The Level 6 Construction Quantity Surveyor (Degree), and the 16 providers delivering it.

Roles after completion

Graduates typically enter as a Junior Quantity Surveyor or Graduate Quantity Surveyor, working within a contractor or consultancy. Day-to-day responsibilities include preparing cost plans, measuring and valuing work, drafting subcontract orders, and supporting interim valuations. Some completers move straight into an Assistant Quantity Surveyor post with a main contractor, while those with an employer in commercial property or infrastructure may carry a more client-side focus from the outset.

Progression paths

Within three to five years, most move into a Quantity Surveyor or Senior Quantity Surveyor role, taking ownership of full project cost management from pre-contract through final account. Beyond that, two tracks tend to diverge: a commercial leadership route towards Commercial Manager, Head of Commercial, or Commercial Director; and a specialist or consultancy route towards Associate or Partner level in a professional services firm. Chartered status through RICS or CIOB typically underpins movement into either track.

Where these roles sit

Demand is spread across main contractors, specialist subcontractors, and independent cost consultancies, as well as client-side teams in housing associations, local authorities, and government departments. Relevant sectors include housebuilding, civil engineering, highways, rail infrastructure, utilities, and commercial development. Both large national contractors and smaller regional businesses hire at this level, giving completers options across employer scale and procurement environment.

How the apprenticeship is assessed

Learning takes place in the workplace throughout the programme, with apprentices applying quantity surveying knowledge and skills on live projects alongside their studies. Before final assessment can begin, the apprentice and employer confirm readiness through a gateway process, which typically includes evidence that the apprentice has met academic and occupational requirements. Final assessment then confirms whether the apprentice can perform competently as a quantity surveyor across the knowledge, skills, and behaviours set out in the standard. Assessment models for degree apprenticeships at this level are subject to ongoing updates, so check the standard's gov.uk page for the current specification.

What learners need to prepare

Building a strong portfolio of workplace evidence throughout the programme is essential. Apprentices should document real project work as it happens, recording decisions made, problems solved, and outcomes delivered, rather than trying to reconstruct evidence later. Close, regular communication with both the employer and the training provider helps ensure that workplace activity is aligned with the standard's requirements and that any gaps in experience are identified and addressed well before the gateway.

What good looks like

Look for providers with achievement rates above 65% for this standard specifically, as degree-level apprenticeships with professional body alignment (RICS or CIOB) carry real consequences if completion stalls. Strong providers maintain active employer partnerships with contractors, consultants and public sector clients, which shapes the quality of workplace projects apprentices are exposed to. Check FATP profiles for high employer satisfaction scores, as that signals the provider is coordinating off-the-job learning around genuine site and commercial cycles rather than running a generic programme. Learner reviews mentioning cost planning, procurement routes and contract administration by name suggest the curriculum has real depth.

Red flags to watch for

Be cautious if a provider delivers this standard in very high volumes but shows a declining achievement rate over recent years. Degree apprenticeships at this level are demanding, and thin pastoral or academic support structures show up quickly in completion data. Providers who give vague answers about how they prepare apprentices for RICS Assessment of Professional Competence, or who cannot point to alumni who have achieved chartered status, are worth scrutinising. Also question any provider unable to explain how the academic calendar integrates with site-based commercial cycles.

Questions to ask before you commit

• What is your achievement rate for this specific standard, and how has it trended over the last two years?
• How do you structure the programme around the RICS APC competencies, and when does APC preparation begin?
• Which contract forms do apprentices work with during the programme, and are they exposed to NEC and JCT in practice?
• How do you handle apprentices whose employer is not currently running live projects suitable for cost management experience?
• What academic and pastoral support is available between block or day-release sessions?
• Can you show me examples of the types of employer organisations currently using this programme?
• How do you track and evidence apprentice progress against both the degree and the apprenticeship end-point assessment?