110+ Free Sava Level 6 Surveying Practice Questions

Pass your ABBE/Sava Level 6 Diploma in Residential Surveying & Valuation (ABBE, UK) exam on the first try — instant access, no signup required.

✓ No registration✓ No credit card✓ No hidden fees✓ Start practicing immediately

~75% Pass Rate

110+ Questions

100% Free

Loading practice questions...

Same family resources

Explore More ABBE/Sava Level 6 Diploma in Residential Surveying & Valuation

Continue into nearby exams from the same family. Each card keeps practice questions, study guides, flashcards, videos, and articles in one place.

ABBE/CBCS Level 6 Diploma in Building Surveying (ABBE, UK)

Practice Questions110 questions

2026 Statistics

Key Facts: Sava Level 6 Surveying Exam

70%

Passing Score

ABBE/Sava

Level 6

RQF Level

Ofqual

Case Studies

ABBE/Sava

AssocRICS

RICS Pathway

RICS

1,000 hrs

Average Study Time

Sava

100

Practice Questions

OpenExamPrep

The ABBE/Sava Level 6 Diploma is the leading non-university route to becoming a residential surveyor in the UK. It is assessed via online MCQ exams (70% pass mark) and a 10-property case study portfolio. The qualification covers building defects, RICS Red Book valuation, property law, and surveyor ethics, providing a direct pathway to AssocRICS status.

Sample Sava Level 6 Surveying Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your Sava Level 6 Surveying exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 110+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1During the inspection of a 1930s semi-detached house, you observe horizontal cracking along the mortar joints of the front elevation at roughly 900mm intervals. The brickwork appears slightly bowed outwards. What is the most likely cause of this defect?

A.Sulphate attack within the mortar joints

B.Corrosion and expansion of mild steel cavity wall ties

C.Thermal expansion of the external brick skin

D.Subsidence of the front bay window foundation

Explanation: Cavity wall ties in the 1930s were often made of ungalvanised or poorly galvanised mild steel. Over time, exposure to moisture causes them to corrode and expand up to several times their original thickness. This expansion forces the mortar joints open, leading to horizontal cracks at regular intervals (typically every 4 to 6 courses) and outward bowing of the external skin due to the loss of physical restraint. Sulphate attack usually causes horizontal cracking at every joint, thermal movement causes vertical cracking near corners, and subsidence results in diagonal stepped cracking.

2A client complains of dampness on the lower ground floor of a Victorian terraced house. Your inspection reveals salt band efflorescence and damp plaster up to 1 metre high on the front solid wall. A moisture meter indicates high electrical resistance readings in a continuous band. What is the most appropriate diagnosis?

A.Penetrating damp from defective external render

B.Condensation caused by poor mechanical ventilation

C.Rising damp due to a lack of or bridged damp proof course (DPC)

D.Lateral dampness from high ground levels abutting the wall

Explanation: Rising damp is characterized by a horizontal damp band up to approximately 1 metre high on ground floor walls, accompanied by hygroscopic salt bands (nitrates and chlorides) left behind as groundwater evaporates. Victorian properties were built with solid walls that either lacked a damp proof course (DPC) or used slate/bitumen DPCs that have failed or been bridged by high external paths. Penetrating damp typically appears as localized patches, condensation is superficial and lacks the salt bands, and lateral damp occurs where ground levels are higher than the internal floor level (which is not specified here as the primary cause).

3While inspecting the roof void of a property built in 1970, you notice that the gang-nailed timber trusses are leaning laterally and some of the horizontal tiling battens are bowing. There is no diagonal bracing installed. What structural defect is occurring?

A.Nail fatigue

B.Roof spread

C.Rafter sagging

D.Lack of longitudinal and diagonal stability bracing

Explanation: Modern trussed rafter roofs rely on diagonal, longitudinal, and chevron bracing to distribute lateral loads and prevent instability. Properties from the late 1960s and 1970s often omitted this bracing, leading to lateral racking (leaning of the trusses) under wind or tiling loads. Roof spread is a defect of traditional cut roofs where the purlins or ceiling joists fail to restrain the outward thrust of the rafters. Sagging is deflection under vertical load, whereas lateral leaning indicates stability failure.

4A solid brick wall of a Georgian house is finished externally with a modern cement-based render. You observe extensive cracking and hollow-sounding areas when tapped. Why is a cement-based render unsuitable for this substrate?

