A Career in Construction - Part 4

During the five year training scheme, we would take the examinations of The Institute of Quantity Surveyors. These replicated the exams run by The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, the body we were not allowed to join as we worked for a building contractor. Only those in professional practice and local authorities could join the RICS. The IQS did have some professional members who preferred a specialised organisation for Quantity Surveyors rather than being amongst a load of estate agents and other disciplines. So did we.

The IQS prided themselves on the quality of their exams, always trying to be superior to those of the much bigger RICS. There was the identical structure of Parts 1, 2 and 3. Each Part had six or seven different subjects, so exams were spread over three or four days. We took Part 1 after the first two years at college, Part 2 a year later and Part 3 at the end of the five years. Each time the pass rate seemed to be stuck about 30%. I was lucky to pass all the exams first time, except for one referral in Part 2 that I took on it's own the following year.

I remember so well the day we got the results of the final exam. I had left the flat in Kingston before the post arrived. Happy to wait until the evening, someone phoned up for the results. I could not believe I had passed and had to drive home at lunchtime to pick up the envelope that confirmed I was through, and became an Associate of The Institute of Quantity Surveyors.

Ours was a great organisation. There were lots of events and a quarterly journal full of interesting stuff. So when the RICS made overtures to absorb our Institute, we successfully voted against this proposal. However, their persistence resulted in another vote, and in 1983, by a tiny majority, we became part of the RICS. I became an Associate before becoming a Fellow in 1989. Apart from the kudos of being FRICS, the loss of our old institute was a disaster. The contracting side of Quantity Surveying is basically ignored, and very few newcomers to our industry now join. Very sad.