The Level 3 Surveying Technician, and the 12 providers delivering it.
Collecting information from site inspections to inform advice to clients on land, property or construction.
About this apprenticeship
What this apprenticeship covers
The official standard summary is too thin to write confidently about specific duties, skills, or responsibilities without risking invention.
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The occupation summary provided contains no listed duties, tasks, or competencies beyond a heading, which is not enough to describe what the apprentice learns or is accountable for with any accuracy.
Top providers by achievement rate
View the full Surveying Technician provider ranking
Official 2024/25 achievement rates for Surveying Technician, published by the Department for Education. Learner numbers shown - providers with fewer than 30 leavers are listed separately. Only one provider has enough 2024/25 data to be ranked for this standard, so this is a short table rather than a competitive field. The DfE rounds achievement and leaver counts to the nearest 10, so a rate marked * is approximate and the true figure may be lower. How this table works
| # | Provider | Achievement rate | Pass rate | Learners |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 56.7%+14.8 | 77.6% | 70 | |
| - | National average for this standard(160 leavers nationally) | 41.9% | ||
| – | Westminster Kingsway College few learners | 66.7% | 88.9% | 10 |
| – | Hartlepool College of Further Education few learners | 50% | 66.7% | 10 |
| – | Wigan & Leigh College few learners | 41.7% | 71.4% | 10 |
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Department for Education, apprenticeship national achievement rate tables, 2024/25. Rankings are compiled by FATP and are not endorsed by the DfE. Providers with DfE-suppressed data (very few learners) are not shown.
Career outcomes
Roles after completion
Completing this apprenticeship typically leads to roles such as Assistant Quantity Surveyor, Assistant Building Surveyor, Assistant Land Surveyor, or Surveying Technician within a practice or contractor. The exact title depends on the chosen pathway during training. Graduates work alongside chartered surveyors, supporting cost planning, site measurement, condition surveys, or land data collection, depending on specialism.
Progression paths
Most technicians pursue professional membership with RICS, CIOB, or CICES over the following three to five years, often alongside a degree apprenticeship or part-time study. This leads to roles such as Quantity Surveyor, Building Surveyor, or Geospatial Surveyor at a chartered level. From there, two tracks tend to open up: a project leadership route towards Senior Surveyor or Associate, or a technical specialist route focusing on areas such as dilapidations, cost management, or measured survey work.
Where these roles sit
Demand comes from a wide range of employers across the construction and built environment sector. Private quantity surveying and property consultancies, main contractors, housebuilders, and specialist subcontractors all hire at this level. Public sector bodies including local authorities, NHS estates teams, and central government property functions also take on surveying technicians. Employers range from small regional practices to large national construction firms.
How it's assessed
How the apprenticeship is assessed
Assessment runs throughout the apprenticeship, with the learner building competence in surveying technician work while employed. Progress is tracked against the knowledge, skills and behaviours set out in the standard. Before final assessment can begin, the apprentice and employer must agree the apprentice is ready, a stage commonly referred to as the gateway. The gateway typically involves checking that the apprentice has met any English and Maths requirements and has gathered sufficient evidence of workplace competence. Final assessment then confirms whether the apprentice can perform the role to the required standard. Assessment models for many standards are being updated, so check the gov.uk page for this standard for the current specification.
What learners need to prepare
Building a strong body of evidence from day-to-day work is the most important thing an apprentice can do throughout the programme. This means keeping records of real tasks, decisions made on site or in the office, and how surveying principles have been applied in practice. Waiting until near the end to pull evidence together makes the gateway stage much harder. Regular check-ins with the employer and training provider help ensure the evidence collected is relevant and that any gaps are identified early.
Choosing a provider
What good looks like
Look for providers with achievement rates above 65% on their FATP profile, and check that employer satisfaction scores reflect genuine engagement with construction and property businesses rather than generic training partnerships. Strong providers will have physical or well-resourced digital facilities for measurement practice, quantity take-offs and drawing interpretation. Apprentice satisfaction scores above 70% tend to indicate that the off-the-job training is well structured. Providers who can show a track record of placing completers into RICS or CIOB affiliate membership routes are worth prioritising.
Red flags to watch for
Be cautious of providers with high learner volumes but falling achievement rates, which often signals overstretched delivery staff or poor learner support. If a provider cannot explain clearly how they keep pace with current NRM, RICS guidance or Building Safety Act requirements, that is a concern for a technically grounded standard. Vague answers about how they coordinate with your workplace supervisors, or cohorts that mix surveying technicians with unrelated construction trades, suggest the delivery may not be sufficiently specialist.
