the client is informed Correct answer.
  4. Decline the instruction outright

Explanation

Members must only undertake work for which they have, or can obtain, the necessary competence. Bringing in appropriately skilled support is acceptable provided the client understands who is doing the work. Proceeding unsupported or shifting verification to the client is not acceptable.

Question 39Rules of conduct

A member discovers that a junior colleague has been signing inspection certificates without carrying out the inspections. What is the member's most appropriate first step under the Rules of Conduct?

  1. Quietly reassign the junior without telling anyone
  2. Wait until the annual appraisal to raise it
  3. Take steps to stop the practice and ensure affected clients are not misled Correct answer.
  4. Ignore the matter because the junior is not a member

Explanation

A member who becomes aware of dishonest practice has a duty to act to prevent it continuing and to ensure clients are not misled by false certificates. This may involve escalation internally and, where necessary, reporting. Ignoring or delaying the issue allows harm to continue.

Question 40Rules of conduct

Which of the following best describes the purpose of the RICS disciplinary framework in relation to the Rules of Conduct?

  1. To resolve commercial disputes between firms
  2. To recover unpaid fees for members
  3. To set valuation standards for lenders
  4. To protect the public and maintain confidence in the profession Correct answer.

Explanation

The disciplinary framework exists to protect the public and uphold confidence in the profession by addressing breaches of the rules. It is not a debt collection or commercial dispute mechanism. Standards for valuation are set separately through professional guidance.

Question 41Rules of conduct

A member is asked by a client to include a statement in a report that the member knows to be factually incorrect but which the client says will help secure planning permission. What should the member do?

  1. Include the statement but note the concern in the file
  2. Refuse to include the incorrect statement Correct answer.
  3. Include the statement and disclaim responsibility for its accuracy
  4. Include the statement because the client has instructed it

Explanation

A member must not include statements they know to be false in a professional report, even on client instruction. Doing so would breach integrity and could mislead a decision-maker such as a planning authority. A file note or disclaimer does not make a knowingly false statement acceptable.

Question 42Rules of conduct

Which statement best describes how a member should handle a request to provide services in a country where local practice differs from RICS standards?

  1. Apply RICS standards and any stricter local requirements Correct answer.
  2. Apply only the standard specified in the client's contract
  3. Follow local practice wherever it is more permissive
  4. Apply whichever standard is cheaper for the client

Explanation

Members must comply with the Rules of Conduct wherever they work and with any stricter local legal or regulatory requirements. The more permissive of two standards is not the benchmark. Contract terms cannot reduce the member's professional obligations.

Question 43Rules of conduct

A member is asked to act as an expert witness in a dispute where they previously advised one of the parties informally at a social event. What is the most appropriate course of action?

  1. Accept because the earlier advice was informal
  2. Accept and rely on the earlier knowledge to save time
  3. Decline or disclose the earlier involvement and let the parties decide Correct answer.
  4. Accept but avoid mentioning the earlier involvement in the report

Explanation

An expert's overriding duty is to the tribunal, and prior involvement with one party can compromise or appear to compromise independence. The earlier involvement should be disclosed so the parties and the tribunal can assess it, and the instruction may need to be declined. Silence about the prior involvement is not acceptable.

Question 44Rules of conduct

Which statement best describes the duty of a member regarding the fair treatment of colleagues and clients under the Rules of Conduct?

  1. Members should prioritise clients over colleagues in all situations
  2. Members should avoid working with people whose views differ from their own
  3. Members should apply different standards depending on seniority
  4. Members should treat others with respect and not discriminate unfairly Correct answer.

Explanation

The rules require members to treat others with respect and to avoid unfair discrimination in their professional dealings. This applies to colleagues, clients and third parties alike. Differential standards based on seniority or personal views are not consistent with this duty.

Question 45Rules of conduct

A member is asked to accept an instruction that would require them to act for both the buyer and the seller in the same transaction. What is the key risk under the Rules of Conduct?

  1. The member will need to use two different report templates
  2. The member will be unable to invoice both parties
  3. The member may earn less than on two separate instructions
  4. The member cannot act with objectivity for both parties with conflicting interests Correct answer.

Explanation

Acting for both sides of a transaction creates a conflict because the parties' interests are opposed, making it impossible to act objectively for both. The member should decline or act for one party only. Fee and administrative considerations are secondary to this conflict.

Question 46Rules of conduct

A member is asked to sign off a report on a property they have never visited, based solely on photographs supplied by the client. What should the member do?

  1. Sign the report because photographs are a reliable substitute for inspection
  2. Sign the report only if the client confirms the photographs are recent
  3. Refuse to sign any report that relies on photographs
  4. Sign the report but describe it as based on photographs Correct answer.

Explanation

If a member has not inspected, the report must clearly state the basis of the opinion so readers are not misled into thinking an inspection occurred. Signing without qualification would misrepresent the work done. A blanket refusal is not required where the limitation is disclosed.

Question 47Rules of conduct

Which of the following best describes what the Rules of Conduct require of a member who becomes aware of a possible breach by another member?

  1. Nothing, because each member is responsible only for their own conduct
  2. Take appropriate steps, which may include reporting the matter Correct answer.
  3. Publicly disclose the matter on social media
  4. Report every suspicion immediately to the police

Explanation

Members are expected to take appropriate steps when they become aware of a possible breach, which may include internal escalation or reporting to RICS. The response should be proportionate to the seriousness of the concern. Public disclosure on social media or automatic police referral is not the default.

Question 48Rules of conduct

A member is asked to prepare a valuation for a client who is also the member's landlord and has offered to reduce the rent if the valuation is favourable. What should the member do?

  1. Accept and ask a colleague to sign the report
  2. Accept the instruction and value the property fairly
  3. Accept but disclose the arrangement in the report
  4. Decline the instruction because of the conflict of interest Correct answer.

Explanation

The offer of a personal benefit contingent on the valuation outcome is a serious conflict that cannot be managed by disclosure alone. Accepting the instruction would compromise, or appear to compromise, the member's independence and objectivity. The member should decline.

Question 49Rules of conduct

Which statement best describes the relationship between a member's private business interests and the Rules of Conduct?

  1. Private interests are permitted if kept in a separate company
  2. Private interests are outside the scope of the rules
  3. Private interests are permitted provided they are profitable
  4. Private interests must not conflict with the member's professional obligations Correct answer.

Explanation

The rules apply to a member's professional and business conduct, so private business interests must not create conflicts with professional duties or damage the reputation of the profession. Structuring interests through a company does not remove the obligation. Profitability is not the test.

Question 50Rules of conduct

A member is instructed to produce a report by a deadline that would not allow adequate investigation of a complex building defect. What is the most appropriate action under the Rules of Conduct?

  1. Produce the report and rely on the client to commission further work
  2. Produce the report on time and omit the defect analysis
  3. Agree an extension or limit the scope so the report is not misleading Correct answer.
  4. Produce the report and state clearly what could not be investigated

Explanation

Members should not accept a timetable that prevents competent work, so the appropriate step is to agree a realistic deadline or clearly limit the scope with the client. Producing a report that hides or glosses over the limitation would mislead. The client must understand what the report does and does not cover.