A.Cement render is too vapor-permeable and allows excessive moisture ingress

B.It is too rigid and impermeable, trapping moisture and causing freeze-thaw damage

C.It reacts chemically with the historic lime mortar, causing sulphate attack

D.It increases the thermal transmittance of the wall, leading to condensation

Explanation: Historic properties built with lime mortar rely on 'breathability' (vapor permeability) to allow moisture to evaporate from the fabric. Applying a rigid, modern cement render traps moisture behind the render coat. During winter, trapped water undergoes freeze-thaw expansion, breaking the bond between the render and the brickwork, leading to spalling of the brick faces and hollow areas. Cement render is actually vapor-impermeable, not vapor-permeable, and its stiffness prevents it from flexing with the historic building's natural movement.

5You are assessing a property situated on shrinkable London Clay. There is a large oak tree located 10 metres from the rear elevation. The rear wall shows diagonal stepped cracking (5mm wide) that is wider at the top than the bottom. What is the most probable cause of this movement?

A.Ground heave due to the removal of vegetation

B.Thermal contraction of the rear extension

C.Subsidence caused by clay shrinkage due to moisture abstraction by the tree

D.Sulphate attack in the concrete strip foundations

Explanation: Cohesive clay soils shrink when their moisture content is reduced. During dry summer months, large trees abstract significant volumes of water from the clay, causing localized soil shrinkage and downward movement of the foundations above (subsidence). Diagonal stepped cracks that widen towards the top indicate downward rotation of the corner of the building away from the main structure. Ground heave occurs when trees are removed and the clay swells as it rehydrates, which would tilt the building in the opposite direction.

6During a roof space inspection, you identify a white, cotton-wool-like fungal growth on the ceiling joists, accompanied by dark brown, bracket-shaped fruiting bodies. The timber is deeply cracked along and across the grain (cuboidal cracking) and crumbles easily. Which timber-destroying fungus is present?

A.Coniophora puteana (Wet Rot)

B.Serpula lacrymans (Dry Rot)

C.Anobium punctatum (Common Furniture Beetle)

D.Donkioporia expansa (White Rot)

Explanation: Serpula lacrymans is the scientific name for Dry Rot. It is characterized by white/grey mycelium (resembling cotton wool), rusty-red or brown bracket-like fruiting bodies (sporophores) that release red-brown spores, and deep cuboidal cracking of the timber. Dry rot is particularly dangerous because its hyphae can penetrate through damp masonry to attack dry timber elsewhere. Coniophora puteana (wet rot) produces darker, thread-like strands and longitudinal cracking, without the large cottony mycelium or bracket fruiting bodies.

7A modern cavity wall property (built in 2015) has a finished ground floor level that is only 75mm above the external block paved driveway. What is the main regulatory and maintenance concern regarding this detail?

A.The driveway will suffer from structural instability due to poor sub-base compaction

B.The damp proof course (DPC) is bridged, increasing the risk of penetrating and rising damp

C.Surface water will flow into the cavity weep holes, flooding the floor void

D.The foundation depth is insufficient under Approved Document A

Explanation: Approved Document C of the Building Regulations in England and Wales requires the damp proof course (DPC) to be positioned at least 150mm above the adjacent external ground level. This height prevents splashing rainwater or standing water from bridging the DPC and penetrating the inner leaf of the wall. A clearance of only 75mm represents a bridged DPC, exposing the internal floor and plasterwork to moisture penetration and rising damp. It does not directly indicate poor driveway compaction or insufficient foundation depth.

8You inspect a property with solid suspended timber ground floors. There are only two air bricks on the front elevation and none at the rear due to a solid concrete conservatory extension. What defect should you actively look for in the floor joists?

A.Dry rot caused by lack of cross-ventilation and elevated sub-floor relative humidity

B.Sulphate attack from the concrete conservatory slab

C.Deflection under dead loads due to wet-bulb temperature variations

D.Infestation by Death Watch Beetle (Xestobium rufovillosum)

Explanation: Suspended timber floors require adequate cross-ventilation to remove moisture evaporating from the ground. Air bricks must be installed on opposite walls to ensure a continuous flow of air. Blocking the air flow at the rear with a conservatory creates a stagnant, humid environment in the sub-floor void. When relative humidity exceeds 80% and timber moisture content rises above 20%, conditions become ideal for the colonization and spread of Serpula lacrymans (dry rot). Sulphate attack affects mortar/concrete, not timber joists.

9What is the primary indicator of 'nail fatigue' in a slate roof of a mid-Victorian terraced house?