Questions to ask before you commit
- What is your current achievement rate for this standard, and how has it trended over the last two years?
- How do you cover current measurement rules, specifically NRM1 and NRM2, within the programme?
- Can you show examples of recent completers who have gone on to RICS or CIOB affiliate or technician membership?
- How do you structure the relationship between off-the-job training and the learner's day-to-day workplace tasks?
- What does your end-point assessment preparation look like, and what is your EPA pass rate for this standard?
- Do you cover both commercial and residential surveying contexts, or is the programme weighted toward one sector?
- How many employers are currently using you for this standard, and what is your typical cohort size?
Common questions
What are the entry requirements for the Surveying Technician apprenticeship?
Employers set their own entry requirements, but most look for GCSEs in maths and English at grade 4 or above, or equivalent qualifications. Some employers accept relevant work experience in place of formal qualifications. Apprentices who don't already hold a level 2 qualification in maths and English will need to achieve one before they can complete the programme. Check with individual training providers, as requirements vary.
How long does the apprenticeship take and how is learning structured?
The typical duration is 24 months, though the current off-the-job training requirements are subject to change under ongoing Skills England reforms. Check the current specification on gov.uk for up-to-date figures. Throughout the programme, apprentices remain employed and apply their learning directly in the workplace, working on surveying tasks alongside completing structured training with their provider.
How is the Surveying Technician apprenticeship assessed?
Before taking end-point assessment, the apprentice must pass through a gateway, where the employer and training provider confirm the apprentice has met all requirements and is ready. Assessment models for many standards are being updated, so check gov.uk for the current specification. The assessment is designed to confirm the apprentice can perform competently across the full range of surveying technician duties, not just pass a test.
How does an employer pay for this apprenticeship?
The funding band for this standard is £9,000, which is the maximum government contribution toward training costs. Larger employers with a levy account use those funds directly. SMEs without a levy account co-invest with the government, typically paying 5% of training costs. Employers taking on apprentices aged 16 to 18 may pay nothing at all if they have fewer than 50 staff. Any costs above the funding band are met by the employer.
What does a Surveying Technician actually do day to day?
Day-to-day work typically involves supporting quantity, building, or land surveying activities depending on the employer's specialism. That includes measuring and recording data, preparing cost estimates or valuations, assisting with contract administration, and producing reports or drawings. Apprentices work on live projects, liaising with clients, contractors, and colleagues, and develop competence in using relevant software and technical surveying methods within the construction and built environment sector.
What can a Surveying Technician apprentice do after completing the programme?
Completion often leads to a role as a qualified surveying technician, with eligibility for technician-level membership of professional bodies such as RICS or CIOB. From there, many progress into higher-level roles through a degree apprenticeship at level 6 or a part-time degree in a relevant surveying discipline. Some employers support further study toward full chartered status, depending on the individual's career direction and the employer's structure.
12 approved providers
Providers with a published achievement rate for this standard first, highest rate at the top. Providers without a published rate for this standard follow.
Hartlepool College of Further Education is a specialist apprenticeship and vocational training provi...
Wigan & Leigh College is a further and higher education provider in Greater Manchester that position...
JACE Training is an independent training provider with over 40 years’ experience supporting learners...
Learning Skills Partnership (LSP) is an apprenticeship training provider with a strong foundation in...
Gloucestershire College is an education provider with campuses in Cheltenham, Gloucester and the For...
Newham College is a further education college in London offering a wide range of vocational and acad...
DN Colleges Group is a major education provider for South Yorkshire, Greater Lincolnshire and the Hu...
The Bedford College Group is a large further and higher education provider in the South East Midland...
South & City College Birmingham is a vocational further and higher education college offering full‑t...
East Surrey College is a vocational further and higher education college based in Redhill, Surrey, a...
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Is an apprenticeship the right route?
Not always. An apprenticeship funds 12-24 months of structured, assessed learning for someone in a role. If you need a skill in weeks, are training someone already senior, or the person is not on your payroll, a short commercial course can be the better instrument. When to choose an apprenticeship and when to choose a course.
Curated by Alex Lockey, FATP founder and editor.
Data updated 8 Sept 2026Written guidance reviewed
Sources include the apprenticeship's official specification on apprenticeships.gov.uk, Skills England standards and funding bands, Ofsted inspection reports, and provider data sourced directly from the public Apprenticeship Provider and Assessment Register (APAR). Standard reference: 51.
Some sections on this page were drafted with AI assistance from published source data and reviewed by a human editor before publication. See our editorial methodology for how we maintain this content. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.