Get ready for changes to apprenticeship assessment

The way in which apprenticeships in England are assessed is changing. 

Gone is the EPA as we’ve come to know it. Under latest reforms introduced by the Department for Education (DfE) and Skills England, assessments can now take place at any stage of the apprenticeship, not just at the end.  

In this context, ‘assessment’ refers to the learner’s work assessed either during the course of the apprenticeship or towards its conclusion and which contributes towards the final grade 

To reflect this change, the terminology around assessments has been revised, so: 

• ‘Apprenticeship assessment’ has replaced ‘end-point assessment’ 
• ‘Assessment organisation’ has replaced ‘end-point assessment organisation’  
• ‘Gateway to completion’ has replaced ‘gateway.’ 

The DfE is responsible for overseeing the reforms, which are being rolled out in phases over the next 12 to 18 months. These changes, says the department, will ‘help deliver greater value and ensure a better experience for apprentices and employers, while maintaining the high standards of rigour and quality that define the apprenticeship programme.’ 

This work builds on the DfE’s comprehensive review of end-point assessment, undertaken last year in collaboration with Ofqual, the Office for Students (OfS), sector stakeholders and ifATE, the skills body that preceded Skills England. Feedback from the sector found that the EPA process can be time-consuming, overly complex and burdensome – responses that have led to the redesign of apprenticeship assessments.  

The revised assessment procedures will, says the DfE, allow for greater design and delivery flexibility so that:  

• assessment is more proportionate to the competency being tested and removes any duplication 
• where appropriate, assessment can be designed to take place throughout the duration of the apprenticeship 
• where appropriate, providers will be able to mark elements of the assessment 
• assessment organisations (previously known as EPA organisations) will continue to shape the assessment and continue to ensure the validity of outcomes 

 In a further update, the DfE has also announced revised assessment plans for the assistant accountant, data technical and early years education apprenticeship standards. All three will remain live for delivery in their current format until the new plan comes into effect.  

Further information on timelines, apprentice standard restructure and the roles of providers, employers and assessors as the changes are implemented can be found here. 

 How Onefile can help 

While the terminology, processes and procedures around apprenticeship assessment is changing, the integral parts remain the same. Robust quality assurance, compliance with the funding rules and clear communication between assessor, provider, employer and learner are as essential as they’ve ever been.

Talk to us about how to navigate these changes so your transition to the new plan is as smooth as possible.