A.The slates splitting along their natural cleavage planes due to frost action

B.Slipped slates gathered at the eaves or in the gutters due to corrosion of the fixing nails

C.A white efflorescent powder forming on the underside of the slates

D.The purlins sagging and causing the slate course lines to warp diagonally

Explanation: Nail fatigue refers to the gradual corrosion of the metal nails (often iron or steel in Victorian properties) fixing the slates to the timber battens. As the nails rust, their shafts thin and break, causing the slates to slip out of position and slide down the roof slope into the gutters. This is a common age-related failure in older slate roofs that often necessitates a complete re-roof (usually using copper or aluminum nails). Splitting slates are due to poor quality materials, and purlin sag is a structural frame defect.

10While surveying a property built in 1965, you notice extensive vertical cracking in the external brickwork panels directly beneath the windows on the southern elevation. The cracks close up during the winter months. What is the cause of this cyclical movement?

A.Thermal expansion and contraction of the brickwork

B.Seasonal moisture variations in the clay foundations

C.Corrosion of the window lintels

D.Carbonation of the mortar joints

Explanation: Southern-facing elevations are subjected to extreme solar gain during summer, causing the brickwork to expand. If adequate movement joints (expansion joints) are not provided, compressive stresses build up, resulting in vertical cracking at weak points like window openings. During winter, the brickwork cools and contracts, causing the cracks to close. Seasonal foundation movement in clay affects the entire corner of a building and produces diagonal stepped cracking, not cyclical vertical cracks under window panels.

About the Sava Level 6 Surveying Exam

The ABBE Level 6 Diploma in Residential Surveying and Valuation (delivered by Sava) is a professional, degree-equivalent qualification designed to train residential surveyors in the UK. The course is assessed through a combination of online multiple-choice examinations (with a 70% passing score) covering building pathology, property valuation, property law, and professional practice, plus a practical portfolio containing 10 case studies of real property inspections and valuations. Completing the diploma provides a direct entry route to Associate membership of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (AssocRICS).

Assessment

Objective multiple-choice examinations and 10 practical case studies

Time Limit

2-3 hours per exam module

Passing Score

70%

Exam Fee

~£14,000 (full qualification cost) (ABBE (Awarding Body for the Built Environment))

Sava Level 6 Surveying Exam Content Outline

30%

Building Pathology & Condition Assessment

Identifying, diagnosing, and reporting structural defects, dampness, timber decay, concrete failures, and roof issues in UK residential properties.

25%

Property Valuation

Applying valuation methods (comparable, investment, residual) in compliance with the RICS Red Book, understanding leaseholds, and estimating reinstatement costs.

25%

Property Law & Regulatory Frameworks

Understanding easements, covenants, Land Registry titles, planning permissions, Building Regulations (Part A-S), and the Party Wall etc. Act 1996.

20%

Professional Practice & Ethics

Following RICS Rules of Conduct, terms of engagement (Home Survey Standard), conflicts of interest, complaints handling, and health & safety (Surveying Safely).

How to Pass the Sava Level 6 Surveying Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: 70%
Assessment: Objective multiple-choice examinations and 10 practical case studies
Time limit: 2-3 hours per exam module
Exam fee: ~£14,000 (full qualification cost)

Keys to Passing

Complete 500+ practice questions
Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
Focus on highest-weighted sections
Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

Sava Level 6 Surveying Study Tips from Top Performers

1When diagnosing dampness, look for the horizontal tide mark and hygroscopic salts (nitrates/chlorides) to distinguish rising damp from penetrating damp.

2Understand how clay soils behave around mature trees, specifically the mechanics of clay shrinkage (subsidence) and rehydration swelling (heave).

3Learn the details of RICS Red Book VPS 1-5, paying special attention to the difference between standard Assumptions and Special Assumptions.

4Memorize the key heights and dimensions in the Building Regulations, such as the 150mm minimum DPC clearance under Part C and escape window rules under Part B.

5Understand the notice periods and excavation trigger zones under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ABBE/Sava Level 6 Diploma?

It is a vocational, degree-equivalent qualification that trains individuals to become residential surveyors and valuers in the UK. It is recognized by RICS for direct entry to the AssocRICS membership tier.

How are the Sava Level 6 exams structured?

The qualification includes multiple online, proctored examinations consisting of multiple-choice questions covering building pathology, valuation, and law. Each exam requires a passing score of 70%.

Do I need prior experience to enroll in the Sava course?

No. The Sava course is designed for career changers and does not require prior property or construction experience, though candidates must pass a basic entry assessment.

What is the role of the portfolio in the assessment?

Candidates must compile a portfolio of 10 real-world case studies demonstrating their ability to inspect properties and write accurate, professional condition and valuation reports to RICS standards.

How does this qualification lead to RICS membership?

Graduates of the Level 6 Diploma who also complete the RICS online Ethics module can apply directly for Associate membership of RICS (AssocRICS) without going through the standard graduate route.