Recruiter Accreditation Scheme (RAS)

The Recruiter Accreditation Scheme (RAS) has been developed by MRS and the Association for Qualitative Research (AQR) to raise the profile and status of recruiters, by devising a training and accreditation scheme that recognises the knowledge, skills and competence of professional recruiters.

The use of accredited recruiters is now a mandatory obligation, for MRS Company Partners, when buying qualitative research recruitment services.

The overall aim of the scheme is to improve the quality of qualitative recruitment by all parties throughout the qualitative recruitment supply-chain. 

The RAS is designed to recognise the range of knowledge and understanding required to:

• Understand the basic principles and concepts of research
• Understand the role of research recruitment
• Understand the different techniques used for research recruitment
• Understand the legal and ethical requirements which underpin research
• Understand the basics of project management

The RAS programme combines online training and assessment with self-directed work-based learning.  All of the RAS online training is available for use without financial charge. The materials are available here: https://ras.mrs.org.uk/

Who is it for?

Research recruiters working across a wide range of sectors who undertake research recruitment, and those who commission qualitative research and/or undertake research recruitment as part of a wider research role:

• For experienced recruiters - the accreditation will provide professional recognition and build professional status.  
• For new recruiters - the training and accreditation will provide the essential knowledge and skills to become competent as recruiters.
• For recruitment organisations – the accreditation of recruitment organisations and their staff will provide third party verification of your services and competence.
• For recruiters within field, research and/or client organisations – the accreditation will provide professional recognition of the internal recruitment function.

Learning outcomes and indicative content

• The Basics of Research: This element refers to the setting in which research takes place, the basics of qualitative and quantitative research and the ethical and legal principles that underpin the research recruitment process. The learning outcomes in this section inform and guide each stage of the recruitment process.
• The Tools Used in Research Recruitment: The learning outcomes in this element reflect the specific skills and understanding required to conduct effective qualitative recruitment. There are four topic areas in this section:

1. Preparation
2. Managing the recruitment process
3. Communication and interpersonal skills
4. Recruitment tools and techniques

More information on the structure and learning outcomes of RAS can be found in the RAS syllabus document.

Assessment

The assessment is completed online under the guidance of MRS, as the awarding body for the accreditation. 

Comprises 40 multiple-choice questions covering all five RAS modules sat online.

At least 3 questions must be answered correctly from modules 1 & 2, at least 5 correct from modules 3 & 5 and at least 8 correct from module 4.

Pass requirements

• The overall pass rate is 60% = 24 correct answers
• Candidates will achieve a Distinction, Merit, Pass or a Fail grade
• In order to achieve a Merit candidates must exceed all the pass rates and get over 30 out of 40
• In order to achieve a distinction candidates must exceed all the pass rates and get over 35 out of 40.
• Candidates will fail if they get an overall score of 24 or higher, but do not score high enough in each of the 5 modules.

Re-takes for failed assessments will cost £25 +VAT per re-assessment

You can access the RAS Assessment here

How long will it take?

It is recommended you undertake around 40 learning hours of study of the learning materials which support RAS to prepare for the assessment.

It is advisable, even if you are an experienced recruiter, that you review all modules of the training before taking the assessment, in particular the modules: New and Emerging Recruitment Techniques and Data Protection and GDPR.

Read full details about how the RAS training and assessment works and can be accessed.

Entry requirements

RAS is open to all individuals who wish to participate.

Fees

MRS and AQR online RAS training – FREE to all – go to the RAS online training site

Recruiters who are already a Member of MRS – No charge for accreditation

Recruiters who are Non-Members of MRS:

• Option 1 - £167.50 - Includes the RAS assessment, accreditation, compliance regulation by MRS and access to the full suite of MRS membership benefits
• Option 2 - £84 - Includes the RAS assessment, accreditation and compliance regulation by MRS but no individual member benefits (a 50% reduction on membership fee)

The accreditation includes:

• access to the training
• access to the assessment 
• accreditation 
• MRS membership 
• Certificate of accreditation
• Logo of accreditation

Thereafter there is an annual accreditation fee which includes MRS membership and continued accreditation. The period of accreditation is for three years.  In order to maintain accreditation after three years recruiters are required to re-take the accreditation assessment.

Company Accreditation

For companies, there are two types of accreditation.

• Organisations which undertake in-house recruitment only will achieve RAS Accreditation (In-house) once 50% or more of the organisations' staff undertaking recruitment have successfully achieved accreditation.  RAS Accreditation (In-house) will also apply to those organisations that have met the 50% staff requirement and have yet to achieve the criteria for External RAS Company accreditation.
• For those organisations that use the services of external freelance recruiters RAS Accreditation (External) will be given once 50% or more of all in-house staff undertaking recruitment are RAS Accredited Recruiters and at least 50% of all external recruiters (such as independent recruiters) that are used by the organisation are RAS Accredited Recruiters.  

RAS Accredited Company Application Form
(The form is a writeable PDF, in order to populate please download the form and click on the  icon in the side navigation)

RAS Accredited Company Annual Update Form
(The form is a writeable PDF, in order to populate please download the form and click on the  icon in the side navigation)

It is recognised that for those telephone units which have had their telephone operations certified to ISO 20252 (*and either have 2012 Certification or have certified to Annex B for the 2019 standard) and/or IQCS, and the training and monitoring requirements that this place upon the telephone unit, will mean there is less need for all the recruiters to undertake accreditation. 

For IQCS and/or ISO 20252* Certified Telephone Units to become accredited as an In-House RAS Accredited Company requires only the Compliance/Quality Manager responsible for training and the quality standards to be accredited as an individual Accredited Recruiter, not 50% of the recruiter staff as for non IQCS and ISO 20252* organisations.  In these instances, the individual recruiter fees would apply.  This does not prevent more staff from a Telephone Unit being individually accredited if they wish to.